Methi Malai Morel Mattar Recipe

Soak and prep morels

Place dried morels in a bowl and cover with 1 cup warm water. Soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid by straining through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove grit; chop larger morels if needed and set aside. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid and discard any remaining grit.

Prepare cashew paste and tomato puree

Soak cashews in 2 tablespoons warm water for 10 minutes. Blend soaked cashews with the reserved morel soaking liquid (about 1/4–1/3 cup) into a smooth paste and set aside. Separately, puree the tomato in a small blender or use canned crushed tomato to make 1 cup tomato puree.

Cook aromatics

Heat oil or ghee in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf and cumin seeds; let them sizzle 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt; sauté 6–8 minutes until onions are soft and translucent and just beginning to brown at the edges. Add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chili, cook 1–2 minutes until raw aroma disappears.

Add spices and tomato

Stir in turmeric, red chili powder, and ground coriander; toast 20–30 seconds. Add tomato puree and cook on medium heat 5–7 minutes until oil separates slightly from the masala and the mixture thickens.

Incorporate yogurt and cashew-morel paste

Reduce heat to low. Whisk the plain yogurt until smooth and add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot tomato-onion mixture to temper it, then stir the tempered yogurt back into the pan. Add the cashew-morel paste and mix well, cooking 2–3 minutes so the mixture thickens slightly and becomes creamy.

Add morels, peas and methi

Add the soaked, chopped morels and green peas to the pan and stir to coat with the gravy. Cook 2 minutes. Add chopped fresh methi leaves and salt, stir well. The methi will wilt quickly; cook 3–4 minutes until leaves are tender.

Simmer to develop flavors

Pour in enough water from the measured 3 cups to achieve a medium-thick curry (start with 1 to 1 1/2 cups), stir, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low 8–10 minutes so morels absorb flavors and peas cook through. If using frozen peas, 5–7 minutes is enough.

Finish with cream and seasonings

Uncover, stir in heavy cream and whisk to incorporate, then add garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Simmer uncovered 2–3 minutes so the curry becomes glossy and slightly thickened. Adjust salt to taste and add lemon juice to brighten.

Garnish and serve

Remove bay leaf. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro and an extra drizzle of cream if desired. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, or warm flatbreads.