Malai Kasuri Methi Mutter Paneer Curry

Malai Kasuri Methi Mutter Paneer Curry is a yummy spicy curry prepared with lots of fresh spices and cream. Fenugreek leaves give rich taste to this dish and fresh methi/kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves can be used in this dish. I prefer to use ‘kasuri methi’ as my family likes it for its nice flavor.

Apart from little long time needed to prepare this curry, it is liked by one and all. This goes well with roti, poori, fried rice etc. I used frozen green peas and kasuri methi. It can be replaced with fresh green peas and fresh methi leaves.

Ingredients

• Frozen peas – 500 gram
• Paneer/cottage cheese – 400 gram
• Kasuri methi – half cup
• Milk – one and half cup
• Fresh cream – 2 tablespoon
• Red chilli powder – half teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 heaped tablespoon
• Turmeric powder – pinch to fry paneer
• Sugar – half teaspoon
• Cumin powder – half teaspoon
• Black pepper powder – half teaspoon
• Coriander leaves – few
• Salt – as per taste
• Butter/oil – 2 tablespoons for cooking
• To wet grind
  • Onion – 2 no
  • Tomato medium size – 2 no
  • Green chilli – 3 no
  • Ginger – one and half inch long piece
  • Garlic cloves – 8 no
• To roast and powder
  • Poppy seeds – 1 tablespoon
  • Cashew nut – 15 no
  • Cloves – 5 no
  • Green cardamom – 4 no
  • Cinnamon – 2 inch long stick
• For seasoning
  • Onion – 1 no (chopped)
  • Cumin – 1 teaspoon

Method

• Soak kasuri methi in water for 10 minutes; boil green peas in water with little salt; cut paneer into cubes.

• Wet grinding of spices:
  • chop onion, garlic, green chilli, ginger into pieces and wet grind.

• • add cut tomato, grind and keep aside.

• Dry roast and powder:
  • fry poppy seeds in a dry pan; when half done, add cashew, fry till it becomes golden colour and then remove.

• • fry cloves, cinnamon, cardamom in low flame, till you get nice aroma and then remove; allow all the dry roasted spices to cool.

• • dry grind all dry roasted spices except cashew as powder.

• • now add cashew and dry grind it well.

• Fry paneer cubes with little butter, pinch of salt and turmeric to golden colour; keep fried paneer aside.

• In a pan, fry cumin seed with one teaspoon of butter; then add kasuri methi leaves after squeezing out the water; fry in low flame till crisp, remove and keep.

• Take remaining butter, add chopped onion and fry till golden colour.

• Add wet ground spices, coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder and salt.

• Fry for few minutes or till oil separates from the roasted spice; now add boiled green peas, dry ground spice powder and mix well.

• Add some water (to adjust consistency as per your choice) and cook for few seconds; then add milk, cream and sugar; boil for few seconds.

• Lastly add fried paneer, fried kasuri methi and cook for few more seconds.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and remove.

• Now yummy aromatic Malai Kasuri Methi Mutter Paneer Curry is ready. Serve hot.

Tips

• You may vary quantity of spices, to adjust to your taste.