Methi paneer recipe, how to make dry methi paneer

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Methi paneer recipe: learn how to make dry methi paneer, a delicious side dish recipe with paneer and fresh methi leaves.

I have an edible balcony garden, you guys. Actually, calling it a garden is a bit of a stretch but I do have a few gorgeous things growing there like methi leaves, okra, coriander leaves, carrot, cherry tomatoes, curry leaves, chillies, basil, and jasmine.

Here’s a picture, see if you can spot all the plants I mentioned in the picture below.

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My balcony garden – picture taken on my phone

Methi is incredibly easy to grow. For my first batch, I just sowed some fenugreek seeds from my kitchen spice jar and had fresh leaves within a few weeks. While it wasn’t enough to make a dish of its own, I had enough fresh methi to make this methi paneer, a semi-dry dish that went nicely with roti and dal fry.

Love paneer? Try:
Tomato paneer pulao
Matar paneer
Paneer shashlik
Palak paneer
Paneer payasam

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Fresh homegrown methi

For more pictures of my balcony garden and edible gardening journey in Singapore, please follow me on Instagram.

This is also the first time I tried frying paneer and then dunking it into warm water to keep them soft. I see this tip in almost all paneer recipes I see but had never tried it before. Verdict? It works but not as well as I had imagined. If you refrigerate paneer, it will turn hard so some gentle warming is definitely a good idea. Also, the excess oil floats into the water so it’s not a bad move, all things considered.

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Methi Paneer Recipe

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Methi paneer recipe, a dry recipe with paneer and methi, easy and quick enough for a weeknight dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Paneer

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups of paneer cubes
• 1 cup of fresh methi leaves
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds jeera
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder adjust to taste
• 1/4 tsp of amchoor powder or juice of half a lime
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1/4 tsp of methi seeds

Instructions

 

• If using fresh paneer, refrigerate for at least 30 mins so it's firm before pan frying. If using frozen paneer, defrost completely before proceeding
• Heat the oil in a pan and shallow fry the paneer pieces until golden brown
• Dunk them into a bowl of warm water directly from the pan
• Let them soak in the water while you proceed with the rest of the recipe
• In the same oil used to fry the paneer, add the cumin and fenugreek seeds
• When they sizzle, add the onions and saute until light golden brown
• Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute again for a minute or so until fragrant
• Drain the paneer and squeeze out excess water. Add to the above along with the methi leaves, chilli powder, coriander, and amchoor (if using), and salt
• Sauté and let the spices cook for a minute
• Now add the milk and let it simmer in the gravy for a minute or two
• Let the gravy cook down until it coats the paneer pieces. Adjust salt if needed and add a pinch of sugar (optional) to enhance the flavours

Step by Step Methi Paneer Recipe

Heat oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes

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until golden brown

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Drain and drop them into a bowl of warm water and set aside. This will ensure that the paneer pieces remain moist and don’t become rubbery on further cooking

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In the same pan with the oil, add the cumin and fenugreek seeds. When the cumin starts to sizzle, add the sliced onions. Fry until golden brown

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Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute or so until fragrant

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Drain the paneer and squeeze out excess water. Add to the above along with the methi leaves, chilli powder, coriander, and amchoor (if using), and salt

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Now add the milk and let it simmer in the gravy for a minute or two

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Let the gravy cook down until it coats the paneer pieces. Adjust salt if needed and add a pinch of sugar (optional) to enhance the flavours. You are all done. Remove from heat and serve warm with roti or rice

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Note:

I made the methi paneer more of a dry version so if you want more gravy, you can add more milk, cream, coconut milk, cashew paste, etc along with enough water to make a gravy of your preferred consistency.

For methi paneer recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.