Methi Malai Paneer

Refreshing flavor of dill leaves along with the mild bitterness from fenugreek leaves and soft paneer bites in a creamy gently, spiced gravy! Don’t you love when a meal comes together in 30 minutes? Well, this Methi Malai Paneer is not only easy to make, it’s also packed with nutrition and tastes delicious. Paired with Instant Naan, this Methi Malai Paneer could be your treat, even on a busy day.

Finally, after several months of sunny and dry weather, we are finally getting some rain. Needless to say, we are leaning toward warm comforting meals. Soups, Stews and Curries are filling up my weekly menu and this Methi Malai Paneer curry fits right in. To my surprise, my little fella, who is currently a little picky with his greens, enjoyed this curry quite happily.

What greens are added in the Methi Malai Paneer ?

A combination of fresh dill leaves with fresh fenugreek leaves are added in this Methi Malai Paneer curry.

There is definitely a long list of spices that goes in but that's what makes this curry so warm and comforting:

Spices that goes in:

• Fennel Seeds
• Cumin Seeds
• Green Cardamoms
• Bay leaf
• Cloves
• Cumin Powder
• Coriander Powder
• Chili Powder
• Garam Masala
• Salt
• Turmeric

Couple of alternative options for the Methi Malai Paneer!

• You could keep the dish stir fried instead of a curry with just the paneer and chopped greens.
• If you wish to avoid heavy cream, you can also use coconut milk. However, the taste will not be the same.

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I have always cooked with methi (fenugreek) and dill leaves separately in stir-fries, curries and fritters. But mixing them together is something that I learnt from my mother in-law. She always mixes these two greens to make variety of dishes. I am not sure if this combination is used commonly but if you haven’t tried it before, give it a go. The flavor blends really well.

Methi Saag Malai Paneer + GIVEAWAY

Kankana Saxena

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Ingredients

 

• 1.85 oz/52 g fresh dill leaves
• 4.75 oz/135 g fresh fenugreek leaves
• 4.70 oz/133 g onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1- inch ginger
• 6.35 oz/ 180 g paneer
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ cup heavy cream

spices used

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

 

• Take the fenugreek leaves and discard just the hard stems near the roots (the stems themselves add flavor to the dish and I generally don’t completely discard them). Do the same for the dill leaves. Clean the leaves and finely chop both of them.
• Finely chop the onion. Pound or grate the garlic and ginger. Slice the paneer blocks in bite size cubes.
• Place a heavy bottom skillet or pan at medium heat. Pour the oil and once the oil heats up, add the whole spices (fennel, cumin, cardamom, clove and bay leaf). Add the garlic ginger and toss it around for 1 minute.
• Scatter the onion, season with salt and pepper and stir around. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onion has softened.
• Add the ground spices (cumin, coriander and chili powder), stir around and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the chopped greens, mix it around, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The leaves should have softened.
• Scatter the paneer cubes, add ½ teaspoon of salt and pour 1½ cups of water. Mix it around, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Finally, add the garam masala powder and pour the heavy cream. Mix it around and simmer for 2 minutes. Check for salt and add any, if needed.
• Serve warm with Instant Naan or your choice of bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serves 4

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If you have been following me for a while now, you must have seen me using this beautiful bowl in the past as well. I love Sarah’s ceramic work! Her website Wolf Ceramics is like a paradise for food bloggers, filled with beautiful vibrant collections of bowls, mugs, dishes and vases! You will find it very hard to pick a favorite.

Today, I am giving away this beautiful bowl along with a copy of my book and here are the rules for the giveaway! GIVEAWAY RESTRICTED TO US ADDRESS ONLY

1. Subscribe to my blog and leave a comment below.
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3. Follow Wolf Ceramics in Instagram and leave a comment below.

Every single follow with comments will be considered as a separate entry. GIVEAWAY will be open till 10th December, so hurry!

I love to see your creation from my blog, so if you make this spice mixes, tag me on social media @playfulcooking.

Learn about the vibrant cuisine of Kolkata – Check out my book Taste of Eastern India and follow the #tasteofeasternindia