Methi Matar Malai Recipe | How to make Methi Matar Malai [Video]

Methi Matar Malai Recipe with step by step video instructions. Methi Matar Malai is a creamy mildly flavored curry made from methi or fenugreek leaves, fresh green peas and cream (malai). 

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There are days when I crave a spicy tantalizing curry that can set my mouth on fire. And then there are days when all I want is milder flavors that calm my soul. This Methi Matar Malai curry is the latter. It is a very mildly spiced creamy curry that pairs excellently with soft roti or naan.

What is Methi Matar Malai?

Methi Matar Malai as the name states, is a curry heroing the 3 main ingredients - Methi leaves or Fenugreek leaves, Matar or Green Peas and Malai or fresh cream. The methi leaves, which are usually slightly bitter are tamed by the creaminess of the malai and the sweetness of fresh peas. You can use fresh or frozen peas here, I will call them both "fresh" as opposed to the dried green peas.

This is more of a winter curry, as both methi leaves and green peas are pretty much at their seasonal best in winters and the warmth and richness of cream just adds that additional coziness to the curry.

To make Methi Matar Malai, we cook together onion, ginger, garlic and cashew nuts, yes, cashews, coz one can never have enough creaminess. Am I right? So this cooked onion-cashew goodness with just a hint of green chillies is blended and forms the gravy base for the curry. The methi leaves are cooked until they wilt and then the blended puree is added and the methi leaves are cooked in this masala until completely cooked. Then boiled green peas are added and the curry is finished off with fresh cream.

Can this curry be Veganized?

Absolutely, yes!! Read on...

While cream is a major part of the curry, it can be replaced by 2 things - plant milk or cashew cream.

Use any plant based milk that is unflavored. Using milk instead of cream will however, make the curry a bit thinner in consistency, so you may need to reduce the amount of water you add at the start.

The other way to have the same creaminess and the same consistency, is to use cashew cream. To make cashew cream, soak a quarter cup of cashews in hot water for 30-40 minutes. Then drain and blend with very little plant milk or water until completely smooth. Use this as regular cream in the recipe. 

Enjoy!!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Video Recipe

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Methi Matar Malai Recipe | How to make Methi Matar Malai

Methi Matar Malai is a creamy Indian curry made with fenugreek or methi leaves, fresh green peas and cream. It is a mildly spiced curry.

Recipe Type:   Side
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     75 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups Methi leaves, washed thoroughly and chopped

0.75 cup Green peas (fresh or frozen), boiled

1 large Onion, chopped

10-12 Cashew nuts

1 Tbsp Ginger, chopped

3-4 Garlic cloves

1 tsp Green chilli paste or 2-3 Green chillies, finely chopped

4-5 Tbsp fresh Cream (malai)",

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 Tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Water as required

Method:

1. Heat 2-3 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and cashew nuts and saute until the onions are translucent.
2. Add in the green chilli paste or chopped green chillies. Saute for 1 min. 
3. Remove from heat into a bowl and allow to cool. Once cooled, grind to a fine paste with little water.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
5. Once the cumin sizzles for 30 seconds, add in the methi leaves and continue to cook until the leaves have wilted and halved in quantity.
6. Now add the ground paste and 0.5 cup of water. Mix and boil until the methi leaves are cooked.
7. Add in the boiled green peas and salt to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. 
8. Slightly whip the cream, so it doesn't have lumps, and add to the kadhai. Mix well and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
9. Serve hot with roti or naan.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Aloo Methi

Matar Kachori

Methi Rice

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Kadhai Mushroom Recipe [Video]

Kadhai Mushroom Recipe with step by step video instructions. Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy vegan curry made with mushrooms, capsicum and onions in a tomato based gravy. Kadhai Mushroom can be made either into a dry/semi-dry curry or into a curry with gravy. Kadhai Mushroom is vegan, gluten free and fits a plant based diet.

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I love Mushrooms. It is the meat for vegetarians with loads of umami in it. There is seriously no other veggie that provides that elusive 5th taste that our beloved MasterChef Australia judges talk about.
Btw, are you watching the 12th season? The back to win series with the new jury? I'm completely hooked on.

What is Kadhai Mushroom?

Kadhai is literal terms is an Indian wok or the little vessel you see in my photos. That is a kadhai. So Kadhai Mushroom just translates literally to mushroom cooked in a wok. But as a dish, it is so much more than just that.

Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy melee of mushrooms, capsicum and onions simmered in a freshly ground masala that is so fragrant and a bit of tomato puree for that tartness and body for the curry.

This is probably one of the only curries where I don't substitute the masala with my Garam Masala. It just doesn't taste the same. The fresh masala adds so much flavor that it is almost a sin to substitute it with any store bough mixed spice powder. So I highly recommend making your own spice blend, just for this, and maybe then using it for myriad other curries. 

Kadhai Mushroom can either be a dry or a semi dry curry or it can be a curry with gravy. Every restaurant serves it differently and so can you.

The details...

Kadhai Mushroom is probably one of the easiest curries to make. To make Kadhai Mushroom, toast the whole spices - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, cloves and pepper. Toasting on low heat makes the spices release their oils and makes them more fragrant. Toast the dry red chillies, if using. This can be substituted with red chilli powder or with paprika without affecting the flavor and there is no need to toast it either. Once everything has cooled, make a quick powder.

Next, saute the mushrooms and keep them aside until later. If you don't have the time to do this, just toss them into the curry later and allow them to cook in the masala.

The onions and capsicum are cut into large chunks. This is meant to be a chunky curry. They are sauteed along with ginger garlic paste until they are cooked slightly. Do not overcook the capsicum, it is meant to retain the crunchiness.

Then the tomato puree, turmeric, salt and masala is added along with desired amount of water and the curry is simmered for a few minutes. The mushrooms are added at the end and given a quick stir.

The kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves provide an additional salty bitter fragrance that goes superbly with the curry.

Kadhai Mushroom can be served as a side with roti or naan bread or even with rice.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Kadhai Mushroom Recipe

Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy vegan curry made with mushrooms, capsicum and onions in a tomato-based gravy. Kadhai Mushroom can be made either into a dry or semi-dry curry or into a curry with gravy. Kadhai Mushroom is vegan, gluten free and fits a plant based diet.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

200gms Mushrooms
1 Capsicum
1 Onion
1 cup Tomato Puree
1 Tbsp crushed Ginger-Garlic
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 dry Red Chillies or 1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Black Pepper
2 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
1 Black Cardamom
2 Bay leaves
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. In a kadhai or pan, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, cloves, dry red chillies and black pepper for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind to a fine powder.
2. Cut the onions into petals and chop the capsicum into large chunks. Halve the mushrooms.
3. In the same kadhai heat 1-2 Tbsp oil and saute the halved mushrooms until cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.
4. Add the remaining oil and add the onions, crushed ginger garlic and 1 bay leaf and saute until the onions are slightly soft.
5. Add the capsicum and fry until the capsicum is slightly browned.
6. Add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, ground masala, red chilli powder if using, salt and saute on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add water as desired, and simmer for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add the mushroom and mix well.
9. Top with kasuri methi and mix well.
10. Serve hot with roti and rice.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Lahsuni Methi Mushroom

Mushroom Cafreal

Vegetable Jalfrezi

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Mavinkayi Chitranna Recipe | Raw Mango Rice Recipe [Video]

Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is a vegan South Indian sour and spicy mango flavored rice made from tart raw mangoes and leftover rice. Mango Rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. Raw Mango Rice is also gluten free.

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A quick weeknight fix. That's exactly what this Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is.

We've had a week of thunderstorms here in Bangalore and it's been scary. I scare easy, but thunder has never scared me, but I have been pretty jumpy the last weekend. The sound was akin to the sky ripping apart and a few of these extremely loud ones even managed to wake me up. Although we've been swamped with unseasonal rains, I still believe it is Summer, because mangoes, you know. While Bangalore really doesn't have a season for most things, that is, you can find pumpkins and beets all year round, but Mangoes, come only once a year in Summer. So when Summer gives you mangoes, you make sure you make use of it to the fullest. Ripe, raw and everything in between. If you like Mangoes, as much as me, you may also enjoy these other Mango recipes:

AAM PANNA
INSTANT MANGO PICKLE
RAW MANGO GOJJU
HAGALKAI MAVINKAYI GOJJU
MANGO CHEESECAKE
FRUIT TART WITH MANGO CREAM
AAMRAS / MAVINKAYI SEEKARNE

I usually shop for the week on Saturday and then prep my veggies for the week ahead. Amidst the thunder and the crazy winds and the heavy downpour, I barely managed to get any meal prep done last weekend. So this Raw Mango Rice just pulled me through Monday. No prep really required, except may be cooking the rice.

Mavinkayi is the Kannada word for raw mangoes and Chitranna, well that's just colorful rice. In all other seasons, Chitranna is made using lemons or limes, but come Summer, tart raw mangoes are the preferred choice. Mavinkayi Chitranna is more of a South Indian fried rice in which leftover rice is tossed with a raw mangoes.

To make Mavinkayi Chitranna, use firm and tart raw mangoes. All green mangoes aren't raw, so pick carefully. Once you have the raw mangoes and some leftover rice, you are all sorted. To make the Raw Mango Rice, all we do is make a tempering of mustard seeds, a few lentils and then toss in grated raw mango along with turmeric and salt and allow the raw mango to cook down slightly. Then toss in the rice and add salt and mix well. Yes, it's as simple as that.

This tastes amazing with a side of Mango pickle, yes more mangoes, or a simple raita.

P.S. - This is a repost of a 2015 post. Only video is added and a few photos. Recipe remains the same.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Mavinkayi Chitranna Recipe | Raw Mango Rice Recipe

Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is a vegan South Indian sour and spicy mango flavored rice made from tart raw mangoes and leftover rice. Mango Rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. Raw Mango Rice is also gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Rice
0.5 cup Raw Mango, grated
2 Tbsp Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tbsp Urad Dal
1 Tbsp Chana Dal
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1-2 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp Water
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut to garnish
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
2. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the chana dal and the urad dal and saute until lightly browned.
3. Add in the peanuts and curry leaves and fry until the peanuts are browned.
4. dd in the grated raw mango, turmeric powder, salt and a little water and cook until the mango softens slightly.
5. Add in the rice and mix well.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut.
7. Serve hot.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Spinach Pulao

Ghee Rice

Mint Rice

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Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe [Video]

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

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Caution, this is not a Summer Recipe. But I still love it and can eat it anytime. 

The curiosity all started with a restaurant in Bangalore named Dalma. I would cross it and wonder what the name means. I had no clue it actually referred to this very popular classic Odia or Oriya dish. And then we met, me and Dalma, the curry, not the restaurant. The restaurant is still a mystery, never stepped in there.

Dalma was introduced to me by my neighbor who had an Oriya cook. He was fond of cooking his traditional cuisine once in a while and I loved it the first time I ate it. Unfortunately, I never took the recipe from him, but my neighbor who watched over him at times, gave this recipe to me. I have read online that there are different recipes of Dalma, some use coconut, some use onions, some use neither. I believe each region has adapted the dish to what is available locally. The coastal belt uses coconut while the interior regions do not. 

The Odia folks love Dalma so much that it is also served as a part of Chappan Bhog in Puri's Jagannath Temple.

Dalma is a very simple mix vegetable curry that is also very healthy. The dal is full of veggies and barely has any oil. The only oil used is that in tempering. Dalma is a hearty and wholesome curry that is usually served with Rice or Roti. If you plan to serve it with roti, add less water to keep the curry thick. Each variation of the recipe may use different vegetables, use what you can get your hands on. Vegetables that need time to cook are added in the beginning and once they are partially cooked, the faster cooking vegetables are added. The Oriya cook used to cook the dal in the same pan and while the dal was still cooking, he added in the veggies. I just sped up the process by using already cooked dal. Some folks may also use Chana Dal instead of Toor Dal or a mix of both. 

Wishing you a warm and comforting weekend with Dalma!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Dalma Recipe | How to make Dalma | Oriya Dalma Recipe

Dalma is a popular mix vegetable dal based curry from the region of Odisha in India. A variety of vegetables are simmered along with dal to give a delicious curry that is usually served with steamed white rice.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils)
1 Drumstick, peeled and chopped
1 Raw Banana, peeled and diced
1 big Potato, peeled and diced
10-12 Beans, diced
0.5 cup diced Pumpkin
2 Brinjals, diced
1 Tomato, roughly chopped
1 Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
1 Tbsp Panch Phoran (whole spice mix)
1 Bayleaf
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
2-3 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add cooked toor dal (lentils) to a deep pan or kadhai. Add water as required and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well.
2. Add in the drumsticks, raw banana, pumpkin, potato and beans.
3. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are half cooked.
4. Add in the brinjal and cover and cook until the vegetables are almost cooked.
5. Add in the chopped tomato and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
6. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat and keep aside.
7. To make the tempering, heat mustard oil in a pan and add the panch phoran spice mix.
8. Once the spices splutter, add in the bay leaf and sliced onions.
9. Fry until the onions are translucent.
10. Add in red chilli powder and the cumin powder and saute for 1 minute.
11. Add the Dalma to the tempering and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
12. Add water if required.
13. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
14. Serve hot with rice or roti.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pancharangi Dal

Ghugni Masala

Undhiyu

Read more ...

Raw Banana Kofta Curry Recipe [Video]

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is a spicy, sweet and tangy coconut based curry with fried raw banana (plantain) dumplings. This curry is vegan and gluten free.

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We are mid way through January already!! I must say, time literally flies. It feels like just yesterday it was December and I was getting all excited for the New Year, and today we are already well into it. So did you start all that you planned to do in 2019? I'm still dragging my feet on my checklist. 

In other news, I've been at home an awful lot lately, mainly because of some trade union strikes last week that stopped public transport and we were all forced to work from home, and I had some personal commitments that made me still work from home for a few days here and there. While you would think being home and cutting out all that stress of travel, I'd be more productive in the kitchen. But the truth is, when I'm home I'm super lazy. Sometimes, I make instant noodles or just buy bread to mop up leftover curry. 

I finally decided it was time to stop being lazy and cook up this amazing Raw Banana Kofta Curry that I had in my mind for so long. I found this recipe in a magazine at the doctor's. I actually dread doctor visits. I can probably count the number of visits I've made in the last 2 years on the fingers of one hand. Raise you hand if you dread doctor visits like me! While I waited for my turn for my annual checkup, I leafed through a magazine on the coffee table and this recipe kind of jumped at me. I made Raj take a quick photo and stored it away. Finally I got around to making it, thankfully.

This Raw Banana Kofta Curry is spicy, sweet and tangy! Flavor explosion in your mouth.

The curry or the gravy is what gives all the flavor. Tomato and Tamarind impart the sourness to the curry, the jaggery adds sweetness, the high count of red chillies gives the curry heat and color and the coconut milk just mellows down everything with it's rich creaminess. My mouth still waters when I reminisce about this curry, it was SO delicious. This curry really had the balance of sweetness, sourness and heat. Take the ingredients below as more of a direction than rigid quantities. Your palate may prefer the curry being less sweet and more tart. Adjust the ingredients to your liking. Start with less jaggery and tamarind and add more as you go along. The red chillies are deseeded so that the curry is not too hot but still has the vibrant color. You can leave the seeds in for a spicier curry.

The Raw Banana Koftas are really easy to make. They taste good just by themselves too. So you can make more and serve them as snacks at tea time. The original recipe called for raisins but I replaced them with cashew nuts. Add any nuts you like into the koftas. I also added in grated Tofu instead of the grated Paneer, because I had tofu in the fridge. The koftas can be either shallow fried or deep fried. You may even try to bake it. Add the koftas just before serving to retain the crispness of the koftas.

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is best served hot with naan or rotis.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Raw Banana Kofta Curry

Raw Banana Kofta Curry is a spicy, sweet and tangy coconut based curry with fried raw banana (plantain) dumplings. This curry is vegan and gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the curry:

10-12 Dry Red Chillies
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Peppercorns
2-3 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1 cup thick Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the Koftas:

2 raw Bananas or Plantain
10-12 Cashew Nuts, chopped
1 cup grated Tofu or Paneer
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry koftas

Method:

1. Cut the edges of the raw bananas and dice them roughly. Boil them with a pinch of salt until soft.
2. Peel the bananas and keep aside.
3. Deseed the dry red chillies and add to a mixer/blender. You can keep the seeds in if you want the curry to be very spicy.
4. Add turmeric powder and black peppercorns to the mixer and grind until you get a coarse powder.
5. Add 2 tsp of jaggery or sugar along with the tamarind pulp and chopped tomato to the blender.
6. Add a little water and blend until you get a smooth paste.
7. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds.
8. Once they splutter, add the masala paste and cook for 7-8 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
9. Add 1 cup of water and a little salt and allow the curry to boil.
10. Once the water has evaporated, add in the thick coconut milk and allow it to come to a boil.
11. Adjust salt and sugar as required.
12. Once the curry has reached a rolling boil, add in the dried kasuri methi.
13. Allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and add in chopped coriander leaves and keep aside.
15. Mash the boiled raw bananas and add in the chopped cashew nuts, grated tofu or paneer, chopped coriander leaves and salt.
16. Mix well until combined and shape into koftas.
17. Heat oil in a shallow pan for frying koftas.
18. Add the koftas to the pan and fry until all sides are browned. You can also deep fry the koftas.
19. Add the koftas to the curry and mix well.
20. Serve hot with rotis or naan.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Lauki Kofta Curry

Raw Banana Fry

Banana Blossom Cutlets

Read more ...