Back with Methi - Methi Matar Malai --- The M3

Just few days back I had a post with methi as the main ingredient "Methi Paneer Parantha" and now I am back with methi and that too with a bang . I am a working woman and we get out veggies over the weekend and all my posts in the week ahead would revolve around whatever I had bought that week and some new experimental recipe would come over the weekend :-). So this is my story . Its just 2 months since I have started writing this blog but believe me this has become an eternal part of my day to day life. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking that its dawn my favourite time of the day when I will sip some tea and enjoy cooking something in kitchen.Sometimes I think I am mad but that is how I am simply love to cook and serve.
The morning in the kitchen today was topsy tervy. I had planned to cook something else and ended up preparing something else.My husband is not very fond of matar(green peas) so I had planned to cook "Methi Paneer Malai" but when I tasted paneer it had turned sour , I have this habit of tasting my ingredients before hand so that the dish is not spoiled just because ingredients tasted bad.So not left with any option I decided to take a risk with matar and to my surprise got compliments from hubby dear that he liked the subzi very much. Believe me just one small compliment made my day :-) so let me help you  make your day , impress your dear ones with this yummy dish.

Ingredients :-

1. Methi Leaves finely chopped 3 cups
2. Matar/ Green Peas 1 cup
3. Onion thinly sliced 2
4. Tomato finely chopped 2
5. Green chillies finely chopped 2
6. Ginger finely chopped 1/2 tsp
7. Garlic finely chopped 1/2 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Turmeric 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala 1/4 tsp
11. Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
12.  Milk 1cup
13. Cream / Fresh malai 2 Tbsp
14. Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
15. Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
16. Red chillie powder 1/2 tsp

Method:-

• Wash the methi leaves thoroughly to get rid of any dirt and then chop very finely. Blanch methi  in boiling water for 5 minutes and then immediately put in cold water to stop further cooking. When methi leaves comes to room temperature squeeze the excess water by pressing well between your palms. Also put the peas in boiling water for 5 mins.
  
• In a pan heat some oil and add cumin seeds and let them spluttter. Now add thinly sliced onions and fry them for 4-5 minutes or untill they turn golden brown. Take them out of the pan and keep aside.
  
• In the same pan add tomatoes , chopped green chilllies , ginger and garlic and cook till tomatoes turn mushy and now add salt , turmeric, coriander powder and red chillie powder. Cook for another minute. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
  
• Take half of the fried onions and all of the cooked tomatoes, chillie etc. in a mixie jar and grind to a fine paste.
• Add this paste to the pan and cook for a minute and then add milk and bring to a boil and also add malai at this stage.
  
• Let this mixture come to room temperature and then blend it using a mixie or a hand blender.
• Again pour this gravy to the pan and add methi and matar.Also add gram masala, the left fried onions  and cumin powder.
  
• Let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with fresh cream and coriander leaves. Serve hot with naan, roti or parantha.
  
  
  
  

Notes:-

• Squeeze the water well from methi otherwise the gravy will turn runny and will not taste good.
• Instead of blanching the methi we can stir fry also that ways all the nutrients will be preserved.
• If you find taste of methi bitter little sugar could be added. Its personal choice.
• After adding milk cook on low flame to avoid curdling of milk.
• To prepare Methi Paneer malai simply replace matar with paneer :-)