Shahi Matar Makhana Curry

Shahi Matar Makhana Curry is a rich and delicious Indian curry made with green peas and fox nuts (also known as makhana) in a creamy tomato-based sauce. Here is a recipe for Shahi Matar Makhana Curry with tips and tricks to help you make a perfect dish.

Recipe Yield: 3 servings

Overall Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Time taken in different activity:

Activity	Time
Roasting Time	Around 5-6 minutes
Cooking Time	20-25 minutes
Garnishing Time	1-2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fox nuts (makhana)
• 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or cashew cream
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions:

Roasting Makhana

• Heat a dry pan over medium heat and add the fox nuts. Roast them for 5-6 minutes or until they become crisp. Remove them from the pan and keep them aside.

Cooking Process

• Heat oil or ghee in a pan over a medium flame. Add the cumin seeds, green cardamoms, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf. Fry them for a few seconds until they release fra their fragrance.
• Add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger paste. Saute them until the onions become soft and translucent.
• Now, add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt to taste. Mix them well and let the sauce cook for 5-6 minutes or until the oil separates from the sauce.
• Add the green peas, kasuri methi and roasted fox nuts (makhana) to the sauce. Mix them well and let them cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream or cashew cream and garam masala powder. Mix them well and let the curry cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Garnishing and Serving

• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy your hot homemade restaurant style Shahi Matar Makhana Curry with rice or naan.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Roasting the fox nuts before adding them to the curry gives them a crispy texture and enhances their flavor.
2. Use fresh green peas if possible for the best taste, but frozen peas also work well.
3. Use a good quality tomato puree to make the sauce.
4. Adjust the spice level according to your taste preferences by adding more or less red chili powder.
5. If you want to make the curry vegan, use cashew cream instead of heavy cream.
6. You can add other vegetables like carrots, potatoes, or cauliflower to the curry if you want to make it more nutritious.