Malai Methi Matar Recipe (Restaurant Style) – Creamy, Rich & Ready in 45 Minutes

Malai methi matar is a North Indian creamy curry made with green peas cooked in an onion-tomato masala base, finished with kasuri methi and fresh cream. This is a mild, aromatic, and deeply comforting dish. You can make this dish in just 45 minutes, and it tastes exactly like the one you order at a cozy North Indian restaurant.

This is a popular dish for winters. The gravy doesn't contain yogurt, just onion, tomatoes, cashews, whole spices, and cream. This gives it that characteristic yellowish colour and a gentler richness than most Indian curries. You can pair it beautifully with naan, roti, or jeera rice.

Why You Will Love This Malai Methi Matar Recipe

• This recipe gives you a silky gravy with the balance of bitter methi, sweet peas, and rich cream.
• You’ll get the restaurant-style, pale yellowish gravy made entirely at home.
• It will be ready in 45 minutes, including the cashew-onion paste.
• You can pair this with roti, naan, paratha, or jeera rice.
• This dish is easy to make less bitter for kids by salting the methi leaves first.

List of Ingredients

This malai methi matar recipe serves 3-4 people.

• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• A pinch of hing
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1-2 slit green chillies
• 1 cup kasuri methi
• ½ cup boiled peas
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• ½ teaspoon coriander-cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon fennel powder
• ⅓ to ½ teaspoon garam masala
• Salt, to taste
• Water
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh cream or malai

Step-by-Step Malai Methi Matar Recipe

Step 1: Sizzle the whole spices in ghee

Take some ghee in a thick-bottomed pan and heat it over medium flame. Add whole spices such as cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. 

Let them sizzle for 20-30 seconds until the ghee smells fragrant. This is a very important step as it sets the flavour base for the entire dish.

Pro Tip: If possible, use ghee instead of oil. Ghee carries the fragrance of whole spices into the masala base far better than oil does, and it gives the entire curry a similar dhaba-style richness.

Step 2: Let the onions cook until golden

Once the whole spices have sizzled properly, add the finely chopped onion and cook everything over medium heat until the onions turn a rich golden colour. 

Give the onions enough time to cook rather than rushing this step. Perfectly golden onions are responsible for the gravy's colour, depth, and sweetness. 

Step 3: Add ginger-garlic paste along with slit green chilli

After the onions are golden brown, add the ginger-garlic paste along with the green chilli. Cook them for 2 minutes, until the raw smell is gone.

Step 4: Add all the masala powders

Set the flame to its lowest setting. Add the spices including hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and coriander-cumin powder. Mix the spices quickly, then cook them in the masala base for another 1 minute. 

After that, you’ll notice that the colour is deeper and the fragrance is stronger.

Step 5: Add the tomato puree

Stir in the tomato puree along with a pinch of salt. Cook the onion-tomato masala base for 5-6 minutes, until the tomato turns soft and pulpy. Wait until the ghee starts to separate at the edges before moving further. This is the sign that the masala is cooked.

Step 6: Add boiled peas and a glass of water

Add the earlier boiled green peas and one glass of water to the onion-tomato masala base. Give it a nice stir and let it simmer on low to medium flame for 5-6 minutes without covering it. Cook it until the gravy thickens and its texture turns smooth.

Step 7: At last, add kasuri methi (dry methi leaves)

Set the flame to its lowest. Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala and a generous amount of kasuri methi. Stir them well into the curry and cook for 2 minutes. 

The kasuri methi fills the entire pan with a warm methi fragrance. This step makes the whole curry smell and taste like a proper North Indian restaurant dish.

Step 8: Finish with lemon juice and fresh cream

At last, add some lemon juice and stir the curry. Turn off the gas, pour in the fresh cream, and mix until the curry is smooth, glossy, and yellowish. Serve this curry hot with roti, phulka, paratha, naan, or rice.

Malai Methi Matar Recipe Method Variations

With Fresh Methi

If it’s winter and fenugreek leaves are in season, sauté 1 cup of properly washed, salted, and rinsed methi leaves in one tsp ghee for 2-3 minutes until softened. 

Add these sautéed leaves to the curry in Step 6 along with the boiled peas. Fresh methi lends the dish a more vibrant, slightly bitter flavor and pairs beautifully with the cream.

With Paneer

You can add 150g of pan-fried paneer cubes along with the peas in Step 6. The paneer cubes will soak up the creamy, spiced masala gravy. Paneer will give you more substance and a filling dish, which is best for a heavy party dinner.

Richer Variant

If you want a richer texture, use 1 tablespoon of malai (fresh milk cream) instead of 1 tablespoon of fresh cream. Also add a small cube of butter in Step 8. This extra fat gives you the gravy a noticeably richer finish.

Expert Tips

• Use ghee instead of oil. Ghee carries the aroma of whole spices better than oil, and it also gives the curry its popular dhaba-style richness.
• Let the onions caramelize properly. Deep golden-brown onions provide the base of colour and depth in this curry.
• Cook the tomato well, until the ghee separates from the edges. Under-cooked tomato gives a very tangy, raw, sharp taste.
• Add cream after turning off the flame. High heat can split the cream.

Different Suggestions to Serve Malai Methi Matar

This dish is popular across North Indian households, and the people there prefer to serve this curry with:

• Butter naan or tandoori roti. This curry is rich and creamy, so it works perfectly with a little charred flatbread.
• Jeera rice. Jeera rice has a beautiful cumin flavour. This rice soaks up the gravy in the most amazing way, and this pairing feels so satisfying.
• Plain paratha or phulka. This is the perfect combination for a simple, easy, comforting dinner.
• A side of sliced onion and lemon. This side makes the entire meal light and fresh, balancing the curry's spice and creaminess.
  

Tips for Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate: You can store the leftover malai methi matar curry for up to 2 days. Make sure you transfer it to an airtight container before refrigerating. 

This is a cream-based gravy, so it may thicken overnight. Spray a little water or milk while reheating and stir properly.

Freezer: Freezing this curry isn’t recommended. This is a cream-based gravy, so it will separate and become grainy after freezing and defrosting. 

You can freeze the gravy without adding cream, and add fresh cream while reheating.

To reheat: Warm refrigerated curry gently in a pan over a low flame with a splash of water or milk. Stirring frequently. Don’t reheat this curry over high heat, as it can split the cream.

Frequently Asked Questions: Malai Methi Matar Recipe

Can I use fresh methi instead of kasuri methi? 

Yes. In one tsp ghee, sauté some chopped methi leaves (rinsed, drained, and salted) for 2-3 minutes. Once soft, add them to the gravy along with the boiled peas. Fresh methi leaves have a more vibrant and sharper flavour than dried methi leaves.

Why is my gravy too thin? 

This happens when there’s too much water in the gravy. Let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes over medium heat to evaporate the water. The gravy will naturally thicken once it cooks down. 

Can I use oil instead of ghee? 

Yes. If you’re avoiding dairy, then you can use oil. But you’ll get a noticeably different flavour. Ghee carries the aroma of whole spices better than oil and also gives the curry its popular richness. 

Why did my cream split when I added it? 

Most of the time, it happens if the pan is too hot. Make sure you’ve turned the flame off before adding cream. Always stir the curry gently after adding cream, rather than whisking. 

Can I use coconut milk instead of fresh cream? 

Yes. If you want to make a vegan variant, coconut milk works as the best substitute. Add it in the same amount after turning off the flame. You’ll get a slightly different flavour, but it still gives a creamy finish.

How do I make this less spicy for kids? 

Reduce the amount of red chilli powder and skip the green chilli completely. The fresh cream already slightly reduces the heat, so your final curry is naturally milder. You can also add an extra cream for kids.

Related Recipes You Can Try

Palak Paneer Recipe · Paneer Masala Recipe · Jeera Rice Recipe