Lasuni Methi Paneer

Lasuni Methi Paneer is a gravy prepared in north Indian style. It is a medium spicy and tangy dish with a slight bitterness of fenugreek. Fenugreek leaves and cottage cheese are cooked in onion and tomato based gravy. The tempering of garlic gives the dish a special taste. It can be served with phulka, chapati, naan etc.

Here goes the recipe.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

1. Methi leaves - 3 cups
2. Paneer - 150 gm
3. Onion (sliced) - 2 medium
4. Tomato (chopped) - 2 large
5. Ginger (grated)- 1/2" piece
6. Garlic cloves - 10 cloves (crushed), 12 to 15 (chopped)
7. Cashew nuts - 6 (optional)
8. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Star anise - 3 petals
10. Black cardamom - 1
11. Kashmiri mirchi - 2
12. Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
13. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp or as per your requirement
14. Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
15. Cumin powder - 3/4 tsp
16. Kitchen king masala - 3/4 tsp
17. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
18. Amchur - 1/3 tsp
19. Kasuri methi - 3/4tsp
20. Butter - 2 tsp or as per your requirement (optional)
21. Oil - 3 tsbp
22. Ghee - 1 tsp
23. Sugar - 1tsp
24. Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Wash methi leaves and keep aside.
• Soak kashmiri mirchi in warm water for 20 min and keep aside.
• Cut paneer into cubes and keep aside a spoonful of grated paneer for garnishing.
• Grease a frying pan with ghee and fry paneer till golden brown, turn the sides. Keep aside. (it gets fried in its own fats)
• Grind onion and cashew nuts to a fine paste (without adding water), keep aside.
• Grind tomato and kashmiri mirchi to a fine paste, keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pan.
• Add star anise, black cardamom and cumin seeds.
• Add ginger and crushed garlic, stir fry for 3 to 5 seconds.
• Add onion - cashew nut paste and stir fry till moisture evaporates and raw smell goes away.
• Add all the ingredients numbering 12 to 17 and stir fry for 3 to 5 seconds.
• Add methi leaves and amchur, stir fry for 3 to 4 min.
• Add tomato paste, stir well and simmer till it gets cooked well. It should reduce in quantity. Stir occasionally.
• Now, add water (1 1/2 cups approx), salt and sugar. Bring it to boil and cook it covered for 3 to 4 min.
• Add kasuri methi, paneer and butter. Cook for another 2 min.
• Heat remaining oil in a tempering pan, add chopped garlic. Let the garlic turn golden brown. Pour the tempering over cooking curry, stir well and simmer for a min.
• Let it rest for at least half an hour to get the best taste.
• Warm it.
• Garnish with grated paneer.
• Serve hot with roti, chapati etc.