This is a delicious paneer (cottage cheese) dish simmered in a flavorful methi infused gravy!
Ok guys, so my husband is a paneer fanatic, and that is putting it mildly. He could literally eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get bored of it. However, sometimes we do get bored of always have traditional paneer makhani or palak paneer. I always have to think of ways to become creative with this dish since it’s such a huge part of my household and refrigerator. I mean we always have paneer stocked up with the amount it is consumed in my home. Some of you may be familiar with methi malai paneer and some of you may not, but it’s another version of a yummy paneer dish and this is my take on it! It’s creamy, comforting, and flavorful all in one! Enjoy it with a side of rice or some hot, fresh garlic naan; either way you can’t go wrong!
Methi malai paneer is actually pretty easy to make, it just takes a little bit of time, but trust me, it’s worth it! You can use fresh methi or frozen as well as fresh paneer or frozen, either way, you will achieve the same delicious flavor that this dish has to offer. So if you’re looking to change up your typical paneer dish in your meal rotation, I promise you, this one’s worth trying!
Here’s a few notes to consider when making this dish:
- Feel free to add more or less green chili depending on spice preference, but my recipe will give you something that’s just under medium spicy
- Cashews are important to achieve that creamy texture of the gravy, so don’t skip out on those
- You can use fresh tomatoes or canned, you will get the same result
- Kasoori methi is optional as a garnish, but I feel that it helps to finish off the dish perfectly, so if you have it, I would definitely recommend using it
Honestly, there’s not much more that I can say about this dish other than you need to go try it out! You won’t regret it! I hope you guys will give it a shot and enjoy it as much as my husband and I did! As always, don’t forget to tag me in all your recreations as I love seeing them! Happy eating, friends!
Methi Malai Paneer
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1.5-2 small onion chopped
- 1.5 tsp ginger/garlic paste
- 1-2 green chili finely chopped
- 8-10 cashews
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 1/2 cups water + 1/3 cup for blending
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh methi or 1/2 cup frozen chopped methi
- 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups paneer cubed
- 1 tbsp kasoori methi crushed
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan on medium heat followed by 1 tsp cumin seeds and allow to splutter
- Add in chopped onion and cook down until slightly browned, around 3-4 minutes
- Then add ginger/garlic paste, green chilies, and cashews and cook until raw smell of ginger/garlic goes away
- Mix in the chopped tomato and cook until tomato is softened and combined with rest of mixture
- Set aside and allow to cool. Once mixture is cooled, blend with about 1/3 cup of water until a creamy paste is formed
- In the same pan, add 2 tbsp oil followed by methi leaves and sauté on low heat until leaves start wilting
- Add in haldi, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt and mix thoroughly. Then add in blended tomato/onion mixture and stir well until you see the oil start to release from the sides of the pan
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water and stir well. The mixture will begin to thicken up as you are stirring and turn into the gravy. Simmer for 3-4 minutes
- Add in the heavy cream, garam masala, and the paneer and mix. Cover the pan and cook until paneer is soft and fully cooked
- Garnish with kasoori methi and serve hot!
