New Delhi: Paneer and Methi amalgamate in a very distinctive combination that makes this dish healthy and a delectably rich savory that perfectly harmonizes with spices and flavors.
Ingredients
For Tomato Puree
240 grams tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes or can use 1 cup ready tomato puree
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil
- ⅓ cup chopped onions (tightly packed) – 60 grams or 1 medium sized
- ½ tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 or 2 green chilies – slit or sliced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 1 cup chopped fenugreek leaves (tightly packed) – 40 grams
- ¼ cup Curd (yogurt) – 70 grams
- ½ cup water or add as required
- 200 to 250 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – sliced in cubes, squares or rectangles
- 1 to 2 pinches Garam Masala
- 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream or cooking cream or low-fat cream, optional
- salt as required
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- Whole Spices
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), small to medium-sized
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Instructions
Preparation
- Firstly rinse and chop tomatoes. No need to blanch them. Don’t use sour tomatoes.
- Without adding any water grind or blend to get a smooth tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add 1 cup of tomato puree.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk fresh curd till smooth. Keep aside.
- Making Methi Paneer
- Heat oil in a pan. Add all the whole spices, listed under the list title “whole spices”
- Saute the spices for some seconds till the spices splutter and become fragrant.
- Then add the chopped onions.
- Begin to stir and saute the onions on low to medium heat.
- Saute till the onions start turning golden or getting caramelized.
- Now add ginger-garlic paste.
- Mix and saute for some seconds or till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.
- Then add the green chilies, slit or chopped tomato puree. Mix well.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Mix the spice powders very well with the onion-tomato masala.
- Saute the masala, till you see some oil releasing from the sides. The masala mixture will also thicken.
- Then add chopped fenugreek leaves. Mix well and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Now switch off the heat and keep the pan on the kitchen countertop.
- Add the whisked curd.
- As soon as you add curd, begin to stir quickly and very well. Make sure that the entire curd is mixed with the onion-tomato-spices masala.
- Then add water and mix again. You can add water as required depending on the consistency you want in the gravy.
- Keep the pan on the stovetop and keep the heat to a low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy/curry for 8 to 10 minutes on low heat. The curry will thicken and you will also see oil specks on top.
- Add paneer cubes and salt as per taste. Mix well and switch off the heat.
- Next add the garam masala powder. Mix again.
- Lastly, add light cream or cooking cream, or low-fat cream.
- Mix the cream with the rest of the gravy. The cream is optional and you can skip it if you want. The addition of cream gives a richer taste and makes the gravy creamier.
- Serve methi paneer with Indian flatbreads like phulka, naan, rumali roti, tandoori roti or paratha.
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