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Methi Malai Paneer (Restaurant Style)
4.9 from 96 votes

Methi Malai Paneer (Restaurant Style)

Methi Malai Paneer features paneer cubes cooked in a creamy, spiced tomato-onion gravy with fresh fenugreek leaves. The dish balances the earthiness of methi and mild sweetness of cream with fragrant spices and cashews, resulting in a smooth, comfort-food style curry.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 348 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

for masala paste
  • 2 onion or 175 grams onions or 1.5 cups chopped onions, medium
  • 1 tomato or 50 grams tomatoes or ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, small
  • 1 inch ginger chopped or 2 teaspoons chopped ginger
  • 5 to 6 garlic chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, small cloves
  • 1 or 2 green chili or 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies, chopped
  • 10 to 12 cashews or 2 tablespoon cashews - chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
other ingredients
  • 200 to 250 grams paneer (cottage cheese) - cut in cubes or squares
  • 1 cup fenugreek leaves fenugreek leaves) - about 40 grams methi leaves or 2 tablespoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves, tightly packed, fresh
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¾ to 1 cup water - i added 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup fresh cream
  • 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • salt as required

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. First pluck the methi leaves. Then rinse them very well in water. Chop them finely and keep aside.
making masala paste
  1. In a pan or kadai heat oil. Add cumin seeds.
  2. Stir and saute till the cumin seeds change color and splutter on low heat.
  3. Now add chopped onions.
  4. Stir very well and saute them on a low to medium heat till they become light brown stirring often.
  5. Then add chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped green chilies and chopped cashews. Saute for 10 to 15 seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well and saute the tomatoes till they soften on medium-low heat stirring often. Switch off the heat once the tomatoes soften. Set the pan aside.
  7. When this onion-tomato mixture cools down, add it in a grinder or blender jar. Add about ¼ to ⅓ cup water and grind or blend to a fine smooth paste. Keep aside.
making methi malai paneer
  1. In the same pan, now add 2 tablespoons of oil.
  2. Add 1 cup tightly packed finely chopped methi leaves. Stir and saute the methi leaves till they wilt and soften on low heat.
  3. Next add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and coriander powder.
  4. Mix and stir the spice powders with the sauteed methi leaves.
  5. Now add the ground onion tomato paste prepared earlier. Stir and mix very well.
  6. On a low heat saute the entire mixture for 7 to 8 minutes. Keep on stirring so that the masala does not stick to the pan.
  7. When you see some oil releasing from the sides, then add ¾ to 1 cup water.
  8. Stir again very well. Now add salt as per taste.
  9. On a low to medium heat simmer the gravy for 3 to 4 minutes.
  10. Now add ¼ cup light or low fat cream. Instead of light cream you can add 2 tablespoons of whipping cream or heavy cream.
  11. Stir the cream very well with the rest of the gravy.
  12. Add paneer cubes and garam masala powder. Switch off the heat.
  13. Now add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar. Add sugar as required.
  14. Mix very well. Check the taste of gravy and add salt or sugar if needed.
  15. Serve methi malai paneer garnished with some grated paneer with tandoori rotis, naan or chapatis or paratha. This creamy gravy also goes well with jeera rice, saffron rice or Kashmiri rice.

Notes

  • Use homemade soft paneer for the best texture; defrost frozen paneer as per package instructions if using.
  • Incorporate only fenugreek leaves, avoiding the stems for optimal flavor.
  • Due to the recipe’s complexity, scaling the quantities is not recommended.
  • Almonds can be substituted for cashews if preferred.

Nutrition Information

Calories 348kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 43mg (14%) Sodium 645mg (27%) Potassium 126mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 290IU (6%) Vitamin C 6.5mg (7%) Calcium 487mg (49%) Iron 1.8mg (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 348

% Daily Value*

Calories 348kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 645mg 27%
Potassium 126mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 290IU 6%
Vitamin C 6.5mg 7%
Calcium 487mg 49%
Iron 1.8mg 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.