Mushroom Malai is my mom’s spin on methi muttar malai, a creamy garlicy herby dish that is a wonderful indulgence. You can add other vegetables to this mix, but she keeps it to mushroom and paneer, which I’m not complaining about!!
Main Dish for: 3-4 people. Prep Time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 45 minutes. Note: pay attention to whether recipe asks for seeds, powder, or leaves – it matters.
Ingredients (glossary coming soon):
- 1/4 tsp jeera seeds (cumin)
- 2 green elaichi (cardamom)
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 large onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp haldi
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dhaniya powder (coriander)
- 1 large tomato, pureed
- 2 tbsp Methi Mutter Malai spice mix
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups chopped mushroom
- 1/2 cup peas
- salt to taste
The Process:
1. Start by adding the jeera seeds, elaichi, and cinnamon stick into the warm butter. Then add garlic and ginger to the butter. Sauté for a bit then add onions. After the onions are well sautéed, add the chopped fresh coriander leaves. After the coriander is mixed well, add haldi, coriander, and chili powder.
2. Then add tomato paste and let it fry so until it leaves oil so that the paste is well-cooked.
3. Meanwhile, mix the Rasoi Magic spice mix (picture shown at end) into milk to create a paste.
4. Add the methi mix to the onion mix and stir in. Let the entire gravy cook well, sauté and stir around for a couple of minutes.
5. When ready, add the mushroom and salt to taste. Add 1/2 cup of peas to this if desired. Cover everything and stir periodically.
6. Finally, cook until the gravy has come to a boil. Serve hot with paratha or naan and enjoy!
For reference, here’s the spice packet we used for the malai paste (Rasoi Magic’s Methi Mutter Malai).
