Makhana Malai Curry (Creamy Fox Nut Curry)
Roasted phool makhana in a silky cashew-and-malai white gravy. Mild, gluten-free, and ready in about 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadai
- Blender
Ingredients
For roasting the makhana
- 2 cups phool makhana fox nuts / lotus seeds, about 50 to 60 g
- 1 teaspoon ghee or oil
For the gravy paste
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger chopped
- 1 green chili optional, to taste
- 12-15 cashews soaked in warm water 10 minutes, or boiled 5 minutes
- 1/4 cup water for blending, plus more as needed
For the curry
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 3/4 cup whole milk or unsweetened plant milk
- 1/4 cup fresh cream or malai or 2 more tablespoons cashew paste for dairy-free
- 1/4 cup water as needed to loosen
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, or a pinch, to round the gravy
- fresh cilantro for garnish
Optional add-in
- 1/2 cup green peas fresh or thawed, for a matar makhana variation
Instructions
Roast the makhana
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add the makhana. Roast 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly crisp. A few may turn pale gold.
- Tip onto a plate and set aside.
Make the paste
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
- Add ginger and green chili. Cook 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
- Cool slightly. Blend with drained cashews and 1/4 cup water until completely smooth. Add a splash more water if the blender struggles.
Build the curry
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in the pan. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, and bay leaf. Let them sizzle 30 seconds.
- Pour in the onion-cashew paste. Cook on medium-low 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the paste thickens and smells cooked (not raw-onion).
- Add coriander powder, pepper, and salt. Stir 30 seconds.
- Lower the heat. Stir in the milk slowly so the gravy stays smooth. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add cream or malai and a splash of water if the gravy is too thick. Taste. Add a pinch of sugar if it tastes sharp.
- If using peas, add them now and simmer 2 minutes.
- Add the roasted makhana. Simmer gently 3 to 4 minutes so they soften just enough and take on the gravy. Do not boil hard.
- Finish with garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Turn off the heat. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
Roast first, add late. That is the whole texture game.
Soaked cashews blend smoother than dry. Boiling them 5 minutes works if you forgot to soak.
If the gravy looks grainy after adding milk, lower the heat and whisk; do not boil vigorously.
Lighter version: skip cream and use 1 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons yogurt whisked in off heat.
Vegan: oil instead of ghee, plant milk, and extra cashew paste or coconut cream instead of dairy cream.
Jain: skip onion. Bloom a pinch of hing with the cumin, use extra ginger, and keep the cashew base.
Matar makhana: add 1/2 cup peas as written. Methi malai twist: stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh methi with the paste and cook 2 minutes before the milk.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The makhana will soften more overnight; refresh with a splash of milk when reheating.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!