Methi Malai Mater is a rich and flavorful Indian vegetable dish. The Methi, or Fenugreek Leaves give a wonderful aroma and unique taste to compliment the sweetness of the peas and cream. Try this delicious recipe and enjoy it with chapati, naan or plain white rice.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
Fenugreek Leaves – 1 bunch
Frozen Peas – 16 oz (1/2 kg)
Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup (or to taste)
Evaporated Milk – 5 oz can (147 ml)
Salt – to taste
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Whole Dry Red Chilies – to taste
Ginger – 1 Tbsp, minced
Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Method:
1. Wash Fenugreek Leaves well, remove roots and chop finely.
2. Sprinkle salt over Fenugreek Leave, mix well and set aside 15-20 minutes
3. Heat Oil in a medium pan on medium heat.
4. Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle for 10-15 secs.
5. Add in Dry Red Chili (break the chili in half if you like it spicy).
6. Add Turmeric Powder and immediately, add in Onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add Ginger, mix and cook until Onions are a light golden color.
8. Add Tomatoes, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
9. Add Green Peas, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir in between to prevent sticking.
10. Squeeze out salt water from Fenugreek Leaves and add it to the peas.
11. Cover and cook until Peas and Fenugreek Leaves are cooked (3-6 minutes).
12. Add in Heavy Whipping Cream and Evaporated Milk, mix well and bring to a boil.
13. Serve hot with Chapati, Naan or Rice.
What if we add cream and even then the fenugreek leaves are raw? What to do then?
Hi Astha,
If your methi leaves are raw even after adding the cream, you can try and cook the dish on a low flame – stirring often and cook them. Be careful not to over cook else the malai will become ghee 🙁
Liked your recipe. I generally use fried cashew nut powder in this recipe and that goes well with either whole milk or whipping cream.
I wish there was a way to make this vegan using a nut or soy milk or creamer. It looks so delicious. Thanks for all of your videos. I really enjoy trying the ones that fit into my lifestyle and adjusting the ones that I can to fit.
Hey guys you two are doing a great job! Just have a question. Whats heavy whipping cream? Which section do we have to look for it? And this evaporated milk as well… will that be with the milk in milk section? pls help as I want to try this one. 🙂
Hi Gowri,
Heavy whipping cream is in liquid form and usually comes in a cardboard carton. You can find it near the regular milk. Evaporated milk is usually in a can and is found in the baking aisle.
Hi,
Was wondering if this was a good make-ahead dish (3 days in advance)
-Cheryl
Yes, it can be made ahead of time. You may need to add a little water or extra cream while re-heating it.
Nice recipe,but I wouldn’t use evaporated milk since it’s prooven since decades to produce cancer!!!
Thanks so much for video’ing this recipe. I just had the packaged version by DEEP and we were so excited to find a recipe on line and demonstrated.
The packaged version was $5.99; this looks to be considerably less and so yummy.
I have a bunch of fenugreek in the refrigerator as we speak and to have the added hint of de-bittering it is so useful. The one masala that I don’t have is Garam, but I have several others in boxes and I’ll try to find a similar flavor.
Thanks you guys, your site is great!
marcia in colorado
Thanks Marcia! We have a recipe for homemade garam masala if you’d like to try it out sometime. Here it is: https://34.233.61.50/odds-ends/basic-garam-masala.html
I think most of the people commentin are frm USA.I’m frm INdia-Mumbai.There no dirth of fresh methi here but I would like to know what exactly is evaporated milk?Is it anything close to milk powder?I don’t think we get anything in Mumbai by this name(evaporated milk).Please specify
Thanks
Neeta
Hi Neeta,
Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of the moisture removed. It has a cooked down flavor. We use it as a lower fat option to heavy cream. If you cannot find it, you can use heavy cream.
Hi ladies
Hi this is pinki .i Thank you so much for this recipe I have fresh methi and I am think where I can use this methi what I am going to make and I search and I saw your video it’s very easy and look testity thanks.
I am not a fan of peas but I watched the video and decided to give it a try. AMAZING!!
I almost couldn’t stop eating this. I love the combinations of seasonings. Wonderful! Especially for those that need less salt in their lives. The only substitute was the milk and cream, I used coconut milk.
Hi Berry,
Thanks for the feedback. Coconut milk sounds like a great substitution.
Hi Hetal, Anuja
Thanks a lot for this recipe, I have tried it twice and its turned out great each time.
You girls are sure a great help, keep up the great work.
Regards
Lekha
Hi girls,
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I wanted to try it as soon as I saw it. I neither had cream nor evaporated milk at home. So, I used 2% milk(!!), little flour and butter to give it thickness and richness. It tasted great nevertheless! 🙂
Thanks!
This is an awesome curry. I have been making this for a year now and its appreciated by everyone at home.
If I dont have evaporated milk at hand, i just use some milk or half & half. It tastes the same. I personally like the frozen methi flavor over the fresh one, but both are good.
Thanks a ton to both of you!
Hi Neha,
Actually, any milk product will work (except fat free milk, which is too thin). Traditionally, heavy cream is used but we tried to make this recipe a bit better for your waistline :). Half and half will work fine as well. The higher fat milk you use, the more creamy the dish will be.
Now do you use the stem of the methi leaves too or ONLY the leaves? Also, approximately how much salt do you sprinkle on the fenugreek leaves? I have never had methi before and am planning on serving it over the coming weekend and was wondering if this is a good make ahead dish (1-2 days before D-day)
I love your website and use it everytime I want to cook Indian food. You guys are fantastic. Thanks for breaking it down for us.
Hi Angie,
You can use the tender stems of methi (towards the top of the plant) but not as you get closer to the root end. It is very tough and fibrous. This is definitely a great make ahead dish. You can keep some cream or evap milk to the side and mix it in later (just to moisten it and freshen it up a bit).
hi Hetal / Anuja,
I am a big fan of yours and your detailed recipe videos are such an inspiration for me. thanks for the great effort you both are taking, really appreciate it.
I just had a qtn abt using the evaporated milk, I have used. It in 2/3 gravy dishes before like pander and every time I add the ev. Milk, the milk curdles..and the gravy doesn’t look very good.. I add the milk usually when the masala starts to separate oil..what am I doing wrong ?
thanks in advance..
aarti
Hi Aarti,
Try adding your vegetable first in the tomato mixture, mix it well, and then add in the evaporated milk.
Love your recipes and videos. A question about methi. What would you serve along with it? Been enjoying the other recipes but I’m getting tired having rice with it.
Hi Paul,
Most Indian vegetable dishes can be had with roti or chapati/paratha (flatbread).
I made this curry the other day and my husband loved it! I found it a bit too rich, but very tasty! Thank you for the recipe Anuja and Hetal!
Hi Preethi,
Yes, it is a bit rich….buy yummy! If you like, you can substitute the whipping cream with more evaporated milk. It will make the dish lighter.
Tried this out today, wondering what took me soooo long to try it. It is one awesome recipe… Everything was perfect, as always. Your website is something I log into everyday without fail.
Thanks a ton for the superb recipe’s and keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Tina! 🙂
hi hetal and anuja,
you girls rock this show. i had a question on the methi malai mutter recipe, is it ok if i don’t use milk at all and just use the heavy cream.
thanks
kamni
hi
kindly clarify why no garlic for this recipie
shobana
No words to describe how eazy & yummy this dish turned out to be.Thank you so much,my hubby just loved it,he is happy he is getting everyday fine restaurant Indian food right at home,simple receipes but very tasty.
Thank you so much Anuja & Hetal.
Dear Anuja and Hetal
You guys are a big hit amongst so many of my friends!! Thanks so much for making all these advanced levels of indian cooking recipes so detailed!!!
Would you be able to answer when I should use heavy whipping cream (should I whip it before using it)versus heavy cream versus half and half versus evaporated milk. For example, should i use half and half for deserts like ras malai or heavy cream? I am so confused with all these options available!
Thanks so much and please do keep churning out these amazing recipes!! 🙂
Chitra
Hi,
want to make methi malai matar with frozen methi.pls tell how many grams should i take?
Hi Parul,
Approx 120-150 grams of frozen Methi should be perfect 🙂
hi A & H,
really happy b’coz finally u have answered my last both querris.thanks a tone.i m living in Singapore and here lots of South Indians are staying so hopeful to find FILTER COFFEE vessel.we both r big fan of filter coffee.once i get it i will make it at home and save money (we end up paying a lot when we have it at restaurant).will surely post the response.
hi chef …………..
thanks a lot a shearing recipe….
can you toll me how made garlic bread with cheese?
thanks Aegean.
We have a Garlic Bread recipe…you can just add some Italian cheese (Parmesan, Mozzarella) to it. Here is the link: https://34.233.61.50/breads/garlic-bread.html
I used half and half and it still tasted great 🙂
Just finished making this and it was superb (as are all of your recipes I’ve tried so far)!! Also, I just used half a bag of frozen methi, thawed it and squeezed the water out. This is my dh’s favorite dish and he loved it!
Thank you for all these amazing recipes and making it so much easier to cook Indian!
Beautiful dish!
I just finished making this and it is so tasty! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes: the ingredients and instructions are easy to follow, and the results are always delicious!
I am new to Indian cooking and your website is my go-to.
Hello Anuja and Hetal,
I do not have dry red chilli. Can i substitute it with Grenn Chilli and in what quantity
Yes, you can add green chilies but how much you use will depend on how hot the chilies are and your tolerance level. If you want the flavor without too much heat, you can slit one or two down one side and add them. If you want the heat, you can chop them up.
Dear Hetal and Anuja,
For those of us who have difficulty with milk products, would coconut cream be a suitable substitute? Or do you think it would taste funny in this dish?
Hi Sarah,
Being a big fan of anything coconut, I would think coconut milk or cream would be great in this dish. It will however taste totally different.
Okay, one word of caution: don’t use sweetened condensed milk by accident!! I did (and doubled-up to substitute for the cream), and the entire dish turned out beautifully, but very, VERY sweet! Good for anyone with a sweet tooth, I can tell you, only my non-desi husband and I aren’t that fond of sweets! I also used mustard greens, and the taste was really quite good after I added a little more chilli powder to offset the sweetness. Thanks again for a great recipe!
ohhh nooooo! Sweetened condensed milk is definitely a big no no for this recipe. Maybe you can try it again with regular whipping cream and evaporated milk — it’s worth it.
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
I tried this recipe, although I had to use dried methi.It still turned out delicious!!! A friend of mine from India tasted it and asked “how did you learn how to make this?” I said “oh it’s just something I threw together” haha…SMTC is my little secret now. My next attempt will be bharvan bhindi…keep your fingers crossed!! Thanks so much for bringing so much cooking joy to all of us.
Judy
That’s great to hear Judy. Glad you enjoyed it! We’re sure the bhindi will be awesome as well.
I used dried methi, soaked in hot water and salt for aout ten minutes. I squeezed it out and put it in the food processor briefly to break down the fibers. This recipe was a big hit. We finished up our meal with Kulfi and Mango icecream (also from your website). YUMMM! Thanks so much, SMTC!
Thank you for the amazing recipes you have posted. They all have turned out so yummy and esp. this one! You both make it soo easy to cook. Thank you!!
Hello girls!
I tried this awesome and often talked about dish in our family. To tell you the truth I never had eaten it or tried it as I thought methi will be bitter to taste. Since its my husband’s favourite therefore after seeing your demo I decided to try it…And rest is History in my house.
It is one of the most hit recipes I have tried from your SMTC. My husband could not stop eating it for 2 days untill it vanished…
Honestly the taste was even better than those served in the restaurants…as I was told…!
Thanks for making my life so beautiful. All in family are now tirelessly praising my culinery skills. They don’t know the secret – Its SMTC 😉
My regards and blessings to you both.
Hi Rohini,
Thanks for your sweet comments. It really makes our day!
This recipe has made me the best cook in the house:)….my husband just can’t get enuf of it….thankyou so much ladies:)
Great recipe! But where did you get such fresh Methi? Which grocery store? I am having hard time to find it!
Hi Tina,
Most of our local Indian grocery stores carry fresh methi leaves. Sometimes whole foods type stores such as Sprouts carry it too.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
if using frozen methi, what’s the proportion?
BTW,I’ve been trying your other recipes regularly & it’s a big HIT in our house.
Thanks for all the wonderful but easy to do recipes.
Shakuntala
Hi Shakuntala,
Frozen methi is pressed into cubes (very compressed) so you can use about 1/2 the package.
hey can i use frozen methi leaves
Yes, you can use frozen methi.
Hello Ladies,
Would I salt the frozen methi? And, do I defrost the methi first for just add it straight from the freezer?
Thanks for you help.
One more question, can I double up on the evaporated milk in place of heavy cream?
Thanks a lot.
Yes, you can! Low-fat Evaporated milk is a great substitute for Heavy Cream.
When we use frozen methi, we deforst it in the microwave (if you are in a rush), add salt and then allow it to sit for a while. After that just aqueeze out the water and use it as per recipe.
i tried this recipe.it came out very tasty.i want to make this dish for party can u please tell me the measurments for 40 people.
After seeing how simple it is to make this dish, I am intrigued. My only setback is I can’t find fenugreek leaves anywhere. Can I substitute it with spinach or some other bitter green leafy vegetable? Say…maybe mustard greens?
You can sunstitute the fenugreek leaves with spinach and mustard greens, it’ll be different but should taste really good. Fenugreek has very intense flavor compared to spinach…so you may have to experiment with the quantity that you need to substitute.
Let us know how it tunrs out:)
hello chef
wonderfull and feelings coming that they are ready to make us chef in recent weeks with thier receipe everry week
I just made this and have to say I think this is the best Indian food I have ever made or eaten! Thanks so much for posting this awesome recipe!
Hi Aisha,
You could use the dried methi leaves, but the flavor will not be exactly the same. Methi has a very unique and strong flavor even when dried, but loses the fresh taste once it’s dried. You would not have to salt it. You don’t have to use as much since the flavor is concentrated.
I was wondering if I use the dried methi leaves from the box, how much should I use, and would I skip the soaking/salt step? Thanks!
Hi Sanchitha,
You could use regular milk, but the consistency will be a lot thinner. This is meant to be a classic rich textured dish. We used the evaporated milk to save on a few calories and fat. Traditionally, only heavy cream is used. If you still want to use milk, use whole milk and use approx 2 cups (adding it in slowly so you can control the consistency you like. Also, let the milk cook down a bit (evaporate) and it should thicken up.
Hey Hetal/Anuja,
Can I substitute normal milk for the evaporated milk? If yes what wold be the quantity??
Thanks for posting such wonderful recipes.
Thanks
sanchitha
Anuja/Hetal,
How about recipe for naan and Indian sandwiches/paninis ?
u guys r great!!! u posts a new recipe every week!!