methi paneer

Methi paneer recipe with step by step photos – easy and delicious paneer curry with bitter hints of fresh fenugreek leaves in a tangy tomato-based gravy.

Finally I am adding methi paneer recipe. I wanted to add this recipe for a long time. I started making this particular recipe some years back. First time I had made methi mushroom, adapting it from jigg kalra’s book, prashad – cooking with Indian masters. Then later using the same recipe with a few adaptations, I made methi paneer.

Since this Methi paneer is a tomato-based gravy, please use tomatoes which are ripe, red and not sour. If sour tomatoes are used, then the gravy will also become sour and won’t taste good.

Apart from tomatoes even onions, curd and cream are added in the gravy. So the final Taste is like a restaurant style gravy.

There are hints of bitterness coming in the gravy from fresh methi leaves. Since we do not get very bitter fenugreek leaves here, I add them directly. But for very bitter fenugreek leaves, you can use the following tip.

Tip to reduce bitterness in fenugreek leaves:

Chop the methi leaves. Sprinkle some salt on them. Mix well and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Then squeeze the methi leaves with your hands and then add in the recipe. This way much bitterness can be removed from methi leaves.

Before you proceed with the recipe, pluck methi leaves. Rinse them well in water and then finely chop them. Usually I get one or two bunches from the market. Pluck the leaves and keep them in an airtight box in the fridge. The leaves stay good for about 10 days. Then I just rinse them, chop them and add to the dish. Its more easy this way and takes less time to make any recipe with methi.

Serve methi paneer with rotis, naan or parathas. Also goes well with jeera rice or saffron rice.

How to make methi paneer

1. Firstly rinse and chop 2 large tomatoes (240 grams). No need to blanch tomatoes.

2. Without adding any water grind or blend to get a smooth tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add 1 cup tomato puree.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk ¼ cup fresh curd till smooth. Keep aside.

4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf). Saute for some seconds till the spices splutter and become fragrant.

5. Now add ⅓ cup tightly packed chopped onions.

6. Begin to stir and saute the onions on a low to medium flame.

7. Saute till the onions start turning golden or getting caramelized.

8. Now add ½ tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.

9. Mix and saute ginger-garlic paste till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.

10. Then add 1 or 2 green chilies, slit or chopped.

11. Add the tomato puree.

12. Mix well.

13. Then add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Mix the spice powders very well with the onion-tomato masala.

14. Saute the masala, till you see some oil releasing from the sides. The masala mixture will also thicken.

15. Then add chopped fenugreek leaves.

16. Mix well.

17. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.

18. Now switch off the flame and keep the pan on the kitchen countertop. Add the whisked curd.

19. 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.

20. Then add ½ cup water and mix again. You can add water as required depending on the consistency you want in the gravy.

21. Keep the pan on stovetop and keep the flame to a low. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy/curry 8 to 10 minutes on a low flame.

22. the curry will thicken and you will also see oil specks on top.

23. Now add paneer cubes and salt as per taste. Mix well.

24. Then add a pinch or two of garam masala powder or Punjabi garam masala powder.

25. Mix again.

26. Lastly add 2 to 3 tablespoons low-fat cream.

27. Mix the cream with the rest of the gravy and then switch off the flame. Cream is optional and you can skip it if you want.

28. Serve methi paneer with rotis, phulkas or chapatis or jeera rice.

More Paneer recipes

• Palak paneer
• Methi malai paneer
• Methi chaman
• Malai kofta
• Paneer butter masala

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Methi Paneer

4.8 from 5 votes

By Dassana Amit

Methi paneer is an easy cottage cheese curry with bitter hints of fresh fenugreek leaves in a tangy tomato based gravy.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

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Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi

Course: Main Course

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Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

for tomato puree

• ▢ 240 grams tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes or can use 1 cup ready tomato puree

other ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons oil
• ▢ 1 medium to large onion or 60 grams onions or ⅓ cup tightly packed chopped onions
• ▢ ½ tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• ▢ 1 or 2 green chilies - silt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ 40 grams fresh methi leaves or 1 cup tightly packed chopped methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
• ▢ 70 grams curd or ¼ cup fresh curd (yogurt)
• ▢ ½ cup water or add as required
• ▢ 200 to 250 grams paneer (cottage cheese) - sliced in cubes, squares or rectangles
• ▢ 1 to 2 pinch of garam masala
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons low fat cream (optional)
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

whole spices

• ▢ 2 cloves
• ▢ 2 green cardamoms
• ▢ 1 black cardamom
• ▢ 1 inch cinnamon
• ▢ 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)

Instructions

preparation

• Firstly rinse and chop tomatoes. No need to blanch them.
• Without adding any water grind or blend to get a smooth tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add 1 cup tomato puree.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup fresh curd till smooth. Keep aside.

making methi paneer

• Heat 3 tablespoons 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.
• Now add 1/3 cup tightly packed chopped onions.
• Begin to stir and saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
• Saute till the onions start turning golden or getting caramelized.
• Now add 1/2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.
• Mix and saute till the raw aroma of both ginger & garlic goes away.
• Then add 1 or 2 green chilies, slit or chopped and tomato puree. Mix well.
• Then add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon 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 flame and keep the pan on the kitchen counter top.
• 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 1/2 cup water and mix again. You can add water as required depending on the consistency you want in the gravy.
• Keep the pan on stove top and keep the flame to a low.
• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy/curry 8 to 10 minutes on a low flame. The curry will thicken and you will also see oil specks on top.
• Now add paneer cubes and salt as per taste. Mix well.
• Then add a pinch or two of garam masala powder or punjabi garam masala powder. Mix well.
• Lastly add 2 to 3 tablespoons low fat cream.
• Mix the cream with the rest of the gravy and then switch off the flame. The cream is optional and you can skip it if you want.
• Serve methi paneer with indian flatbread like roti, naan or paratha.

Notes

Tips for making methi paneer recipe:
1. Use tomatoes which are not too sour.
2. Please use fresh yogurt in the recipe. If the yogurt is not fresh or sour, there are chances of it getting split in the gravy.
3. You can reduce or increase the amount of red chili powder, green chilies as per your preference.
4. Instead of oil, you can also use ghee or butter.
5. Instead of paneer, you can use tofu.

Nutrition Info Approximate values

Nutrition Facts

Methi Paneer

Amount Per Serving

Calories 397 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 55mg18%

Sodium 869mg38%

Potassium 269mg8%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 900IU18%

Vitamin C 14.5mg18%

Calcium 429mg43%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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