Methi matar malai

A bunch of methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) at Indian stores here, I was like I must try something special out of this. Many things started running in my mind but a curry using these leaves had an edge as I scanned through the list of items that had queued up. My kid loves chapathi/roti (Indian flat bread) and it is for sure not a daily preparation at our place as I tend to keep rice often for curries as it is kind of easy stuff to be prepared. Well, but in a week I manage once or twice to prepare rotis.

And when I prepare them I need some good curry to accompany. This time it was something with fresh methi. Yes, it was methi matar malai. The creamy texture of this curry with the subtle sweetness of the onion cashew gravy and cream along with the fresh green peas just blend any form of bitterness one would expect by using methi. Let me take you through the steps that I followed.

Ingredients:
Fenugreek leaves/fresh methi - a small bunch
Green chillis-2 finely chopped
Ginger-½ inch finely chopped
Garlic- 3 pods finely chopped
Cumin seeds-1 tsp.
Bay leaves-2-3
Garam masala-1 tsp.
Cashewnuts-10
Onions-2 chopped
Fresh cream-100gms
Fresh green peas - 100 gms
Gram flour/Chickpea flour- 1 tsp.
Oil-2 tsp.
Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Bring water to a boil in a cooking pan and add the cleaned fenugreek leaves. Just cook them for around 2 mins and then remove the leaves out and cool them down using cold water to prevent further cooking. Then on a chopping board, remove the thick stalks away and just retain the leaves and thin stalks and chop them up.
2. Cook in another pan onions and cashew nuts with little water. Boil them well and cool down before you grind them to a fine paste.
3. Take a pan, add oil and let it get hot. Once hot add in bay leaves and cumin seeds.
4. Once they crackle, add green chillis, ginger and garlic. Saute well.
5. Now pour in the cashewnut onion paste and cook well.
6. Once the raw smell disappears add in the garam masala, mix well.
7. Now roast the gram flour separately without burning it in a small pan and once well roasted(one can sense it with the aroma of roasted gram flour), add it to the mixture. Cook the mixture for 3-4 mins. This roasted gram flour acts as a binding agent as well as adds to the creamy texture of this gravy.
8. Add in around one and a half cup water as well as the fresh green peas and cook again. Add salt to taste.
9. Finally add in the chopped blanched methi/fenugreek leaves. Mix well and simmer for 2 mins. Add cream and simmer another 2 mins. Serve with any flatbreads of your choice or pair it up with rice.

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)