Methi Matar Malai

Posted: Jun 23, 2022 · Up to date: Dec 14, 2020

Luxurious, creamy and completely scrumptious, this Indian restaurant type methi matar malai will make you lick your fingers–and doubtless the plate!

Methi Matar Malai is a creamy Indian curry of inexperienced peas and recent fenugreek leaves in a easy, lush, completely spiced sauce. On this vegan model I exchange the dairy-based heavy cream with a cashew paste, making it not simply tastier but additionally more healthy. You possibly can simply adapt this to a nut-free weight loss plan and the recipe is already gluten-free and soy-free. Eat it with roti, vegan complete wheat naan or jeera rice for an opulent however wholesome dinner.

Methi Matar Malai (which interprets to fenugreek leaves and inexperienced peas in a creamy sauce and is pronounced “maythi mutter malayee”) is the fantastically alliterating identify of a beautiful dish typically discovered on Indian restaurant menus. With the contrasting flavors of the 2 greens it features– splendidly bitter methi or fenugreek leaves, and candy, scrumptious inexperienced peas — this dish would delight the finickiest tastebuds. However higher nonetheless, it is actually, actually good for you.

Okay, let me backtrack right here. The Methi Matar Malai you’d discover in a restaurant wouldn’t be wholesome as a result of it could include malai, or cream, which is in fact stuffed with heart-clogging ldl cholesterol. For this vegan Methi Matar Malai we ditch the cream and as a substitute use cashew cream, with wonderful outcomes.

Highlight on methi (fenugreek leaves)

You probably have by no means cooked with methi, it’s best to hunt it down at your native Indian grocery retailer or Asian retailer. Indians have lengthy prized this marvel leafy for its wonderful well being advantages, together with its gut-healthy fiber that probiotic or good micro organism love. Fenugreek can also be nice for diabetics, and it helps decrease ldl cholesterol and normalize blood strain. And that is just the start. Methi flushes out toxins within the physique, is nice for pores and skin and hair, and helps stimulate weight reduction, amongst numerous different advantages.

Methi leaves are bitter however this isn’t an offputting bitterness by any means. When cooked, that bitterness mellows down and turns into fairly scrumptious, particularly when it is mixed with a contrasting taste just like the candy inexperienced peas and the creamy sauce.

Once you cook dinner with methi, discard the robust stems though it is completely effective to make use of the extra tender stems. When added to warmth methi will wilt down, like most different greens, nevertheless it additionally must be cooked longer than leafies like spinach or chard. Guarantee that methi is all the time completely cooked if you wish to develop to find it irresistible.

Informal Indian cooks would doubtless be accustomed to kasoori methi, a dried model of methi leaves that’s present in Indian restaurant-style recipes like my vegan malai kofta curry, vegan butter rooster, spicy urad dal and vegan dal makhani, amongst many. You can also make this methi matar malai with kasoori methi if you do not have entry to recent methi leaves, I am going to inform you how.

Methi mutter malai in white bowl with black polka dots and silver spoon.

Why you will love this methi matar malai recipe

This vegan recipe packs a lot taste with the contrasting tastes of the methi, peas (matar) and cashew cream. The aroma of this dish alone is sufficient to drive you hungry to insanity.
It comes collectively in below half-hour and is kind of foolproof. You’ll want to observe directions for greatest outcomes.
It’s everybody pleasant as a result of it is soy-free and gluten-free and it may simply be made nut-free. See the FAQs under for tips about the right way to pass over nuts from this recipe.

Components for methi matar malai

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided). You should utilize any unflavored vegetable oil, together with avocado oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or canola oil. Please do not use coconut oil as a result of this can be a north Indian curry and coconut oil will not go along with the remainder of the flavors.
4 inexperienced cardamom pods
5 cloves
1-inch stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 small onion
2 inexperienced chili peppers. Use jalapeno, serrano or every other pepper. Deseed for much less warmth, or use only one.
1 heaping tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 medium tomato
½ cup uncooked cashews. See FAQs for nut-free substitution.
3 packed cups fenugreek (methi) leaves.
2 cups inexperienced peas. Ideally frozen. See FAQs if utilizing recent inexperienced peas.
Salt to style

How you can make methi matar malai

Warmth a tablespoon of the oil in a saute pan or saucepan. Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, coriander and cumin. Saute for 30 seconds to a minute till the coriander has turned a few shades darker and the spices are fragrant.
Add the chopped onion and saute till translucent. Do not let the onion brown. Add the chopped chili peppers and ginger garlic paste and saute for one more minute.

Ginger garlic paste added to sauteed onions and spices in saucepan.

Add the tomato and saute till tomatoes are pulpy. Add a cup of water to the pan to deglaze it and switch off the warmth instantly.

Take away the onion tomato sauce to a blender, ensuring you get any bits caught to the underside of the pan. Let it cool whilst you proceed with subsequent steps, then add cashews and mix into a really easy paste.

Cashew sauce ingredients in blender jar.

Wipe or rinse out the saucepan and warmth the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Add the chopped methi leaves and saute for a few minutes. Add half a teaspoon of salt and blend. Cowl the pan and let the fenugreek cook dinner till it softens, about 10 minutes, over a medium-low flame. Stir continuously to make sure it does not stick. If it begins to stay, add a little bit of water.

Methi leaves reduced after cooking with spatula.

As soon as the methi is tender add the cashew-onion-tomato paste and the frozen inexperienced peas to the pan. Add half a cup to a cup of water relying on how thick you need the sauce. Combine nicely and add extra salt if wanted. Flip off as quickly because the sauce begins to boil.
Serve scorching.

Frozen green peas added to methi and cashew sauce in sauce pan.

What to serve with methi matar malai

Serve methi matar malai with any Indian flatbread. Strive it with my vegan naan or my sourdough roti or with this pudina paratha.
It’s also possible to serve it with jeera rice or with plain cooked rice.

Storage directions

Refrigerate: You possibly can retailer the methi matar malai within the fridge for as much as three days after cooking.
Freeze: Freeze in an hermetic container for as much as three months.
Reheat: Thaw if frozen and reheat on the range. Add a bit of extra water if vital.

Often requested questions

How can I make this methi matar malai nut-free?

To make this recipe nut-free use ½ cup uncooked pumpkin seeds or watermelon seeds as a substitute of the uncooked cashews.

Can I exploit dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) as a substitute of recent methi leaves?

You possibly can exchange the three cups of recent fenugreek leaves with ½ cup dried fenugreek leaves. You possibly can skip the sauteing time required for the recent methi leaves and proceed with the following step.
You probably have entry to dandelion leaves, you’ll be able to substitute finely chopped dandelion leaves for the methi for a really related taste and really related well being advantages. Dandelion leaves are simply obtainable at most supermarkets however the perfect place to search out them is probably going in your personal, unsprayed yard.

I haven’t got the entire spices however I’ve garam masala. Can I substitute that as a substitute?

The recent spices add actually nice taste on this curry. Nevertheless, if garam masala is all you could have, skip the step the place you saute the spices and proceed with the onions, ginger garlic, and tomatoes. Add a tablespoon (or two after you style) of garam masala once you add the tomato-onion paste and frozen inexperienced peas to the fenugreek leaves and blend nicely.

Is that this appropriate for a low-carb or keto weight loss plan?

With simply 12 internet carbs that is undoubtedly a low-carb-friendly curry nevertheless it might not be appropriate for extra restrictive keto diets. In case you are consuming a keto weight loss plan, skip the inexperienced peas and use 1 cup frozen edamame as a substitute.

Can I exploit recent inexperienced peas as a substitute of frozen?

Sure, definitely, however cook dinner them longer. To do this add them together with the fenugreek leaves and saute them till tender.

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