Methi Malai Paneer

Ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

for masala paste:

• 2 medium onions Or 175 grams onions Or 1.5 cups chopped onions
• 1 small tomato Or 50 grams tomatoes Or ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger, chopped or 2 teaspoon chopped ginger (adrak)
• 5 to 6 small garlic cloves, chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (lahsun)
• 1 or 2 chopped green chilies Or 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies (hari mirch)
• 10 to 12 cashews (kaju) Or 2 tablespoon cashews - chopped
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 teaspoon poppyseed
• 1 tablespoon oil

other ingredients for methi malai paneer gravy:

• 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese) - cut in cubes or squares
• 1 cup tightly packed fresh methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) - about 40 grams methi leaves Or 2 tablespoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ¾ to 1 cup water - i added 1 cup water
• ¼ cup fresh cream
• 2 tablespoon oil
• salt as required

Method:

1. first pluck the methi leaves. then rinse them very well in water. chop them finely and keep aside.

Making masala paste for methi malai paneer:

1. Soak both poppyseed and cashew nuts in water and on the other hand in a pan or kadai heat 1 tbsp oil. add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds.
2. stir and saute till the cumin seeds change color and splutter.
3. now add 1.5 cups chopped onions.
4. stir very well and saute them on a low to medium flame till they become light brown.
5. then add 2 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1 tsp chopped green chilies.Stir till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
6. add 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes. stir well and saute the tomatoes till they soften.
7. when this onion-tomato mixture cools down, add it in a grinder jar. add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.

Making methi malai paneer gravy:

1. in the same pan, now add 2 tbsp oil.
2. add 1 cup tightly packed finely chopped methi leaves. stir and saute the methi leaves till they wilt.
3. next add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder and 1/2 tsp coriander powder.
4. mix and stir the spice powders with the sauteed methi leaves.
5. now add the ground paste. stir very well.
6. on a low flame saute the entire mixture for 7 to 8 minutes. keep on stirring so that the masala does not stick to the pan.
7. when you see some oil releasing from the sides, then add 3/4 to 1 cup water.
8. stir again very well. now add salt as per taste.
9. on a low to medium flame simmer the methi masala for 3 to 4 minutes.
10. now add 1/4 cup cream. you can add low fat cream or whipping cream.
11. stir the cream very well with the rest of the methi masala gravy.
12. add paneer cubes and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder.
13. now add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar. add sugar as required.
14. simmer on a low flame for 1 to 2 minutes till the paneer cubes are cooked.
15. serve methi malai paneer with tandoori rotis, naan or chapatis. this creamy gravy also goes well with jeera rice, saffron rice or kashmiri rice.