Khoya Matar Makhana Recipe

Khoya Matar Makhana is a delicious creamy North Indian curry.  A rich main course gravy dish made using Makhana ( puffed lotus seeds / Fox nuts ) green Peas and Khoya (evaporated milk) . In this the ghee roasted Makhana are cooked in a onion tomato based gravy with crumbled khoya . The flavorful curry has tangy taste of tomatoes , it gets a creamy rich texture and  a slight sweet taste due to added khoya, and is bit spicy too.

In Maharashtra khoya  is usually added to sweet dishes and desserts. I had never seen khoya been added to savory dishes specially a curry. I tasted Khoya Matar Makhana for the first time in one of the North Indian weddings and that taste still lingers in my mouth. Since then I always wanted to try out this dish at home. Another reason for trying this curry is that my son loves Makhana very much. Salted and Caramelized Fox Nut are his favourite snacks. I also make Makhane Ki Kheer occasionally. 

 Khoya Matar Makhana curry is heavy in calories as it has khoya  and is generally made during special occasions and mostly during winters. The curry can be paired with roti, naan or Paratha or served with Jeera Rice and some salad. I have used home made khoya in this recipe. You can use store bought one to save time and efforts.

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 200 ml)

• 1 cup Makhana / Fox nut
• 1 cup fresh Green Peas
• 150 grams Khoya ( evaporated milk)
• 2 medium Onions, finely chopped
• 2 large Tomatoes , finely chopped
• 1-2 green chilies
• ½ inch piece of Ginger
• 3-4 cloves of Garlic
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilies
• 1 tsp Cumin Coriander powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp. Ghee / clarified butter
• Salt to taste
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Method:

1. In a pan heat ½ tbsp. of ghee and roast the Fox nuts / Makhana on a low to medium flame for 7-8 minutes until they are crisp and turn golden brown in colour. 

   2. Meanwhile cook the green peas in some water for 2 ½ minutes in a microwave or in an open pan on gas. Drain and keep aside. Take the garlic cloves , ginger and green chilies in a grinder jar and make a coarse paste. Keep aside until use.

  3.  Remove the roasted Makhana in a plate and keep aside. In the same pan heat 1 tbsp. of ghee and add chopped Onions . Saute them for 1-2 minutes. Now add tomatoes and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the onions and tomatoes in a grinder jar and grind to a smooth paste.

  4. Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan. Add cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle add the ginger garlic and green chili paste . Saute well until the raw smell goes off. Now add the Onion Tomato paste and stir fry until oil oozes out of the mixture. This may take 3-4 minutes.

   5. At this stage add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin coriander powder and salt to the paste. Mix well and stir fry the spices in the mixture on a low flame for about a minute.

   6. Add crumbled khoya. Mix well and cook until the khoya melts and a we get a thick gravy. Add 1 cup hot water to the gravy and stir well. You may add less or more water as per the consistency of the curry you wish to have.

   7. Let the curry boil once after adding water. Now add the cooked green peas and roasted Makhana. Mix well. 

   8.  In the last add ½ tsp of garam masala . Stir and cover cook the curry for 2-3 minutes and put off the flame. 

   9. Serve the flavorful and creamy Khoya Matar Makhana with naan and Jeera Rice and enjoy !

   I hope you would love to try this recipe. Do not forget to give your feedback.

For more such recipes, do check my posts on

• Kashmiri Dum Aloo
• Matar Paneer
• Paneer Makhanwala
• Methi Matar Malai
• Mushroom Masala
• Dal Makhan