Methi Matar Malai - Methi Leaves Cooked with Matar and Malai (For Roti, Pulao)

Methi Matar Malai - there's something musical about the name of this popular North Indian side dish made with methi leaves, matar or peas, and malai or cream. While I have no issues adding cream to my dishes (paneer butter masala, anyone?), I decided to make a version of methi matar malai with no cream by using magaz or white melon seeds. You can very well use cashew nuts instead but I loved the nuttiness of magaz in my paneer makhani so decided to use up the rest in this methi matar malai - or should I say methi matar no malai.

Methi Matar Malai with Methi Thepla

The methi matar malai you get in restaurants has a white base since most don't add tomatoes. I wanted a bit to give my version a bit of tang so used a bit of canned tomato sauce which lends itself well to a smooth gravy for the curry. You can definitely omit the tomatoes. I also didn't add too much masala to the methi matar malai, deciding to keep it simple and let the flavours of the methi, peas, and base spices ingredients shine through.

Looking for more methi leaves recipes? Check out my top 3 favourites - methi pulao, aloo methi, and methi paratha.

METHI MATAR MALAI RECIPE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of onions, cubed
1/2 cup of onions, sliced thin
2-3 cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger
2 green chillies
1 tsp of jeera or cumin seeds
1/3 cup of canned tomato sauce or 1/2 cup pureed tomato - optional
3 tbsp of magaz or melon seeds or 1/4 cup cashew nuts, soaked in water for 15 mins
2 cups of packed methi or fenugreek leaves
1/2 cup of green peas
1 cup of milk
1 tsp of garam masala or Kitchen King masala
2 tsp of ghee or butter or oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Grind together the cubed onions, green chillies, ginger, and garlic to a smooth paste.

Add the magaz or cashew nuts and grind further to a smooth paste, adding a few spoonfuls of water.

2. Heat the ghee (or butter or oil) in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter and turn fragrant, add the sliced onions and saut� until lightly browned.

3. Add the ground paste and tomato sauce (if using) to this and simmer for 3-4 mins.

4. Meanwhile, pick the leaves of the methi and wash well. Chop roughly and add to the simmering paste along with the green peas (matar).

5. Add the milk and some salt. Mix well.

6. Cook covered for about 10 mins until the peas is cooked soft.

7. Uncover and add the garam masala and more salt if needed.

8. Mix and remove from fire. If the gravy is too thick, add more water or milk and bring to boil again before removing from flame. If too watery, you can simmer it longer but remember that the gravy will thicken as it sits.

Hot Methi Matar Malai is best served with nan, paratha, rotis, or pulao like veg pulao or jeera pulao.

NOTES:

1. Methi matar malai is a lovely blend of sweet + bitter + salty. Adding a pinch of sugar won't be a bad idea but mostly the sweetness will come from the onions
2. Use frozen methi leaves if you can't find any fresh ones. You can also use kasuri methi soaked in water instead of the fresh leaves. Reduce quanity to about 1 cup if so since dried methi leaves are much more intense in flavour than the fresh leaves
3. You can, of course, omit the magaz or cashews and add cream in the end along with the garam masala to make restaurant-style methi matar malai

Methi Thepla - Gujarati Methi Thepla Recipe

I love the bitterness and flavour of methi (fenugreek leaves) whether it's fresh or dried into kasuri methi. It's easy to find fresh methi in Singapore and one bunch gets made into various things like methi paratha, methi pulao, aloo methi, and even methi sambar. I first head of methi theplas when I was in Hyderabad and we were talking about nostalgic meals had in trains. My fond train meal memories are around lime rice with coconut chutney and podi idli whereas some other folks said poori masala, curd rice, and methi theplas. Theplas were new to me then and I ran the word through my mind a few times and let it go.

Fast forward 3 years and I tasted my first thepla in Bombay at TH's aunt's house. They were delicious! She mentioned how you can make many variations of thepla, one of her favourites being methi theplas. I immediately knew I would love them too but never got around to making them until very recently. Although they look a lot like rotis, theplas are spiced parathas where the dough is made with curd (plain yogurt), atta, and besan as main ingredients. A hint of turmeric gives them a lovely colour too.

The best thing about methi thepla is that they make excellent lunch box items. The theplas turn nice and soft as they cool down and the flavours get better after a couple hours. I kept my theplas on the milder side since I served this with a fiery side dish (recipe coming soon!).

I browsed a bunch of different websites for thepla recipe and finally used my own proportions. You can make similar adjustments to yours too. Check here for more recipes with fenugreek leaves.

GUJARATI METHI THEPLA RECIPE

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes ~8 theplas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour (atta)
• 1/4 cup of besan / gram flour
• 1/4 cup of thick curd / plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp of roasted and powdered jeera or cumin
• 1 cup of loosely packed cleaned and chopped methi leaves
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• 4 tbsp of ghee (for cooking)

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients (except ghee) and knead into a soft dough adding water by the spoonful if needed. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 15 mins.

2. After the dough has rested enough time, roll into lime-sized balls, dust with wheat flour as needed, and roll into thin circles. Note that theplas are thinner than chapatis so roll a bit more than you do for rotis or chapatis.

3. Heat a tawa and cook the theplas until both sides are spotted with golden brown patches. Once completely cooked, brush both sides with ghee and set aside on a plate. Continue until all the theplas are cooked.

You can serve methi theplas warm or carry them for tiffin, picnics, train rides, etc. Enjoy with plain curd and sweet pickles.

Notes:

1. If you don't have access to fresh methi leaves, use a handful of kasuri methi or dry methi leaves. When using fresh methi, remove all stems and use only the leaves, chopped
2. I saw some recipes where the besan was omitted but I thought it would be an interesting addition and added them
3. You can add more spices like ajwain or coriander to the dough. Grated ginger would taste great too
4. Finely minced green chillies would make a nice flavour change from using red chilli powder
5. Be generous with the ghee, especially if storing for longer time

Methi Pakoda Recipe | How to Make Methi Pakoda Recipe | Step by Step

My love for methi or fenugreek leaves has been a badly kept secret around here. Starting from Methi Pulao to Aloo Methi to Methi Paratha to adding methi to Paneer Butter Masala, I have tried it all. I even made Methi Matar Malai last month and loved it! In spite of experimenting quite a lot with these aromatic, slightly bitter greens, I never seem to tire of them and buy a large fresh bunch of fenugreek leaves when I see them in the market.

After making another round of Methi Pulao, I had about 2 cups of methi leaves left and was wondering if I could make a quick snack with methi. Finally decided on these delicious Methi Pakodas which were meant to be a snack for tea but we practically finished it off as a side with rice and Pumpkin Kootu.

The flavour and bitterness of the methi leaves complement perfectly with the besan and onions and spices in the pakoda batter. These methi pakods don't take longer than 15 mins from start to finish so make some if you are looking for a good recipe with fresh fenugreek leaves.

Methi Pakoda Recipe | Fenugreek Leaves Pakodas

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh methi leaves, cleaned and chopped coarsely (see notes)
• 3/4 cup of besan / gram flour / kadalai maavu
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp of asafoetida / hing / perungaayam
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp of powdered jeera
• 1/4 tsp of ajwain / omam (optional)
• 1 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp of rice flour or semolina / rava
• 2-3 cups of oil for deep frying

How to Make Methi Pakoda:

• Mix together besan, rava or rice flour, onions, salt, chilli powder, ajwain, jeera, and hing.
• Add enough water to make a thick batter that falls off your spoon with some resistance
• Mix in the methi leaves
• Heat oil for deep frying
• Using a tablespoon, add spoonfuls of pakoda batter into the hot oil
• Fry until golden brown
• Drain and set aside on a plate lined with a kitchen towel
• Serve hot with ketchup or mint chutney

Step by Step Pictures to Make Methi Pakoda:

1. Mix besan, onions, salt, chilli powder, ajwain, jeera, and hing well together

2. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Also mix in the methi leaves. The batter should be thick enough for you to form a loose, sticky ball with your fingers.

3. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. You can also use your hands to drop small balls of batter into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan otherwise the oil temperature will drop too much and the pakods will drink too much oil.

4. Fry until golden brown, drain, and set aside. Proceed until you use up all the batter.

Notes:

• Here's a list of all Recipes with Methi Leaves I have shared in Edible Garden. 
• I find that chopping methi leaves releasing a lot of its bitter juices so you can add the methi leaves whole if you want (removed of stalks completely). This is for those of you who don't like the bitterness of methi
• You can also use a paniyaram pan to make the methi pakodas
• Add these pakodas to khadi and you have some delicious Methi Pakoda Kadhi! Here's my basic Kadhi Recipe if you want to go that route.

Aloo Methi - Methi Aloo Recipe (Dry)-Potatoes with Fenugreek Leaves

I had some methi leaves left over after making Methi Pulao and decided to try Aloo Methi with it. I also had one fresh corn cob and decided to throw that in too. Nothing like bringing together some fresh vegetable wilting away in the fridge, eh?

I love making dry curries with aloo, especially using Russet potatoes. They cook very fast and turn almost creamy when they are done which tastes fantastic with both rotis and rice. Throw in some methi leaves for the bitterness and corn for the sweetness and you have a winner. I really resent Kerala not taking up to methi leaves more, imagine all the methi I could have eaten if I'd started young!
Other methi (fenugreek leaves) recipes you may wish to try - methi matar malai, methi thepla, methi pakoda, methi yogurt curry, methi sambar, methi dal, and this spiced methi paratha.

Aloo Methi-Methi Aloo Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients for Aloo Methi:
2 large potatoes
1 cup of packed methi leaves, picked off the stems and washed
6-8 shallots (chinna vengaayam, ulli)
1 tbsp of oil
1/4 tsp of black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of crushed cumin seed (jeera)
1-2 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp of hing (asafoetida, perungaayam)
1 tsp of salt
1/3 cup of shaved or canned corn (optional)

How to make Aloo Methi:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Shave the corn off the cob if using fresh corn (or if using at all). Slice the shallots or use an onion instead to make things quicker.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.

3. When they start to pop, add the shallots, potatoes and corn. Stir well.

4. After 3-4 mins, add the methi leaves. Mix again and let it cook for another 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally.

5. Then add the cumin, coriander, chilli, and turmeric along with the hing. Mix well to combine. Cook on low heat for another 5-6 mins at which time the potatoes will turn soft.

6. Add salt. Mix and continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked through.

Serve hot with rice and rasam or rotis. I especially like dry sabzis with roti and curd, there's just something nice about that.

This particular night, we had hot aloo methi with coconut milk rasam, rice and microwaved appalam.

Methi Pulao Recipe - Methi Rice - Fenugreek Leaves Pulav

I love methi and its unique flavour. Although I stock up on kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves / vendhaya keerai) which is lovely for flavouring the likes of Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Tikka Masala, etc. The fresh leaves are best for for making Methi Paratha (which I absolutely adore) and this Methi Pulao which is so very simple to prepare makes me a very happy person too.

I often make pulao as a one-pot meal complimenting it with a simple raita and papad. This methi pulao doesn't have any vegetables in it so you may want to make a mixed vegetable raita or a side dish to compliment it. I love the flavours and wanted to keep it simple (I am also a very lazy person on a Saturday morning!), so served just this.

Also check out: Methi Paratha | Methi Leaves Sambar | Methi Dal | Methi Mor Kuzhambu

Methi Pulao-Methi Rice-Fenugreek Leaves Pilaf

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of basmati rice
1 bunch of fresh methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
1large onion, sliced long
1-2 tbsp of ghee (make your own ghee)
10 cashew nuts
2 green chillies (adjust to taste)
1 small piece of ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic
1" piece of cinnamon
3 cloves
3 green cardamom pods
1 cup of thick coconut milk (can use water too, but why would you?)
Salt to taste

How I Made It:

0. Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 mins while you go about the rest of the preparations.

1. Wash the methi leaves thoroughly and separate the leaves and thin stems from the thicker stems. Set aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the sliced onion. Fry until the onions turn golden brown. Keep stirring the onions otherwise they will not uniformly brown. I do a million other things while frying onions so mine are definitely not uniformly browned. Don't be like me. Drain and set the fried onions aside.

3. To the same pan, add the cashew nuts and fry until they turn brown. Drain and set aside along with the onions. Switch off fire.

4. Grind the green chillies, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom into a course powder. Turn the pan back on heat and add this ground masala paste to the ghee. You can add more ghee if you feel like you need it but I got through the entire pulao in 2 tbsp ghee (that's not a small quantity anyway).

5. Fry the masala for a minute taking care not to burn it. Then add the washed and drained methi leaves and stir-cook until the leaves start to wilt.

6. Next, add the soaked rice and the coconut milk. Top up with another 1.5 cups of water and salt and mix well.

7. Cook covered on low heat for about 12 mins stirring a couple times in between if you need. The rice should be cooked yet firm and retain its shape. The time will depend on the quality of rice and the heat, etc so keep an eye on the dish starting from 10 mins. If the rice is cooked and there's moisture left, cook in the open pan until it's all absorbed.

Once done, switch off flame and add the fried onion and cashew nuts. Stir gently.

Serve hot with papad and a simple raita.

Lovely!

What's your favourite recipe with methi leaves?

Methi Leaves Yogurt Curry | Vendhaya Keerai Mor Kuzhambu Recipe

I love pretty much all forms of mor kuzhambu (spiced buttermilk curry), especially the Kerala-style moru kachiyathu. It's extremely simple to whip up and tastes great with rice and a spicy side dish. This vendhaya keerai mor kuzhambu is unique, delicious, and has a wonderful blend of flavours that any mor kuzhambu lover would appreciate and enjoy.

Also check out the green mor kuzhambu with coriander leaves.

I also love cooking with methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) and the lovely aroma it gives to the final dish. So when I saw this rural Andhra mor kuzhambu (called Thonthana in telugu) in Cooking with Pedatha that uses dal in the mix along with greens and yogurt, I was totally hooked until I tried it.

The flavours are simple, yet complex, and the end result is absolutely delicious.

Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves Yogurt Curry | Vendhaya Keerai Mor Kozhambu |

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from: Cooking with Pedatha

Ingredients:
� cup of toor dal / pigeon peas
� cup of channa dal / Bengal gram
1 bunch of methi (fenugreek) leaves / vendhaya keerai (or 3/4 packed cup frozen methi leaves)
2 cups of thick plain yogurt beaten with 1 cup water
1 tsp of tamarind paste (or � cup tamarind water)
� tsp of turmeric powder
� tsp of hing / asafoetida
A few curry leaves
1 tsp of ghee
Salt to taste

For the paste:
� cup of grated coconut (I used coconut pieces)
2" piece of ginger
� cup of chopped coriander leaves
3-4 green chillies

For tempering:
1 tbsp of oil
3-4 of dry red chillies
� tsp of black mustard seeds

How I Made It - Step by Step Pictures: 

0. Pressure cook both the dals with enough water until soft. The toor dal will be cooked soft while the channa dal will be soft but most of it will retain its shape. This is perfect. Mash it up a bit.

1, 2. Grind together the ingredients for the paste with a little water until smooth.

3. Add this paste to the cooked dals and set aside.

4. Heat the oil for tempering in a large kadai / pan and add the mustard seeds, hing, and red chillies.

5. When the mustard seeds pop, add chopped methi leaves and stir well.

6. When the leaves start to wilt and give out a nice fragrance (in about 3-4 mins), add the turmeric powder and mix well.

7. To this, add the dal-paste mixture and mix well. Add tamarind paste and salt.

8. Add curry leaves, mix well. Let the mixture simmer for a few mins.

9. Now add the diluted yogurt mixture and stir well until the curry is heated all the way through. No need to boil beyond this point. Check for salt and adjust if needed.

10. Turn off the flame, add the ghee to the mixture and stir well to combine. Remove from fire.

Serve warm with rice and any curry of choice. I made a simple okra fry to go with this.

The combination of lentils, yogurt, and methi leaves is really amazing in this curry. It does take longer than the usual curries I make (I prefer to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible) but the extra time is totally worth it!

Try it!

UPDATE: a lot of you emailed and commented asking about the bowl I have used in the picture. It's from FabIndia and costs Rs. 750. I bought it about a year back so not sure of availability now. I also used it in my Punjabi Chole Masala Recipe :)

Methi Leaves Sambar-Vendhaya Keerai Sambar Recipe

Learn how to make Methi Sambar with this easy recipe using methi leaves and a great and fresh Sambar recipe. 

Today is a leap day, a once-in-4-years type thing that I didn't want to miss so although I am in KL living out of a suitcase for the next couple days, I wanted to share something here using the very wonky Internet from my hotel room.

Any recipe that amma sends me, especially if it's along with 'styled' pictures that my uncle Radha mama takes, is special. Methi, or fenugreek leaves, are not very common in Kerala and you don't often see it in every vegetable stall. So amma grew her own (but of course). Then she made sambar with it and I think her argument was "if you can make dal with it, I can make sambar with it". Well of course you can amma. The cherry tomatoes you see in the pic are also from her small garden.

Here's the recipe, from her kitchen to yours.

Amma's Methi Sambar (Vendhaya Sambar) Recipe

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh methi (fenugreek leaves), cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup toor dal, (pressure) cooked until soft and mushy
1 carrot, chopped (optional)
1 tomato, chopped (or a few cherry tomatoes, halved)
A handful of shallots, peeled
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
2 tbsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tsp ghee or oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp powdered jeera / cumin
A generous pinch of hing / asafoetida
A few shallots, sliced long

How to Make Vendhaya Keerai Sambar:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 15 mins. Extract juice and discard the pulp. Transfer this to a pan along with the sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder, tomato, shallots, carrot and chopped methi leaves. In Kerala, a typical sambar consists of a few vegetables all added in together and this is how amma makes her sambar. You can omit the carrot if you want to keep it simple but the tomato is definitely recommended.

2. Bring the above mixture to boil with 2-3 cups of added water for about 15 mins. Add sugar and the cooked dal. Bring to boil and mix well. Adjust salt. Remove from fire.

3. Heat a small pan and add the ghee along with the rest of the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds pop and the shallots turn a light brown, remove from fire and dunk straight into the cooked sambar. Mix well.

Note: Don't add curry leaves or coriander leaves to this sambar. This is to ensure that the flavour of the methi is dominating. I know the picture has some coriander leaves but that's just amma trying to make the sambar look pretty for the picture :)

Huge thanks, as always, to Amma and Radhmams for the Vendhaya Keerai Sambar pictures and recipe :)