Methi Malai Paneer (Restaurant-Style Paneer Curry)

close up shot of methi malai paneer curry in a white bowl.

4.80 from 15 votes

Methi Malai Paneer (Restaurant-Style Paneer Curry)

Methi Malai Paneer – Cottage cheese and fenugreek leaves cooked in a creamy, luscious and mildly spiced curry sauce. This restaurant-style paneer curry gets ready in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Curries, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 439kcal

Author: Geetha

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml

For Masala Paste

½ Tablespoon Oil
3 Cloves
2 Cardamom
½ inch Cassia
6-7 Black peppercorn
1 large (165 gms) Onion chopped
¼ cup (33 gms) Cashews
⅓ cup (115 gms) Yogurt

For Curry Sauce

2 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
½ Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
½ Teaspoon Turmeric
2 Teaspoon Chilli powder
2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin powder
Salt as required
55 gms Frozen Methi (fenugreek leaves)
3 Tablespoon Cream
250 gms Paneer cut into 2 cm x 2 cm pieces
½ Cup Water

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, cassia and sauté for few seconds until fragrant.
½ Tablespoon Oil, 3 Cloves, 2 Cardamom, ½ inch Cassia, 6-7 Black peppercorn
Now add onion, cashews and sauté for 2 minutes or until onions turn soft.
1 large (165 gms) Onion, ¼ cup (33 gms) Cashews
Turn off the heat and let the onion and spice mixture to cool down to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in the same pan heat 1 teaspoon oil and sauté thawed methi (fenugreek leaves) for a couple of minutes. Transfer cooked methi to a bowl.
½ Tablespoon Oil, 55 gms Frozen Methi (fenugreek leaves)
Transfer cooled onion mixture to a grinder, add yogurt and grind it to a smooth paste. Do not add water while grinding.
⅓ cup (115 gms) Yogurt
Heat 2 tablespoon oil and a tablespoon butter in a saucepan.
2 Tablespoon Oil, 1 Tablespoon Butter
Add cumin and let it sizzle.
½ Teaspoon Cumin
Now reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add ginger garlic paste and sauté for few seconds. Be careful as the ginger garlic paste splutters all around.
1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
Add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, stir for few seconds until the dry spices blend well in oil. Keep stirring at low heat to avoid burning the spices.
½ Teaspoon Turmeric, 2 Teaspoon Chilli powder, 2 Teaspoon Coriander powder, 1 Teaspoon Cumin powder
Now mix in ground paste, water, salt and sauteed methi. Turn up the heat to medium, close the lid and cook for 10 minutes or until oil floats on top of the curry.
Salt, ½ Cup Water
Now add paneer cubes, cream, mix until well combined.
250 gms Paneer, 3 Tablespoon Cream
Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
Serve piping hot paneer curry with naan or rice.

Video

Notes

If you are using fresh methi then ensure to eliminate bitterness before you use them. To remove bitterness, place the chopped leaves in a bowl of salted cold water, let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes and then discard the water and blanch it.

Once you add paneer and cream do not cook for long. Just simmer the curry for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Cooking paneer longer makes it hard and chewy. The alternative best option is to turn off the heat, mix in paneer, cream then close the pan with a lid and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. The heat of curry is sufficient to cook paneer.

The quality of paneer determines the texture and softness of paneer. Fresh homemade paneer is the best option to use in this recipe. If you are using a store-bought paneer then make sure it is fresh and not expired. To keep store-bought paneer soft, cut it into cubes and soak in a bowl of warm salted water for 5 minutes before adding in curry.

Nutrition