Mutter, Methi, aur Palak ki Subzi (Green Pea, Fenugreek, and Spinach Curry)

I enjoyed the green on green on green on green aspect of this curry. I think, flavour-wise, there are other spinach curries that I like better (like the recent cabbage and green pea curry that TF made, for example), but all-in-all, this one was pretty good. And it let me try something new.

Mutter, Methi, aur Palak ki Subzi

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 slices ginger (~4cm x 2.5cm x 3mm), minced
• 450g fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
• 1 c. chopped fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves
• 4-6 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chiles, chopped
• 2 c. water
• 2 c. frozen green peas
• 1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. half-and-half¹

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the cumin and sizzle for ~15 seconds.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until they've browned slightly (2-3 minutes).
4. Add the spinach, fenugreek, and chilies.
5. Cover the pan and cook until the greens have wilted (~5 minutes).
6. Add the water and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (12-15 minutes).
8. Add the peas, cilantro, and salt, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are thawed and heated through (~5 minutes).
9. Stir in the cream and simmer, uncovered, until warmed through (~5 minutes).
10. Serve with rice and/or flatbread along with at least one or two other curries.

¹ Iyer calls for heavy (35%) cream here, but also notes that you can omit it entirely and simply purée some of the greens instead². I decided to split the difference and use a 50:50 mix of milk and heavy cream. I find half-and-half (either commercially produced or made on the spot by mixing milk and cream) is usually an acceptable substitute for cream in most curries, so I make this swap whenever I can. ^Back
2 Use this method if you'd like to make the dish vegan. Alternatively, I think a little oat or coconut milk would work well too. ^Back