Methi Malai Mutter - A rich malai gravy

Methi Malai Mutter

Whenever I make a sidedish for roti/chapati/phulka, i always go by the traditional recipe of onion tomato base, grinding them to a paste, some masala powders and the gray is as usual. I was very skeptical of trying any sweet tasting gravy, as our tastebuds are accustomed to spicy main dish. This time I decided to try something very rich, royal and malai based... Usually I am stingy in adding cashews/ghee/milk/full cream to my dish. Always had a notion that they are not healthy for everyday cooking. I was a bit generous this time to try this recipe out... Methi Malai Mutter. (Recipe inspired from Sharmi's Passions) It has both the goodness of Methi leaves and sweetness of green Peas. I am sure I can make this item for any family get-together dinner next time. :) It turned out yummy and my hubby loved it a lot... he did not leave any traces of the gravy in the pan :P
So lets move on to the recipe...

Ingredients:
Fresh Methi Leaves (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 cup
(You can also use the dried methi leaves instead)
Mutter/ Fresh green peas - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 5 or 6
Onion - 1 big
Green chilli - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt

Method:
1. First soak the cashews in a teaspoon of warm milk.
2. Boil the green peas in a bowl of water with some salt for 2 mins. Blanch, drain and keep aside.
3. Wash and clean the fresh methi leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt/sand particles. Take only the methi leaves, leaving off the stems. Chop them finely and keep aside. If fresh leaves are not available, use dried fenugreek leaves readily available. Crush them to bring the flavour and keep aside.
4. Heat a wide base pan. Add 2 tbsp oil. Add the jeera and cinnamon to the oil. Wait till jeera splutters.
5. Add the chopped green chilli, finely chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute well for 2 mins.
6. Add the fresh methi leaves now and cook until they wither and the raw smell is gone.
7. Grind the soaked cashew with some milk into fine paste. (You can also grind the green chilli with the cashews, if you dont want them in your bites. This gravy is a little bit yellowish since I added turmeric and chilli powder. You can add 2-3 green chillies instead to make the whiter version of this gravy)
8. Add the ground mixture to the sauted veggies. Cook well for 2 mins.
9. Now add the turmeric, chilli and garam masala powders. Saute well until the mixture becomes uniform.
10. Add 1 cup of milk to the sauted masala and mix well. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water/milk.
11. Add in the boiled peas, 2 tbsp of fresh cream to thicken the gravy and required salt. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and your rich malai gravy is ready to be served :)

Serve it with hot roti, chappati or phulka. Rich gravy makes your guest lick their fingers too :P
Happy Cooking!! Let me know how it turned out for you :)

Rich Malai gravy - Methi Malai Mutter