Methi Matar Malai


Methi Matar Malai is a gorgeous way to eat those greens. This is THE dish to convert methi haters into its ardent fans, at least that's what I underwent during my teens, and now I can have methi in any form, even seeds!
Yep, methi seeds are a detoxing aid, as shared by my trainer at Talwalkar, Mumbai years back. Just soak a quarter teaspoon (about 12 seeds) overnight, discard the water in the morning and gulp down the seeds with warm water on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. It is said to clear the skin and strengthen hair.

Ok, getting back to mmm....methi matar malai, that is :D
We need,
1.5 cup fresh methi leaves, washed and plucked
1 cup frozen peas
1 small onion
1 to 2 large, mild green chillies, slit in the middle
2 cloves
2 green cardamom
1.5 cups milk
10 cashew nuts ( soaked in warm water for 20 minutes)
1 tbsp cream (optional)
1 tsp oil+1 tsp ghee ( or 2 tsp oil)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
Make slits on the peeled onion, stud the cloves and cardamom and boil till the onion softens, should take around 6 to 8 minutes after the water reaches a boil. Discard the cloves and cardamom after boiling, they have done their job, you can add them back to the gravy later if you like a stronger flavour. Blend the drained onions. You can also blend the green chillies together with the onions if you prefer it spicy, but I wanted to keep it kid friendly this time. Adding the green chillies gives a lovely green hue to the paste.

Make a paste of the soaked cashewnuts and keep aside. Heat the oil & ghee (if using) together in a pan, saute the chillies and onion paste till the paste is lightly coloured and then add the cashewnut paste and fry till you can see small specks of oil. Now add the methi leaves and saute for a few minutes till they collapse slightly. Add the defrosted peas, coriander powder, salt, sugar and stir gently to mix everything. Add the milk and bring it to a gentle boil, stirring every two minutes. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat low and cook till it thickens slightly, remember that it will thicken a lot more after keeping. Check seasoning. Add cream now if you are using.I have made MMM many times before but this is the first time that i used cream and honestly I would not have guessed if I had'nt cooked it myself, as I could'nt really tell the difference between this and the one without cream. Goes really well with rotis and paranthas.
Variation:
A friend taught me a similar MMM recipe, with some tomatoes added. Just grate one large tomato and add it after frying the onion paste, but before adding the cashewnut paste. Proceed similar to the above recipe.
Off this goes to Herb Mania: Fenugreek hosted by Red Chillies.

32 comments:

  1. what a gorgeous curry this is! you're looks perfect- wah kya photo kheechee hai!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That looks soo delicious DB - My few attempts at making this have always flopped for some reason... but yours makes me want to give it another shot.

    Oh and you could send this to Herb Mania - Methi hosted by REd Chillies http://redchillies.us

    ReplyDelete
  3. thanks ranjani:)

    laavanya:
    that's neat..will send it over to RC. Thank you:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. How true...this sure is the most desired way I would eat my greens :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have never had methi other than in thepla or in undhiyu. I still do not like it as much..but yours looks great..Might make a methi hater like me to give it a try.

    ReplyDelete
  6. o girl I am trying this for todays dinner....so very tempting will let u know how it came out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a methi lover but just about manage peas if they are cooked well. This recipe looks tasty and rich. I can just imagine how the milk counters any of the bitterness that the methi may have.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this dish and have it in my drafts havnt posted as yet. Make it the same way you did. Love the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is one of my favorite dishes! It's something I spent a lot of time on to get the taste I wanted when I cooked it... Now I should try your recipe, too... Can't have to many varieties of something you love :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. stunning pic. looks so mouth-watering.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh God DB,this looks like the one served at restaurant,It is awesome.I have bookmarked.

    ReplyDelete
  12. looks yum,..nice combo,..gonna try for sure..:-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks gorgeous girl one of my av especially the mutter

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you so much for this !I've always wanted to make this .. but never dared to only because I had no idea what goes into it ...other than the cashew paste ... So the onion is boiled and then made into a paste ... Thanks to you now we can have this at home too. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am drooling on your curry, Rashmi.. Perfect color and very appetizing.. Bookmarked :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Rashmi, Guess what even i like methi matar malai but ur picture looks delicious. Nice blog very colourful and innovative.
    Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  17. So guess what I picked a huge bunch of at the supermarket this weekend?? Methi. I was thinking of Methi Murgh but this dish looks divine and was a favourite choice at my local Indian rest.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is one gorgeous-looking dish! I might try it using coconut milk instead of cream. Thanks, Delhi Belle.

    ReplyDelete
  19. hi rashmi, thanks for your comment.

    Methi matar malai looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sangeeth:
    thanks..would love to know how it turned out.

    bharti,meera:
    the milk, cashews and onion counteract the bitterness completely, try sometime

    medhaa, meeso, uma:
    thanks girls:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. shibani, priyanka, sujatha:
    thanks..do let me know your verdict if you get around to trying it

    ReplyDelete
  22. sharmila, mallika:
    Thanks, this is a homestyle variation of therestaurant version, and therefore much lighter:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Vaishali:
    Thanks Vaish..Coconut milk is a perfect substitute, infact I reckon it will taste even better.

    Vibhas:
    Thank you:)

    ReplyDelete
  24. wowwwww.... apko pata hai kal ek rest se home delivery karne wali thi... and i read this... and i was like i want to make this myself... and within 5 minutes me and garg opened ur blog and we were like OMG... lovely looking gravy ... jab try karungi bataungi

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi dear...
    Looks delicious and perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  26. cool! that looks great!:) I personally love MMM, but don't get to cook it often enough at home!:)

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is one dish I like, but then I like all things methi!
    Your version appeals more tome because it has less or no malai and looks so creamy.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Rashmi

    Thank you so much for stopping by!! I am just a couple of weeks old in this busy busy blogworld, so it feels really good when someone stops by and leaves a comment:-))

    Methi matar malai looks soo interesting.. I have never used methi and matar together. have to try this.

    ReplyDelete
  29. guy next door
    will remember to take pics next time I make rajma, meanwhile try this:
    http://cygopi.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/a-very-simple-rajma/

    ReplyDelete
  30. Tried and loved this recipe! Thanks :)
    Hope you are doing good.

    ReplyDelete