Methi Matar Malai Paneer
This Methi Matar Malai Paneer is luscious, creamy and sweet, balanced out with the subtle bitterness from the fenugreek leaves!
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 2 cup fresh fenugreek leaves, cleaned, washed and chopped finely.
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed in warm water for 5-10 minutes
- 200 grams paneer, cut into desired size pieces
- 1 large yellow onion/ 2-3 small onions
- 2-3 green chilies, I just used 1 jalapeno
- 10 cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 2 tbsp milk-mava powder/khoya, optional
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp freshly crushed ginger garlic paste, 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 inch ginger
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup cream/malai I used heavy whipping cream, you may use fresh malai
- 1/8 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp dry roasted and crushed kasoori methi
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat water in a pot, once it comes to a boil, add roughly chopped onions, cashew nuts. Let it boil until they both are tender, will take about 2-3 minutes. Switch off the heat, drain the onions and cashew nuts in a colander. Let it cool down.
- Make a fine paste of the boiled onions, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, green chillies in a blender. The onions have enough moisture, so there is no need to add any water. Add minimal water if required.
- Shallow fry the paneer pieces and immerse them in warm water until ready to use.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat butter and oil. Add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds crackle, add in the coarsely crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant on medium heat.
- Now add the prepared onion paste, saute for another 2 -3 minutes.
- Add mava and continue sauteing until the onion-mava paste starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan. Do not brown the paste.
- Add in chopped methi leaves (Refer notes to reduce bitterness), saute until the leaves wilt, for another 2-3 minutes.
- Now add green peas, salt, sugar, garam masala, and milk. Mix well and cook this mixture for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add fried paneer pieces, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Finally add the cream, crushed kasoori methi and cardamom powder. Mix well, and let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Switch off the heat, and serve with naan/paratha/kulcha/chapati or any other flatbread.
Notes
- For methi matar malai recipe without cream-Ideally only cream is used in this dish, so you can skip the cream completely and add only milk for a low cal version or use half and half. You can add yogurt for a low cal version, but it will change the flavor profile of this dish.
- I love the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. However, if you don't like it, then after chopping the fenugreek leaves, add a little salt, mix it well, leave it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes squeeze the leaves well to get rid of the bitter juices. Rinse and use as directed in the recipe.
- You can add ginger and garlic directly whilst grinding the onion paste. But I love sauteing the freshly crushed ginger garlic in butter, it adds a lovely aroma and flavor.
- Since I use homemade garam masala, it is slightly strong, so I use less. You may use about 1/4 teaspoon if using store bought garam masala. Do not add too much as it will overpower the dish.
- If using fresh green peas, boil them before adding to the gravy.
- Simply skip paneer, and serve it as methi matar malai.
- You can also make another interesting variation, methi malai corn, by swapping peas with fresh or frozen sweet corn.