Methi Matar Malai (Restaurant style)
I first had methi matar malai a few years back at this favorite restaurant of mine in Dubai when I was on vacation during my college days. My brother kept raving about this dish and my dad told me that the waiter automatically wrote this as part of their order as soon as they sat down! The first bite and I realized why they were crazy about it! Creamy and decadent taste of sweet peas cooked with fenugreek leaves offers a perfect combination bursting with unique flavors.
Methi is the Indian term for Fenugreek and it is quite popular in Indian cuisine. Its used mainly in the form of seeds or leaves. In this dish leaves are used to make this delicious gravy. It is on the rich side though calorie wise, it doesn't do any good for your love handles but its one of those dishes that can be rarely indulged upon! Serve it as a side for butter naan roti or even vegetable pulao. It is rather mild and can be served to children too without worrying whether its too spicy for them and its great nutrition wise as it has fenugreek leaves and peas. As I recently discovered, my little one loves it so much that she likes it with dosa too!
Ingredients
Oil
|
2 Tbsp
|
Cumin Seeds
|
1 tsp
|
Onions
|
1 (Large)
|
Ginger Garlic Paste
|
1 Tbsp
|
Fenugreek Leaves
|
1 Bunch
|
Cooked Green Peas
|
1 cup
|
Garam Masala
|
1 tsp
|
Red Chilly Powder
|
½ tsp
|
Salt
|
To taste
|
Heavy Cream
|
1 cup
|
Sugar
|
A pinch
|
Method
Separate the fenugreek leaves from the stems. The stems are bitter and will change the flavor of the gravy. Roughly chop the leaves and add to boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes and refresh.
Note: Refreshing is the process of cooking greens in hot water for a few minutes followed by dunking them in cold water to stop the cooking process. This process ensures cooking the leaves without losing their color. Losing color actually loses a lot of important nutrients too so it is essential to perform this step with all green leafy veggies like spinach, kale etc.
In a separate pan heat the oil. Add in the cumin seeds. Once they splutter add a finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt. This helps cook the onions quicker. You dont have to brown them for this recipe, they just need to turn a little translucent.
Once thats done add in the methi/fenugreek leaves. Give it a quick saute before adding in the salt, red chilly powder and the garam masala. Since I used frozen blanched peas in the recipe, I added it as is right after adding the dry spice powders. I tossed it up a little before just misting it with some water and cooked it covered. If you are using fresh peas (I just love fresh peas!), then cook it separately till tender. Add it after cooking the methi leaves/onion/spice mix a little. That way the peas needn't cook that long and lose its beautiful color!
This recipe uses minimal amount of spices and it really tasty despite being simple. Once the peas are cooked all the way through, add in the fresh cream. I know it is loaded with fat but hey, I warned you this is NOT the recipe to have when you are on a diet! I do substitute this with milk sometimes and get a decent result. I use the word decent as it isnt as splendid as the original recipe. A better alternative would be to use milk powder or even evaporated milk, half and half too if you get it.
Once you add in the cream, just simmer the entire mix for about 5 minutes. Never heat anything with cream and any kind of spices in it, as you risk curdling the mixture. Let the gravy simmer and gently incorporate all those lovely flavors. Once thats done, switch it off and serve immediately!
I served this with chapati, but this would pair nicely with butter naan or vegetable pulao!
