Methi Matar Malai | Punjabi Methi Mutter Malai Recipe | Restaurant style methi mattar malai recipe

Blame it on the Instagram.. I had been drooling on the pics of the 'Methi Malai Matar' posted by many of the friends and so when I got hold of some fresh methi leaves and fresh green peas, I too set about to make some.. I always have a stock of malai in my fridge coz I make ghee at home from them. And I paired the yummy tasty methi malai matar with some hot phulkas and my lunch was done. Even Dhruv was licking off the gravy and had an extra chapathi that day ;) That's how this dish is.. creamy, sweet and mild even for a toddler. It's full of the fresh flavours of winter and gives you a rich yummy side dish for those soft phulkas and leaves your tummy full and content.. So why don't you too make use of the winter produce an make some of this yummy gravy?

The other methi recipes that might interest you would be Methi Paratha, Aloo Methi & Methi Dal

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serves : 3

I Used:

Methi/Fenugreek leaves	-	1 cup chopped leaves (refer notes)
Matar/Green peas	-	½ cup
Fresh Cream	-	4 tbsp
Oil/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Sugar	-	1 tsp (refer notes)
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	As Needed

To Saute & Grind:

Oil Cumin seeds	- -	1 tbsp 1 tsp
Onion	-	1 big sized sliced
Ginger - Garlic paste	-	1 tbsp
Green Chilly	-	1 no
Cashews	-	2 tbsp
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds	-	2 tsp

The Way:

1. Pluck the fenugreek leaves and discard the stem. Rinse the leaves in water nicely for 2-3 times so that all the mud and dirt sticking onto the leaves get removed

2. Then soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness of methi. This step is optional. You can omit this step if you do not want. After 10 minutes, squeeze the leaves in your palm to remove water. Then chop them finely and keep aside

3. In a pan take the fresh green peas. Add little water and salt and boil them for 10 minutes. If using frozen green peas you can skip this step. If using dried peas, then pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles or till cooked

4. In a pan, heat oil. Splutter cumin seeds

5. Add the sliced/chopped onions and green chilly and saute till they turn translucent. Don't brown them much as the gravy will turn deeper in colour

6. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes away. Now switch off the flame and allow them to cool

7. In a mixer jar, take the sauteed mix, add the cashews and poppy seeds (khus khus) and grind them to a smooth paste. If you are not able to grind, add little water and grind

8. In a non stick pan/kadai heat oil. Add the ground paste and salt and saute. Keep the flame on low and saute for 2-3 minutes

9. Then add the chopped methi leaves and give a nice stir. Add little water (around 1/2 cup) and mix well. Simmer and allow to cook or 3-4 minutes

10. Then add the boiled peas and cream. Mix well. And allow it to cook in low flame for another 5 minutes. I used homemade malai (collected from boiled milk). If using homemade malai, freeze it and then whip it nicely before adding to the gravy. If using store bought cream add it as such without whipping

11. Now add sugar (optional) and mix well. Remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot phulkas

Notes:

• To reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves, soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes. But if you can, omit this step as the nutrients will be lost by soaking the leaves in salt water
• You can skip sauteeing the onions if you want. Just grind all the ingredients under 'To Saute & Grind' without sauteeing and then cook the ground paste for about 10-15 minutes till the raw smell and taste of the onions are gone
• If using homemade malai, freeze it and then whip it nicely before adding to the gravy. Using fresh malai from milk or using homemade malai whithout whipping will not give you that creamy texture

Cheers,

Chitz