This vegan methi matar malai is inviting you to eat your veggies. The earthy methi (fenugreek) complements the aromatic gravy, making this North Indian dish my favorite way to eat methi by far!
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This vegan methi matar malai is yet another delicious way to eat more plants and treat your greens like true green goddesses, which is what they deserve. It’s a North Indian preparation of methi, matar, and malai (duh). The rich, aromatic gravy is flavored with whole spices like cumin seeds, cardamom, and cinnamon. What really transforms its flavor is methi, which can be earthy and pungent.
Methi is fenugreek, a unique green that happens to be in season right now, at least in California. You may see it listed in recipes as kasoori methi, which is dried fenugreek. It does wonders for flavor. Matar translates to peas, which I usually eat frozen but if you can find fresh peas, lucky you. And finally, malai means cream, which means that methi matar malai is usually not vegan. Fortunately, cream is easy to replace.
How to Make Vegan Methi Matar Malai
Prepare the methi and matar.
Chop the methi and lightly sauté it to reduce its bitterness and make it easy to add to the dish at the end. Soak the frozen peas in warm water to soften them.
Bloom the whole spices.
Frying whole spices in vegan butter or oil allows them to release their fat-soluble compounds and flavor the whole dish. I used
Build the methi matar malai gravy.
It would be incomplete without onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilis! Tomatoes are optional for this dish, but I like the way they add volume and acidity.
Hi malai!
Methi matar malai usually has malai, which is cream. To make it vegan I’m using a handful of cashew, which tend get really creamy when blended. You can either quick-soak the cashews for 15 minutes in hot water or simmer them in plant-based milk with everything else in the pan. Then we blend!
You can add coconut cream at the end to make it extra creamy or even use coconut cream in place of cashews.
Finish with turmeric and garam masala.
Methi matar malai is usually kind of white but I like warmer colors, so I added turmeric. Garam masala is a finishing spice, so we add that at the end to amplify the flavors.
Vegan Methi Matar Malai
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ~ 2 cups methi (fresh fenugreek leaves)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, divided (sub neutral oil)
- ½ tbsp neutral oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamom
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 green chili
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
- 15 cashews
- salt to taste
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek) (optional)
- 2 tbsp coconut cream (optional)
- cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak the peas in hot water to soften them. Finely chop the methi.
- In a pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of neutral oil and sauté the methi for 4-5 minutes to reduce its bitterness. Take the methi out of the pan.
- In the same pan, add 1 tbsp vegan butter and ½ tbsp oil. Add the whole spices and bloom for a minute or so: bay leaf, cardamom, cumin seeds, and cinnamon.
- Add ginger, garlic, and green chilis. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned and translucent.
- Add a big pinch of salt, cashews, and the diced tomato. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are mushy. Add plant-based milk and simmer for about 10 minutes to soften the cashews. (Alternatively, you can quick-soak the cashews in hot water for 15 minutes and just add them straight to the blender or processor in the next step.)
- Let everything cool down a little before blending until smooth.
- In the same pan, add 1 tbsp vegan butter and the peas. Add the blended gravy, turmeric for color, and use ½ cup water to clean out the blender's contents.
- Simmer until peas are fully cooked, which may take 10-20 minutes. Finish with garam masala and kasoori methi.
- Stir in the methi you set aside. Add more water if it starts to dry out. At this point, taste for salt. If you like it creamier, add some coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti, paratha, or naan!
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