kalpana’s la cucina..... spice 4 all seasons: METHI MATAR MALAI ( no oil )

_________________I am Mrs. Kalpana Mhaske, a Home-Maker, from the city of 52-Gates, one of the famous heritage- destination of the world- Ajanta - Ellora Caves, Bibi-Ka- Maqbara (The Taj of Deccan) and Deogiri Fort. i.e. AURANGABAD. I admire cooking - tryout and innovate different cuisines. Basically, both of my gorgeous daughters are foodie, they have always encouraged me in the kitchen and forced to carve a Food Blog, that’s why, I am happy to share the makings with you. I am an artist too. Painting – especially, Canvas-Painting is my one more hobby. In total - Ours is an ART-FAMILY, my husband is an Architect. In the end, I keep the same belief with Louise Fresco - “ Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It’s about honesty. it’s about identity ”

Saturday 25 February 2023

METHI MATAR MALAI ( no oil )

Since methi leaves were in abundance during winters, I also made a lot of things with it like "aloo methi" , " methi paratha" and one of my absolute favorites was this Methi Matar Malai. Today I am sharing the recipe of the very popular punjabi curry - METHI MATAR MALAI. There are so many versions of making this but this is my favourite version of methi matar malai. The word ‘malai’ indicates the creamy texture of the gravy and also symbolizes the presence of cream in the dish. It is mainly prepared during winter to celebrate fresh seasonal produce like fenugreek leaves (methi) and green peas (matar). A really delicious and simple curry to make. It taste so yummy, a little sweet and it packs tons of flavour from the the fenugreek leaves. The version i am showing is so easy and taste delicious as well. Usually methi matar malai sabzi is prepared in 2 ways – with white gravy and creamy red gravy. We have prepared this recipe with rich and creamy red gravy. If you want a white gravy then use curd instead of tomato puree and can also substitute cream with fresh milk.and if fresh fenugreek is not available then dried fenugreek (methi) leaves can also be used to make methi matar malai curry.

This recipe for rich and creamy Methi Matar Malai will help you prepare the dish better than any restaurant! It's made with fresh fenugreek leaves, green peas, cashews, and Indian spices. With the contrasting flavors of the two vegetables it features-- wonderfully bitter methi or fenugreek leaves and sweet, delicious green peas -- this dish would delight the finickiest tastebuds. But better still, it's really, really good for you. This taste delicious with roti or pulao. This 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.

📌📌 Watch the video recipe here 👇👇

https://youtube.com/shorts/ck-IzCw_Lyc?feature=share

INGREDIENTS:

1 big bunch Methi Leaves

1-1/2Cup boiled Green Peas

3-4 Green Chillies

1/2" Ginger

3 small Tomatoes

2 small Onions

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Salt as needed

1/4 Cup Cashew nuts

1/2 Cup Milk

2 tablespoon Fresh Cream

1 teaspoon Ghee

For Tempering:

1 teaspoon Butter

1 tablespoon Matar

2 Dry Red Chillies

1/2 tablespoon sliced Cashew nuts

METHOD:

STEP 1 - Heat a pan with ghee.

STEP 2 - Add roughly chopped tomatoes, onions, green chillies, ginger, cashew nuts .

Cover and cook until the tomatoes turns mushy and soft.

STEP 3 - Transfer on a plate and let it cool completely.

STEP 4 - Transfer the mixture in a mixer grinder jar and make a fine paste. Keep aside.

STEP 5 - Heat sufficient water in a vessel and when it starts boiling, add green peas and let them boil for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 6 - Remove from heat and drain all the water. Keep aside.

STEP 7 - Wash methi leaves under tap water. Then put it in a vessel with salt and water mixture. Keep it for 5 minutes. It helps to settle down the mud.

STEP 8 - Chop methi leaves and keep aside.

STEP 9 - Heat a pan on low flame without oil/ ghee.