Methi paneer is a flavorful, strong curry made with recent fenugreek leaves, mushy paneer cubes in a spiced and tangy onion, tomatoes and curd (yogurt) primarily based gravy. The curry has bitter hints of recent fenugreek leaves that harmoniously steadiness with the evenly bitter and savory flavors of the opposite components. Take pleasure in a satisfying lunch or dinner by pairing this restaurant fashion methi paneer with roti, paratha or naan.
What’s Methi Paneer
Methi Paneer interprets to a dish made with fenugreek leaves and paneer. Methi is the Hindi phrase for fenugreek leaves and Paneer is the Indian cottage cheese, that’s agency, recent and doesn’t soften.
Methi paneer could be merely sautéed fenugreek leaves with aromatics and paneer like a dry or semi-dry model or a wealthy curry or gravy model. The recipe I share is a restaurant fashion curry variant. I’ve additionally posted the richer Methi Malai Paneer which is a totally totally different and distinctive recipe than this one.
A few years again I began making this curry recipe. Many years in the past, I had made Methi Mushroom, after adapting it from Jigg Kalra’s ebook, Prashad – Cooking with Indian Masters.
Then later utilizing the identical recipe with a number of diversifications, I began making this methi paneer recipe.
Since this methi paneer is a tomato-based gravy, please use tomatoes that are ripe, pink and never bitter. If bitter tomatoes are used, then the gravy will even grow to be bitter and gained’t style good.
Aside from tomatoes even onions, curd and cream are added within the gravy. So the ultimate style is sort of a restaurant fashion gravy.
There are hints of bitterness coming within the gravy from recent methi leaves. Since we don’t get very bitter fenugreek leaves right here, I add them instantly. However for very bitter fenugreek leaves, you need to use the next tip.
Easy methods to scale back bitterness in fenugreek leaves
First pluck the fenugreek leaves from the stems. Rinse the leaves very properly in water 3 to 4 instances or extra as wanted. Drain all of the water.
Chop the leaves. Sprinkle some salt on them. Combine properly and permit the combination to take a seat at room temperature for 15 to twenty minutes. Then squeeze the methi leaves along with your palms after which add within the recipe. This manner a lot bitterness could be faraway from methi leaves.
Keep in mind that earlier than you proceed with the recipe, pluck the methi leaves from the their stems. Rinse them properly in water after which finely chop them.
Normally I get one or two bunches of methi leaves from the market. I pluck the leaves and hold them in an hermetic field within the fridge. The leaves keep good for about 10 days.
Then I merely rinse them, chop them and add to the dish. It’s simpler this fashion and takes much less time to make any recipe with fenugreek leaves.
Serve methi paneer with roti, naan or paratha. It additionally goes properly with steamed rice, jeera rice or saffron rice.
Step-by-Step Information
Easy methods to make Methi Paneer
Preparation
1. Firstly rinse and chop 2 giant tomatoes (240 grams). No have to blanch tomatoes.
2. With out including any water grind or mix to get a easy tomato puree. If utilizing prepared tomato puree, then put aside 1 cup tomato puree.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk ¼ cup recent curd until easy. Preserve apart. Don’t use bitter curd.
Sautéing Aromatics
4. Warmth 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add 2 cloves, 2 inexperienced cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf). Fry for some seconds until the spices splutter and grow to be aromatic.
5. Now add ⅓ cup tightly packed chopped onions.
6. Start to stir and saute the onions on a low to medium warmth.
7. Sauté stirring usually until the onions begin turning golden or getting caramelized.
8. Now add ½ tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste.
9. Combine and saute ginger-garlic paste for some seconds or until the uncooked aroma of each ginger and garlic goes away.
10. Then add 1 or 2 inexperienced chilies, slit or chopped.
Sautéing Tomatoes
11. Add the tomato puree.
12. Stir and blend properly.
13. Then add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon pink chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Stir and blend the spice powders very properly with the onion-tomato masala.
14. Saute the masala, until you see some oil releasing from the perimeters. The masala combination will even thicken.
Sautéing Fenugreek Leaves
15. Then add chopped fenugreek leaves.
16. Combine properly.
17. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
Cooking Methi Gravy
18. Now swap off the warmth and hold the pan on the kitchen countertop. Add the whisked curd.
19. As quickly as you add curd, start to stir rapidly and really properly. Make it possible for the complete curd is blended with the onion-tomato-spices masala.
20. Then add ½ cup water and blend once more. You possibly can add water as required relying on the consistency you need within the gravy.
21. Preserve the pan on stovetop and hold the warmth to a low. Cowl the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy/curry for 8 to 10 minutes on a low warmth. Do hold a verify.
22. After 8 to 10 minutes the curry will thicken and additionally, you will see oil specks on high.
Making Methi Paneer
23. As soon as the curry is prepared, then add paneer cubes and salt as per style. Stir and blend gently.
Change off the warmth. After you add the paneer cubes then don’t cook dinner them for greater than a minute. In any other case the paneer turns into chewy and dense.
24. Add a pinch or two of garam masala powder or Punjabi garam masala powder.
25. Combine once more.
26. Lastly add 2 to three tablespoons mild cream or cooking cream or low-fat cream. As an alternative of sunshine cream you can too add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or whipping cream.
27. Combine the cream with the remainder of the gravy. Cream is elective and you may skip it if you would like.
28. Serve methi paneer with roti, phulka, paratha, poori or naan or jeera rice or steamed basmati rice.
Extra Paneer Recipes
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Methi paneer is a straightforward cottage cheese curry with bitter hints of recent fenugreek leaves in a tangy tomato primarily based gravy and tender, mushy paneer cubes. Greatest served with roti, naan or paratha.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook dinner Time 30 minutes
Whole Time 45 minutes
Servings 3
Forestall your display from going darkish whereas making the recipe
This Methi Paneer Publish from the weblog archives first revealed in September 2016 has been republished and up to date on 22 July 2021.
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