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

Kathirikai Kara Kulambu | Kathirikai Masala Kuzhambu | Spicy Brinjal Curry with Coconut

Spicy Gravy with Brinjal & Coconut-Poppy seed paste

I am very picky about this particular veggie brinjal. I do not enjoy all the dishes prepared with it. For me to like them, they should not have their inherent taste, rather their flavor has to be enhanced with some added ingredients like coconut or lentils :D I am sure that there are many out there who would second me on that. Rather than the simple & normal Brinjal fry or Kathirikai Murungakkai poriyal, I would prefer some more elaborate preparations like Kathirikai Gosthu or Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu. This is yet another tasty lip smacking preparation of my mom's. Usually she finds ways to avoid coconut but when her Son-In-Law is in town she goes about with the extra indulgence by including coconut. So I actually get to enjoy her preparation when Deeps is at home. Since it is both his & my favorite I prepare this often at our place too. This is very easy to make & makes you have an extra helping of rice too ;)

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Used:

Brinjal - 4 medium sized  Onion - 1 medium sized - chopped Tomato - 1 medium sized - chopped Tamarind - Lemon sized Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp Coriander powder - 2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Grated coconut - ¼ cup Poppy Seeds/Khus Khus - 1 ½ tsp Mustard - ¼ tsp Fenugreek - ¼ tsp Curry leaves - A sprig Coriander leaves - 3-4 sprigs Oil - 1 tbsp Salt - As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the brinjal in water & cut them into 2 inch long & 1 inch thick pieces and keep them immersed in water till use
2. Soak tamarind in ¼ cup water for 15-20 minutes & extract the pulp
3. Grind together coconut & poppy seeds to a fine paste with ¼ cup of water. Keep this aside
4. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard. Add fenugreek. When they start to turn colour, add the onions & saute till they turn transparent and start to change colour
5. Then add the cut brinjals & saute for 3-4 minutes till the oil coats the brinjals and they slowly start to shrivel. Now add the tomatoes & fry till they get mushy
6. Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder & salt. Saute well till the raw smell goes off
7. Add the tamarind juice, curry leaves & 2 cups of water. Allow it to cook in medium flame until the brinjals are cooked
8. Now add the ground coconut paste & give it a stir. Allow it on low flame for a minute or so & then remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve hot with rice !

Cheers,

Chitz

Chettinadu Kozhi Kulambu

Chicken cooked in Chettinadu Style with shallot & tomato paste & freshly ground coconut masala

If there is one ingredient with which I would cook anytime without getting bored then that would be chicken. And every time I like to try on a new type or variety. And mostly only when there are guests, would I make an already tried & tested version. Just to be on the safer side u know..  

There are some other great chicken recipes, passed down from my mom, which I thought would make it to this place before this one. But somehow this one made it first. This is an extremely flavorful desi style chicken curry. The pre-process involved is a little bit of effort. But believe me, once the dish is done, you will feel every second of the work that you put in was very worth it :) And serve it with some hot idiyappam or idly or dosa or steamed rice, you will experience some unseparable combos. Last but not least, I would not suggest this with any biriyani or other elaborate one pot meal.. So go, make some and have fun eating !!

Recipe Source: Sanjeev Kapoor

Serves: 4 persons

I Took:

Preparation Time: 30-40 minutes

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes

I Used:

Chicken	-	500 gms
Yogurt	-	2 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste	-	2 tsp
Grated coconut	-	3 tbsp
Poppy Seeds / Khus khus	-	1 tbsp
Green Chilly	-	1 no
Fennel Seeds	-	1 tbsp
Shallots	-	20 - 25 nos
Tomato	-	2 nos
Garlic	-	4-5 cloves
Red chilli powder	-	1 tbsp
Coriander powder	-	2 tbsp
Curry leaves	-	1 sprig
Mint	-	2-3 sprigs
Bay Leaf	-	1
Cinnamon	-	1 inch stick
Cloves	-	2
Cardamoms	-	2
Lemon juice	-	2 tsp
Oil	-	3 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

Prep Part

1. Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces (cut into medium sized pieces) with yogurt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder & ginger-garlic paste. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 15-30 minutes
2. Grind together coconut, poppy seeds, green chilli and fennel seeds to a fine paste
3. Grind the shallots to a fine paste
4. Grind the tomatoes and keep the puree aside
5. Crush the garlic
6. Mix red chilly powder, coriander powder and the remaining turmeric powder with ¼  cup of water to make a smooth paste

Cooking Part

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves and saute
2. When the aroma of the spices start coming, add the crushed garlic & shallot paste 
3. Saute well on medium heat till the shallots turn golden in color
4. Add the powder paste (Step 6 of prep part) and saute till the raw smell goes off
5. Dash in the curry leaves & mint leaves and mix well
6. Now add the coconut paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes
7. Mix in the tomato puree and saute for 2-3 minutes
8. Now add the marinated chicken and salt and combine well
9. Add the required amount of water (around 1.5 - 2 cups) and cover the pan and allow the chicken to cook. Note that the chicken would release some water, hence adjust the quantity of water that you add accordingly
10. Allow 10-15 minutes of cooking depending on the chicken, for it to be well cooked
11. Sprinkle the lemon juice over top & serve hot

Cheers,

Chitz