Methi Matar Malai is a popular North Indian dish made with fenugreek leaves and green peas in a creamy luscious curry and pairs perfectly with naan or rice. Vegetarian and gluten-free!
This rich and creamy, slightly bitter sweet Methi matar malai is an 'exotic' dish very commonly seen on the menus of Indian restaurants as well as in parties or weddings.
Now you don't have to wait to visit a restaurant when your taste buds crave it. Bet it will be a regular on the menu once you try it at home.
Here are some other favorite recipes with Methi - Methi Thepla and Aloo Methi .
This Methi Mutter Malai is
- Mild but flavorful and creamy
- Better than restaurant style curry
- Quick and easy to make
- Vegetarian and gluten-free!
Methi matar malai is a rich and creamy curry consisting of methi (fenugreek leaves), matar (green peas), and malai (cream) and hence the name.
It is a winter special recipe when fresh, tender, and green fenugreek leaves are in season but can be made with frozen leaves too to enjoy it throughout the year.
Methi is known for its health benefits like reducing cholesterol levels, facilitate digestion and regulating blood sugar.
In addition they are also widely popular in nursing mothers to help boost milk production.
Methi mutter malai is a very delicious and easy to make recipe but definitely not an everyday curry since its very rich due to the cream and cashews. But it's perfect for those special occasions and celebrations.
This curry is slightly sweet from the cream and green peas and bitter from fenugreek leaves making the perfect balance and giving this dish its unique flavor.
It doesn’t need a lot of spices and the main flavors are from fenugreek and cream.
Its white curry with green elements of leaves and peas in it which look so pretty. Some add turmeric to it which off course will change the color.
Here is how to make better than restaurant style Methi Matar Malai at home!
Recipe Ingredients
Methi leaves - known as fenugreek leaves in English. We will be using fresh methi leaves for this recipe. You can also use frozen. Dry fenugreek leaves known as kasoori methi cant be substituted for this recipe.
Matar (Green peas) - I have use frozen green peas. Just thaw in warm water 5-10 mins, drain and use. These don’t need a lot of time to cook.
You can also use fresh green peas in which case the cooking time will be more. Boil them ahead of time to speed up the cooking time.
Malai - or heavy whipping cream. Another crucial ingredient that gives this curry its richness, texture and color. Read the FAQ’s below to see how to make it less calorie-dense.
Cashews and poppy seeds - Along with cream, these are also crucial in making this dish creamy and rich. Use just cashews if you can’t find poppy seeds (khuskhus). Almonds can also be used in-place of cashews. Read the FAQ’s below to see how to make it nut free.
Aromatics - Use fresh onion, ginger garlic and green chili . These are the base and provide the flavor to this curry since we don't use a lot of spices.
Whole spices - Cumin seeds, green cardamom, bay leaves.
Spices - Just salt, black pepper, and Garam masala. I've used my homemade Punjabi garam masala and highly recommend using it for this curry. It provides the warmth and flavor without making its too hot.
Step by Step Method
Blanching Methi Leaves
Blanching or boiling methi leaves prior will help to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. Skip steps (2-4) if you prefer the bitter flavor. Cooked methi will reduce to 1 cup.
1 - Remove methi leaves from their stem, rinse thoroughly, and chop them roughly. Set aside.
2 - Boil the fenugreek leaves in 3 cups of water till soft and turn dark (about 5 mins).
3 - Drain and add to cold water to stop them cooking further and discoloring.
4 - Once cool, drain and chop them finely.
Making methi malai matar
5 - Heat a large pan and to it add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee. Once it's hot, add the whole spices, bay leaf, cardamom, cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds.
6 - Add green chili pepper, ginger and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds.
7 - Stir in the onions and cook covered until the onions are translucent. Stir intermittently.
8- Add the cashews and poppy seeds. Saute for another minute. Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit.
9 - Take off the bay leaf and transfer the mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
10 - Heat the same pan and add the remaining oil along with the bay leaf (removed earlier).
11 - Stir in the blended paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
12 - Add the chopped methi leaves along with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
13 - Stir in the green peas and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
14 and 15 - Add the cream, water (½ to 1 cup depending on consistency you like), garam masala and stir well. Cover and let it simmer on medium-low flame for 5 minutes.
16 - Final touch, add the cilantro leaves and mix. If you prefer a stronger Methi flavor, crush 1 tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) between your palms and add and mix.
Methi Matar Malai curry is ready!! Serve warm with roti or naan or Jeera rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Fresh or Frozen methi leaves can be used for this recipe. Dry fenugreek leaves known as Kasuri methi can’t be substituted.
If you prefer the bitter taste of fenugreek, just clean and chop leaves fine and use it directly in this recipe. To reduce the bitterness, follow the blanching method shared.
You can add dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) at the end to enhance the flavor if needed.
This curry thickens as it sits so adjust using milk or water before serving.
This dish tastes best with the ingredients shared but if you want to control or reduce the cream, cashews and or calories, try the cornstarch slurry as a replacement.
For constrarch slurry - dissolve ½ teaspoon in ¼ cup of water and add (in place of cream) on low heat it stirring continuously until the curry has thickened.
Frequently asked questions
There are a couple of options to make it creamy without cream
Option 1: using cornstarch slurry - dissolve ½ teaspoon cornstarch in ¼ cup of water and add it instead of cream. Mix it on low heat, stirring continuously until the curry has thickened. This makes it thick and creamy without addding calories.
Option 2 - use just cashew poppy seed paste along with milk and skip cream.
To make methi mutter malai vegan, soak ¼ cup of cashews (or almonds) in ½ cup of milk and blend it smooth. Use this paste instead of milk and cream.
Yes, skip the cashews and just use cream alone or along with the cornstarch slurry (½ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water) to thicken it.
More North Indian Recipes
Hope you enjoy this Methi Matar Malai Recipe!! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Methi Matar Malai
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh Methi leaves Fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoon oil or ghee divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 onion chopped, 1 cup approximately
- 12 cashews
- 3 green chilies chopped, adjust to taste, used thai chili
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, or 4 fat cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced, or 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen, using frozen.
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds khuskhus
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ - 1 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ cup Cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
Blanching Methi Leaves (optional)
- Blanching or boiling methi leaves prior will help to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. Skip steps (2-4) if you prefer the bitter flavor. Cooked methi will reduce to 1 cup.
- Remove methi leaves from their stem, rinse thoroughly, and chop them roughly. Set aside.
- Boil the fenugreek leaves in 3 cups of water till soft and turn dark (about 5 mins).
- Drain and add to cold water to stop them cooking further and discoloring. Once cool, drain and chop them finely.
To make Methi matar malai
- Heat a pan and to it add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee. Once it's hot, add the whole spices, bay leaf, cardamom, cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add green chili pepper, ginger and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the onions and cook covered until the onions are translucent. Stir intermittently.
- Add the cashews and poppy seeds. Saute for another minute. Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit.
- Take off the bay leaf and transfer the mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat the same pan and add the remaining oil along with the bay leaf (removed earlier).
- Stir in the blended paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped methi leaves along with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the green peas and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cream, water (½ to 1 cup depending on consistency you like), garam masala and stir well. Cover and let it simmer on medium-low flame for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the cilantro leaves and mix.
- Methi Matar Malai curry is ready!! Serve warm with roti or naan or Jeera rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fresh or Frozen methi leaves can be used for this recipe. Dry fenugreek leaves known as Kasuri methi can’t be substituted.
- If you prefer the bitter taste of fenugreek, just clean and chop leaves fine and use it directly in this recipe. To reduce the bitterness, follow the blanching method shared.
- For constrarch slurry - dissolve ½ teaspoon in ¼ cup of water and add (in place of cream) on low heat it stirring continuously until the curry has thickened.
- To make it vegan, skip milk and cream and increase th
- For a stronger Methi flavor, crush 1 tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) between your palms and add and mix.
- This curry thickens as it sits so adjust using milk or water before serving.
- This dish tastes best with the ingredients shared but if you want to control or reduce the cream, cashews and or calories, try the cornstarch slurry as a replacement.
- For constrarch slurry - dissolve ½ teaspoon in ¼ cup of water and add (in place of cream) on low heat it stirring continuously until the curry has thickened.
- To make methi mutter malai vegan, soak ¼ cup of cashews (or almonds) in ½ cup of milk and blend it smooth. Use this paste instead of milk and cream.
We can omit cream and instead use 1 tbsp cornflour & 1.5 cup milk - is this the total quantity or we add this to 1 tsp conflour & 1 cup milk already mentioned in the recipe..
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Thanks Manju, definitely give it a shot, its a no hassle recipe. Let me know how it turned out.
Wow...looks nice..and requires no fancy ingredients. Its easy to make..I'm gonna try this soon.
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
it's my favorite as well...Love this creamy and flavorful gravy...Looks delicious
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Hi Karishma,definitely try it!! for this dish I used pasteurized heavy cream. For frozen methi, you can find it in Frozen section of supermarket (in India) or Indian grocery stores (In USA)
hey this is my all time favorite..!!! Will surely try..2 questions - what cream are u using??? Where do you get frozen methi from??