Methi Paneer

 Methi Paneer / Fenugreek leaves Cottage Cheese Gravy

                                                                               

I’m here with another North Indian dish. Yes its Methi paneer.  A must try combo of fenugreek leaves and Indian cottage cheese is indeed a treat to your taste buds 😋.  I like all paneer recipes and if it is cooked with fresh methi leaves its simply out of this world 😃….. Yeah here I have used fresh methi leaves straight from my patio garden 😄.

                                                                           

  I have a small patio garden with few flowers and vegetables 🌱. I love gardening. Due to lack of sunlight and space my garden is  very small but still have spinach, tomatoes and chilies and few flowering plants like rose, marigold, dianthus, geranium and impatiens 🍅🌹. Will upload the pics of my garden soon 😉😉. Methi paneer is a healthy, flavorful recipe 💪.  Methi paneer is one of the best recipes that you can make with methi 👌. The paneer, cashews and the garlic give this curry a rich and exotic taste. I’m bored with the usual dal-methi 😑. If you guys are also bored like me with the usual dal- methi give this a try 😃.  You can add cream or milk and make methi malai paneer. I have kept it simple by omitting malai. The methi leaves and paneer are cooked in tomato –onion gravy. It goes well roti, chapathi and rice 😃. Okay then let’s get started.

Preparation time: 15 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

Methi / fenugreek leaves: 1 ½ cup (washed & chopped)

Paneer:  ¾ cup (cut in to cubes)

Onion: 1 (chopped)

Tomato: 1 (chopped)

Cashew: 6-8 (soaked in water for 20-25 min)

Garlic: 6 cloves (chopped)

Ginger: 1 tsp

Water: 1 cup

Oil: as needed

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Kashmiri chili powder: 1 ½ tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Method

1.       Heat a pan with oil, add onion.

2.       When onion turns transparent add ginger and garlic.

3.       Add tomatoes when the ginger and garlic gets sautéed.

                                                                    

4.       Allow it to cool and grind these to a smooth paste along with soaked cashews. Set the paste aside.

                                                                           

5.       In the same pan add little more oil and slightly sauté the paneer cubes in medium heat till it is slightly golden brown in color. Keep it aside.

                                                                                

6.       Again in the same pan sauté chopped methi leaves.

                                                                                 

7.       Add turmeric, chili and coriander powders by keeping the flame low. Sauté it well.

                                                                               

8.       Add the ground paste to the leaves and mix well.

                                                                     

9.        Add water, cook it in medium flame till it starts to boil.

                                                                             

10.   When the gravy starts to boil add paneer cubes.

                                                                       

11.   Cook this in medium flame for 2-4 min. Add more water if you need a thin consistency.

                                                                                     

12.    Switch off the flame and transfer to a serving dish.

                                                                      

13.   Serve with roti, naan, chapathi or rice.

                                                                               

                                                                              

14.   Enjoy.

                                                                                

Notes

1.       You can add cream or milk, if so add it after adding paneer.

2.       You use kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) if you don’t have fresh fenugreek leaves.

3.       Adding garlic is completely optional.

4.       You can add paneer without frying also.