Methi Malai Paneer Recipe – Gravy is made from onions, cashews, almonds, some spices and cream. This curry is rich, creamy and medium spicy.
Since past 6 months, hubby is on low-oxalate diet. Meaning that he can have very limited portion of protein comes from beans, nuts, tofu. Alternately he can have as much dairy protein as he can. And you know that Paneer has 18-20 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Of course not high as beans, nuts and tofu. But this can be a great alternative. So to be healthy and get proper amount of protein in diet, I make paneer dishes more often than earlier. And so you will see them here as well.
This methi malai paneer is restaurant quality dish that you can make at home very easily. It does not require any fancy ingredients. You probably have all of them in your pantry.
I have seen many recipes online which uses dried methi leaves for paneer methi malai recipe. But here I have used fresh leaves. I also used dried leaves, only a teaspoon, just for flavoring.
Apart from the rich gravy, it is little healthy as well. Because this curry includes green (fenugreek leaves). If your kids hate methi leaves, make this for them. I am sure kids will like and eat very happily, if you say this is paneer dish.
Check out more paneer recipes
Tawa paneer masala // Paneer jalfrezi // Paneer lababdar // Paneer do pyaza
How to make Methi Malai Paneer recipe:
1) Soak almonds and cashews in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Meantime prep all the ingredients.
2) After that make smooth paste out of it. I have kept the almond skin on, so you will see paste is not smooth. But at the end you will see, it won’t make much difference in curry consistency. So if you want you can peel the almonds. Yes, if I can skip the step without compromising, of course I will skip it.
3) In a sauce pan, take onion paste ingredients (onion, ginger, garlic, green chili and water). Turn the gas on medium heat.
4) Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or till onions turn soft.
5) Let it cool down a bit.
6) Then make smooth puree out of it. If there is too much water then you can drain some out.
7) Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves. Saute for a minute, you will get nice aroma of spices.
8) Then mix in prepared onion paste, sprinkle some salt. Cook it till all the moisture is evaporated and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Do stir in between.
9) Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
10) Mix well and cook for a minute.
11) Add chopped methi leaves.
12) Mix well and cook for a minute.
13) Add water.
14) Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, so methi leaves get cooked.
15) Add prepared cashew-almond paste.
16) Mix well and bring to a simmer.
17) Add garam masala and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.
18) Mix in paneer pieces. let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add more water if needed to get your liking gravy consistency.
19) Lastly add heavy cream.
20) Mix, let it come to a simmer and then turn off the stove heat. It is ready to serve.
Serving suggestion: Serve with paratha or naan or kulcha. Serve some sliced onion with lemon wedges on side. It can be served with plain rice as well.
Notes:
- If your methi leaves are too bitter then you can follow this steps to get rid of the bitterness of methi leaves. Take washed leaves in a colander, sprinkle salt on it. Mix it lightly and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out as much water as you can. Then chop and use in the recipe.
- You can add boiled or steamed green peas instead of paneer. I already posted methi matar malai recipe which is mild compared to this recipe. So If you want your methi matar malai little more spicy then use this recipe.
Methi Malai Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
For cashew-almond paste:
- 5 Cashew nuts
- 5 Almonds
- 3-4 tablespoons Warm water
For onion paste:
- 1 medium or 1 cup Onion sliced
- 1/2 inch Ginger chopped
- 1 clove Garlic chopped
- 1 Green chili slit
- ¾ cup Water
For methi malai paneer recipe:
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Cloves
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup Fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) plucked, measured, washed and then chopped
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) crushed
- 200 grams or 7 oz Paneer cut lengthwise or cubes
- ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream if using malai then use 2 tablespoons as malai is thick and rich compared to heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Making cashew-almond paste:
- Soak almonds and cashews in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Meantime prep all the ingredients.
- After that make smooth paste out of it. If you want you can peel the almonds.
Making onion paste:
- Take onion paste ingredients in a pan. Turn the heat on medium heat.
- Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or till onions turn soft.
- Let it cool down a bit. Then make smooth puree out of it. If there is too much water then you can drain some out.
Making methi malai paneer recipe:
- Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves. Saute for a minute.
- Then mix in prepared onion paste, sprinkle some salt.
- Cook it till all the moisture is evaporated and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Do stir in between.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Add chopped methi leaves. Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Add water. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, so methi leaves get cooked.
- Stir in prepared cashew-almond paste. bring to a simmer.
- Add garam masala and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.
- Mix in paneer pieces. let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add more water if needed to get your liking gravy consistency.
- Lastly add heavy cream.
- Mix, let it come to a simmer and then turn off the stove heat.
Poonam Dongare
I made the dish for guests and added a bunch of methi..but I guess it became little more..n the gravy is tasting a little bitter..what can I do ?
Kanan
To reduce the bitterness, you need to sprinkle little salt over methi leaves and leave it for 15 minutes. Then squeeze out the water and chop methi leaves. Then use in the recipe.
After adding methi leaves to the curry, I guess you cannot reduce the bitterness
Minita
I tried this method and it turned out quite nice. Even though in other recipes some have used tomatoes, I think using only onions is a good way to avoid the tangy flavor as we need only creamy flavor. I added a little bit of milk as well and avoided almonds but still the result was good in the end.
Kanan
Glad to know that you liked it.
Thank you for the detailed feedback