Methi Matar Malai is a rich, creamy restaurant-style curry made using fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) and green peas. It pairs beautifully with naan or lachha paratha. Try this restaurant-style recipe in the comfort of your home (vegetarian, gluten-free).
Here are some more methi recipes: Aloo Methi, Methi Paneer, Baingan Methi, Kashmiri Methi Chaman, and Gajar Methi.
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About Methi Matar Malai Curry
Rich, creamy, sweet, and very slightly bitter Methi Matar Malai is a restaurant-style dish if you are looking to make something unique for a special occasion or a festive meal.
It is a perfectly balanced North Indian curry where the bitterness of methi (fenugreek leaves) is balanced with sweet matar (green peas) and malai (cream).
This vegetarian and gluten-free curry comes together in just 30 minutes, and once you make it at home using my easy and simple recipe, you will never order it from a restaurant again.
Keep in mind that this is not your everyday curry. It is rich, heavy, and apt to make for special days when you are not counting calories.
This methi matar malai recipe serves 4-5 people, but you can easily double or triple the recipe.
Ingredients
You will get all the ingredients to make this curry at any Indian grocery store.
Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) – Try to use fresh fenugreek leaves (fresh methi leaves) to make this curry, but if it’s unavailable, you can also use frozen leaves. Kasuri methi can also be used if fresh or frozen leaves are unavailable.
If using Kasoori methi, soak it in warm water for 10 minutes to rehydrate the leaves. Squeeze and add it to the gravy.
Notes – Rich in Iron, methi, or fenugreek leaves helps reduce cholesterol, lowers the risk of heart disease, helps in weight loss, and improves digestion. So try to include methi in your everyday diet and eat it as often as possible.
Green Peas (Matar) – Use fresh or frozen green peas. Frozen peas can be used directly, but if you use fresh green peas, cook them until tender before adding them to the curry.
Note – Freeze green peas when they are in season to use them throughout the year using my simple recipe.
One great substitute for green peas in this curry is steamed sweet corn kernels; it tastes delicious too.
Unsweetened Heavy Cream – This adds richness and creaminess to this dish. Replace it with milk to make the curry lighter. You can also use malai (fresh cream) instead of heavy cream. Just blend it in a blender to make it smooth.
Ground Masala Paste – To make the base of methi mutter malai curry, make a ground masala paste using onions, fresh ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, fresh tomatoes, and green chillies.
Some people also add white poppy seeds to the masala paste to make it richer.
Other Ingredients – You will also need some basic ingredients like vegetable oil, green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), salt, red chili powder, garam masala powder, sugar, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
You can add a little turmeric powder to get a bright yellow curry.
Add paneer cubes to this recipe and make methi malai matar paneer :). You can also add corn kernels, baby corn, mushrooms, etc.
How To Make Methi Matar Malai
Preparation
Start by cleaning the methi leaves. Discard the hard stems as they are bitter, and keep the leaves and soft, tender stems. Wash the leaves 2-3 times with water to remove any mud.
You can add 1 teaspoon vinegar or baking soda to the water while washing the leaves to remove any insecticides. Now drain the leaves well and measure 2 cups of packed leaves. Chop the leaves finely using a knife.
Note – Chopping the leaves finely is essential as we will not puree them later. If they’re too big, they won’t feel good while eating.
Cook 1 cup of green peas in water until tender if using fresh peas. If using frozen, rinse with water.
Slice the onions and chop ginger, garlic, green chilies, and tomatoes.
Gather the remaining ingredients.
Cook The Methi Leaves
Heat 5-6 cups of water in a large pot over high heat.
When it comes to a boil, add chopped methi leaves and peas and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the water and run the leaves under tap water in a colander to stop cooking. Drain and keep aside.
Cook The Other Ingredients
Heat 3 cups of water in the same pot over high heat.
When it comes to a boil, add
- 1 cup of sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
and boil for 5 minutes.
Drain and keep aside.
Make The Masala Paste
Add the boiled onion-tomato mixture to a blender jar along with ¼ cup water.
Blend to make a smooth paste. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.
Make The Curry
Heat 4 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add 3 whole green cardamoms and a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick and fry for 3-4 seconds.
You can crush the cardamoms and cinnamon lightly for a more intense flavor.
Add the onion-tomato paste to the pan and fry for 3- 4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring while frying.
Now add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, and cook for a minute.
Add 1 cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked methi and peas to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add ½ cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon sugar and cook for a minute.
Add 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice and mix well.
Check for salt and add more if required.
Garnish with heavy cream swirls. Serve hot with naan or laccha paratha.
Frequently Asked Questions
Methi leaves have a slight natural bitterness, but sometimes they are quite bitter and difficult to eat. In that case, mix the chopped methi leaves with 1 teaspoon salt and keep them aside for 10 minutes. The leaves will release some water. Squeeze the leaves and use them in the cooking. The bitterness will not be there anymore.
You can skip heavy cream from the recipe to make a vegan version. Add extra cashew paste or coconut cream or coconut milk at the end to add creaminess.
If you don’t prefer to use onion and garlic in your recipes, you can skip adding them to this curry and make a Jain-style methi malai matar. It tastes delicious without these two ingredients too.
Serving Suggestions
Methi Malai Matar tastes excellent with almost every Indian bread, such as Tandoori Roti, Naan, Missi Roti, Tawa Parathas, or Phulka.
You can also serve this creamy curry with Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice, Matar Pulao, or any other lightly spiced Pulao.
I like to serve it for my festive meals along with Dal Makhani, Jeera Rice, Boondi Raita, and Roti.
Storage Suggestions
Methi Malai Matar will last in the refrigerator for about a day or two.
If you want to store it for 3-4 days, don’t add the cream and store it in an airtight container. Add the cream after reheating it.
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Recipe Card
Restaurant Style Methi Matar Malai Recipe (Fenugreek Green Peas Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 cups rinsed and finely chopped methi (fenugreek leaves) (fresh or frozen, packed)
- 1 cup frozen matar (green peas) (if using fresh peas, cook them in water until tender.)
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened heavy cream (or whisked malai)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
Cook The Methi Leaves
- Heat 5-6 cups of water in a large pot over high heat.
- When it comes to a boil, add chopped methi leaves and peas and cook for 2 minutes.
- Drain the water and run the leaves under tap water in a colander to stop the cooking process. Drain and keep aside.
Cook The Other Ingredients
- Heat 3 cups of water in the same pot over high heat.
- When it comes to a boil, add onions, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, tomatoes, and green chilies and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Make The Masala Paste
- Add the boiled onion-tomato mixture to a blender along with ¼ cup water.
- Blend to make a smooth paste.
- Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.
Make The Curry
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add whole green cardamoms and cinnamon stick and fry for 3-4 seconds. You can crush the cardamoms and cinnamon lightly for a more intense flavor.
- Add the onion-tomato paste to the pan and fry for 3- 4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring while frying.
- Now add salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, and garam masala powder, and cook for a minute.
- Add 1 cup water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked methi and peas to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add heavy cream and sugar and cook for a minute.
- Add lime juice and mix well. Check for salt and add more if required.
- Garnish with heavy cream swirls. Serve hot with naan or laccha paratha.
Divya Shivaraman
Wow super rich and creamy dish…love the way you swirled that cream on top
Anupa Joseph (Palaharam)
Perfect curry to have with chapathi
Sheetal
Hi … tried this recipe for dinner … my family loved it … will be coming back for more recipes … keep up the good work 🙂
msnehamathur
Thnx for trying Sheetal
Hadley
This was delicious! THANK YOU! Made the vegan version, using homemade coconut heavy cream—tasted just like what we order from our local Indian restaurant. Served with saffron rice. Yum! Thank you, thank you! Will definitely be making again (and probably doubling the recipe)!
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear the recipe worked for you 🙂
Shampa
I was looking for methi matar mala recipe for a long time. Today I have seen the video and I loved it. Looks very tasty. I am going to make it. Thank you for sharing