As the name suggests, “mushroom matar malai” has mushrooms, matar (green peas) and malai (cream), flavored with some aromatic Indian spices to make a creamy, mildly spiced curry!! The thickness of the gravy comes from blended onions and cashew nuts with some spices and I have made it a little spicy by adding green chillies. I remember the first time I came across methi matar malai (using methi leaves or fenugreek leaves) when we were living in New Delhi. During one of the Durga Puja festivals (Durga Puja celebrates the worship of Hindu Goddess Durga) at Chittaranjan Park, our family along with my friend’s family were looking for a good place to eat and every food vendor or food truck was serving only non vegetarian food!! So we came back home and ordered vegetarian curries with naan from a nearby restaurant and methi matar malai was one of the dishes we had.
I fell in love with the white creamy gravy in the curry and have made it often after that. Sometimes, I make it with mushrooms which are easily available everywhere. Using fenugreek leaves involves plucking them from the stems, washing and cooking them and some people do not like the slight bitter taste of these leaves. Mushrooms are a very good easy option which everyone will like! I hope you like my version of Mushroom Matar Malai!! You can also try my other curries: Amritsari Chole, Black-eyed Bean curry, Vegetable Kurma etc. Making this easy Mushroom Matar Malai involves only 3 steps: Making the onion paste, cooking the mushrooms and peas and then mixing them with cream to form a lovely creamy, mildly spiced gravy!! Step-by-step method:
Keep the ingredients ready.
Saute the dry spices in 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee till it sizzles and releases a good aroma.
Add the green chillies, garlic and ginger and saute for a few seconds. Stir in the onions and cashew and fry till the onions become soft (about 2 to 3 minutes).
Cool and blend to a fine paste. Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil/ghee.
To make the mushroom matar malai:
Saute dry spices in 1 tablespoon of oil/ghee and add the blended onion paste and fry for a few seconds.
Add the boiled green peas along with the water used for cooking and mix well.
Add the mushrooms, garam masala powder, salt, sugar (optional) and mix well. Bring to a boil on medium high. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the cream.
Mix well, simmer on medium low for a few seconds more and serve hot, garnished with kasoori methi leaves and coriander leaves.
If you love methi or fenugreek leaves, then you must try this Creamy Methi Matar Malai too!
Here are some more mushroom dishes you will like:
VEGAN MUSHROOM MASALA MUSHROOM KADAI MASALA (DRY) CREAMY MUSHROOM MASALA CURRY (NO ONIONS and NO GARLIC!) TANGY MARINATED MUSHROOM SALAD CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
Now, lets get to the recipe shall we?
Enjoy and Happy Eating!
8 to 10 mushrooms, cut into quarters or sliced ½ cup boiled green peas (fresh or frozen) 1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon garam masala powder 2 to 3 tablespoons cream ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) Salt to taste 3 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter or oil To make the onion paste: 1 medium onion, coarsely cut ¼ cup cashew nuts 3 green chillies, cut into 2 t o3 pieces 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 inch piece ginger, chopped 2 cloves 1 piece cinnamon 1 green elaichi/green cardamom 1 tablespoon ghee/clarified butter or oil For garnishing: 1 teaspoon kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed Few coriander leaves
Instructions Notes If you do not have cream, you can add some milk instead (but cream gives it a good texture and consistency). The same recipe can be made with fresh fenugreek leaves (wash, clean, pick only the leaves and cook in a little oil till slightly cooked and soft and then add to the curry).
