Paneer Methi (Methi Malai Paneer)
Paneer Methi is a delicacy of Northern India. This recipe is paneer with creamy gravy flavored with dry fenugreek leaves known as Fasoori Methi. Paneer Methi is a perfect side dish for formal dinner or even a quiet dinner where you want to impress someone. Any way or time you serve this, it is delicious.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups paneer cubed in about 1/2 inch pieces (used 8oz paneer)
- 1-1/2 cups tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp ginger (chopped)
- 1 green chili (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/8 tsp asafetida (hing)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder (lal mirch)
- 2 Tbsp cashew powder (kaju)
- 2 tsp coriander powder (dhania)
- 1 tsp fennel seed powder (saunf)
- 1 Tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
Method
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Rub the kasoori methi between your palms and remove the stems if there is any, set aside.
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Blend tomatoes, ginger, green chili to fine paste. Set aside.
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Heat one teaspoon of oil in a pan on low heat stir fry the paneer until they are light gold in color, take them out.
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Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. When the oil is moderately hot add cumin seeds. (Cumin seeds should crack right of way). Lower the heat too low, add asafetida, turmeric, chili powder, and cashew powder stir for a minute.
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Add tomato paste, coriander, fennel seed powder, salt and kasoori methi, keep stirring till tomato start leaving the side of the pan, this should take 3-4 minutes. Add milk, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add paneer and let it cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. This is the time you can add water as needed if gravy is too thick. Add garam masala stir and turn off the heat.
-
Paneer Methi is ready.
Recipe Notes
To make vegan, Substitute paneer with tofu and milk with coconut milk
Serve Paneer Methi with Naan, or Lacha Paratha.
This recipe was SO delicious that me and my boyfriend could not stop eating it until it was gone. An instant classic and I am making it again tonight. Wow. The flavor is through the roof!
By the way, he is lactose intolerant so we used cashew milk instead of cow’s milk. I don’t think it negatively affected the flavor at all!
I love you, Manjula! Been watching your videos for almost a year now since I became a vegetarian. Much love,
Eric
Eric, thanks I appreciate
Delicious and comforting with naan ! This is a surprisingly rich (yet healthy)and complex tasting (yet simple) dish. Thanks to you I can enjoy making Indian food at home that is better than what I can get at the nearest Indian restaurants to my home – 1 1/2 hours drive !
Erin, thanks
When you say cashew powder, do you mean raw cashews or the roasted ones? Does it matter? Thank you so much for teaching me Indian cooking! I’ve been using your recipes for about 4 years now 🙂
Paige, raw cashews,
Looks delicious! Pretty simple too
DEAR Manjula
Today I made Methi paneer, naan ,toor dal , palak curry and paneer kheer for a party. It was amazing and I wanna thank you from my heart. I do ask you many questions but please that’s cuz you’ve given me a new confidence! I wanted you to kno.
Romi, Thanks, I appreciate, you made me very happy, I like when my viewers ask me the questions and I do like to reply, the best I know
Thanks, Manjula. I will definitely try this at home! This looks extremely good for cold season.
Looks very delicious! I would love to try this recipe this week.
Thanks for the recipe, these are wonderful and very popular with my family.
Just love your receipes.
Hi, this is one my favourites and the recipe given so simple..thank you Manjula
Thanks Manjula, this is very nice recipe of paneer methi. will try at home. Your all other recipes are too nice. Keep it up.
~ Ananya
What can I use instead of cashew powder or any other nut product?
Take some unsalted cashews and put them thru a grinder.
Thank you Manjula, I made this recipe yesterday and it came out really delicious like Restaurant style . I did little modifications… added 2 TBS of honey to break sourness and I made with pure ghee.
Thank you Manjula! I made this recipe today and it was mouth watering. Just delicious!
CH, Thanks
Looks delicious. No dairy for me, I could sub the milk with coconut milk but what might I try to replace the paneer?
You could use firm tofu as a substitute for the paneer because the texture is similar and both paneer and tofu don’t have much of a flavor. Or you possibly try using Daiya or Lisanetti cheese (the blocks) that you could cube? I am not that familiar with those, so not sure if they would hold up to cooking.
Lee, I am also not familiar with cheese, tofu is good substitute and works good.
How about Extra Firm Tofu ( has protien and no lactose) You treat it just like paneer ie Fry it gently and then add it to the sauce and add coconut milk to it . See how it turns out
Raj