Methi Malai Mutter – Fenugreek Green Peas Curry

I am always on lookout for some new subzi to make as we eat chapatti / roti for dinner often. Many times, it feels like I am repeating the same kind of subzi again and again even though they are totally different. When I saw the recipe for Methi Malai Mutter in Sowmya’s space, I really liked that it is made with milk/cream based gravy instead of the usual onion-tomato gravy.

I am a little scared to cook savory recipes with milk as there is always a chance of curdling the milk. The key to having smooth / non-curdled milk based gravy is to cook in low flame once the milk is added. This recipe is very simple and uses a good amount of fenugreek leaves. Sowmya had made the subzi with kasuri methi (dried fenugreek), but I wanted to make it with fresh methi. Starting spring, I begin to grow my own methi and I do it in a cycle, so I always have a supply of fresh methi. This time though, I bought some fresh methi leaves from the local Vietnamese store.

This is a pretty mildly spiced subzi and the flavor of the methi is absolutely wonderful. I did not add any coloring ingredient, such as turmeric or red chili powder and love the color as is. This recipe is my second one for this week’s Bookmarked theme for Blogging Marathon.

Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Difficulty level – easy
Recipe (very loosely adapted from) – Nivedhanam

Ingredients to make Methi Malai Mutter – Serves 4-6

Methi / Fresh fenugreek leaves – 2 cups (roughly chopped)
Onion – 1 (thinly sliced)
Mutter / Green peas (I used frozen) – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup (I used 2 %)
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

To grind together –

Cashew nut – 10
Poppy seed – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Onion – 1 small
Green chili – 3
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 3
Cardamom – 1

Procedure to make Methi Malai Mutter –

Soak the cashew nut and poppy seeds in warm water for about 15 minutes.

Remove the trims from the methi bunch and wash it well to remove all the dirt. Since the methi leaves are too close to the ground, they usually have lot of trapped dirt in between the leaves and hence it is very important to wash the leaves well before using. I usually fill a large pot with water or fill the kitchen sink with water (with the drain closed) and rinse the leaves in the water. Then I leave the leaves there for few minutes to give a chance for the dirt to settle on the bottom. Since the leaves are lighter in weight and the dirt is heavier, the leaves float on top and the dirt settles down. Then carefully without disturbing the water, I remove the floating leaves and then use them.
I have used frozen peas in the recipe and hence used it directly without pre cooking. If using fresh peas, make sure you cook them until they are soft.
Grind the soaked cashews and poppy seeds along with rest of the ingredients mentioned in the list, to a smooth paste and keep it aside. Add little water when grinding, if needed.

In a pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds.

Once the seeds crackle, add the thinly sliced onions and sauté it until it is light brown.

Now add the chopped methi leaves and sauté it until the leaves wilt a bit.

Now add the ground paste and fry it in low to medium flame until the mixture thickens and the oil floats on top.

Add milk, peas and salt and mix well. Let the gravy come to a gentle boil in low to medium flame. Add more water, if needed, to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Let the subzi simmer for 5-8 minutes in low flame. Never cook the subzi in high heat after adding the milk as the milk could curdle.