Restaurant Style Paneer Methi Malai Recipe

Methi Malai Paneer is a wonderful paneer curry with fresh fenugreek leaves, enjoy this restaurant-style creamy veg at home with roti or rice.

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Paneer (Cottage Cheese): 200 gms
2. Tomatoes : 3 (medium-sized and ripe)
3. Onions: 2 (medium-sized)
4. Garlic: 3-4 cloves or Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbs
5. Capsicum: 1 (small, finely chopped)
6. Fresh Cream/ Malai: 1/4 cup
7. Kasoori Methi: 2 tbs
8. Turmeric Powder: 1 Tsp
9. Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tsp
10. Coriander Powder: 2 Tsp
11. Cumin Powder: 1 Tsp
12. Cumin seeds/ Jeera: 1/2 Tsp
13. Garam masala: 1 and a 1/2 tsp ( I use MTR)
14. Kitchen King Masala: 3/4 tsp ( I use MDH)
15. Water
16. Oil: 3 tbs
17. Salt: As per taste

Suggested Read: Paneer Manchurian, Paneer Pakora

Method:

Wash the paneer/ cottage cheese well and cube it. Keep the size small and not too big.
Take the onions and grind them into a paste.
Separately, puree the tomatoes and keep them aside. If you are using garlic cloves instead of paste, you could add them while pureeing tomatoes.
Take a wok/pan and heat oil in it. Splutter the cumin seeds followed by the addition of ground onion paste.

Suggested Read: Paneer Pasanda, Palak Paneer

Saute this well till the onion paste becomes golden brown and the onions are completely cooked, which means they have left the oil. ( Undercooked onions leave a sweet taste and a raw flavor).
Add chopped capsicum to it and saute for 3 minutes.
Now add all the spices (just add 1 tsp Garam Masala and leave 1/2 tsp for the finishing flavor) and cook.
Throw in the tomato puree and cook till the oil separates. You’ll feel the aroma lingering in the whole kitchen by now.
Sprinkle salt and Kasuri methi into the gravy. Adjust the texture by the addition of water.
Now add the soft paneer cubes to the gravy. ( I do not shallow fry the paneer cubes as that would make them slightly sticky).
Cook covered for 3-5 minutes on sim/low flame. This will infuse the flavor into the cubes. Do not stir too often else the paneer cubes will break.
Shower the remaining garam masala and add the fresh cream at last. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve the aromatic paneer with Tandoori Roti/ Naan/ Lacchha Paratha.