Zero-Oil Methi Matar Malai (Low-Calorie, No-Cream Curry)

Name: Zero-Oil Methi Matar Malai (Low-Calorie, No-Cream Curry)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 100 g Onion, 1 large, roughly chopped; 12 g Garlic, about 5–6 cloves; 8 g Ginger (Fresh), about 1 inch piece; 0.5 g Cloves (Laung), 2–3 pieces; 2 g Cumin Seeds (Jeera), about 1/2 tsp; 5 g Green Chilli, 1–2, chopped; 1 g Dry Red Chilli, 2 pieces; 100 g Fenugreek Leaves (Methi), fresh, chopped (about 1 small bunch); 100 g Green Peas, blanched; 1 g Kasuri Methi, about 1 tsp, crushed; 80 g Dahi - Low Fat, whisked; 2 g Salt, to taste

Mayuri 30 Jun 2026 Video

Zero-oil methi matar malai — a creamy low-calorie fenugreek and green peas curry made without oil or cream

20 min total 8g protein 131 kcal

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Methi matar malai is one of those rich restaurant curries we all love, but it is usually full of cream and oil. This is my zero-oil, low-calorie version — still creamy and full of flavour, but light enough for a weight-loss meal. Fresh methi and sweet green peas come together in a smooth onion masala, and we finish it with whisked low-fat curd in place of malai. Serve it hot with phulka.

Why you'll love this recipe:

No oil and no cream — yet creamy and full of flavour
A lighter, weight-loss-friendly version of a restaurant favourite
Fresh methi and sweet green peas in a smooth masala
Goes perfectly with hot phulka or roti

What you get in every serving

This is the recipe that shows a creamy curry does not have to be heavy. One serving is just about 131 calories with only 1.7g of fat — because there is truly no oil and no cream, only low-fat curd and a smooth onion paste cooked in water. You still get a good 8.4g of protein and nearly 4.8g of fibre, mostly from the green peas, methi and curd. So you can enjoy a rich, restaurant-style curry and stay right on track with your weight-loss meals.

How I make it nicely

The trick to a creamy curry with no oil is the onion paste. I cook the onion, garlic, ginger and cloves in just water till soft, then blend them smooth — that paste gives all the body and richness with no fat at all. I blanch the peas first so they stay bright green and sweet, and I crush the kasuri methi between my palms before adding for the best aroma. The one rule with the curd: switch off the gas first and stir it in gently, or it can split.

Make it your own

For a vegan version, use a thick plant-based curd, like soy curd, in place of the dahi. If the fresh methi is very bitter, sprinkle a little salt on it, rest ten minutes and squeeze out the water before cooking. Add a little more curd for an even creamier curry, or a pinch of garam masala for a deeper flavour. It tastes best hot with soft phulka, but it is just as nice with jeera rice.

Instructions

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Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and cloves in a pan with just water until soft, then blend into a smooth paste.
In the same pan, dry-roast the cumin (jeera), green chilli and dry red chillies — with no oil at all.
Add the chopped fresh methi, salt and a little water, and let it soften.
Add the onion paste, blanched green peas and crushed kasuri methi.
Simmer for about 2 minutes.
Switch off the gas, then mix in the whisked low-fat curd. Serve hot with phulka.

Mayuri's Tips

Cooking the onion, garlic and ginger in water instead of oil gives a creamy paste with no fat.
Blanch the green peas first so they stay bright green and sweet.
Add the curd only after switching off the gas, and stir gently so it does not split.
If the methi is very bitter, sprinkle a little salt on it, rest ten minutes and squeeze out the water before cooking.
Crush the kasuri methi between your palms before adding for the best aroma.
Add a splash of water any time the masala sticks — that is your oil-free cooking trick.

Cook along

Watch the video

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

This version is. It has no oil and no cream — the creaminess comes from low-fat curd and a water-cooked onion paste — so it is much lighter than the restaurant style, while still tasting rich.

Always switch off the gas first, let the curry cool for a moment, then add the whisked curd and stir gently. High heat is what makes curd split.

Yes. Use a thick plant-based curd (such as soy curd) in place of the dahi, and it stays creamy and dairy-free.

Sprinkle a little salt over the chopped methi, rest it for ten minutes, then squeeze out the liquid before cooking. The sweet peas and the curd also balance the bitterness.

Each serving has about 8g of protein and 131 kcal, calculated from the exact ingredients used in this recipe.

About 20 minutes from start to finish — 10 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking.

Yes — like every recipe on FoodyPuzzle, it is 100% vegetarian.

The recipe makes 2 servings. Use the + and − buttons on the recipe card above to scale all ingredient quantities automatically.

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