Methi Paneer (Savory of Fenugreek leaf and Cottage Cheese)

Methi-Paneer

 Paneer is vegetarians delight, because it brings with it the so dearly required protein which otherwise vegetarians get from lentils and pulses and legumes. It can be paired with so many vegetables to give delicious and nutritious main course. Apart from paneer being paired with other vegetable, who does not know the world famous dishes like Butter Paneer, Kadhai Paneer to name few. Paneer stuffed parantha is also one of my favorite stuffed parantha.

Methi is rich in fibers, Iron, Potassium and protein with very low calorific value. Paneer (Cottage Cheese) is rich in protein, fats and sugars but no dietary fibers. Thus the combination of the two balances the dish and we have extremely healthy, rich, nutritious and very tasty vegetarian savory. I prefer 1:1 ratio of paneer and methi leaves (By weight), but the ratio of Methi:Paneer can be changed to 1.5 or 2:1.

Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 Medium Servings

Nutritional Value For total vegetable cooked with given ingredients)

• Energy: 698.36 cal.
• Fat: 49.5
• Carbs:  23.5gm
• Sodium: 1501.6mg
• Protein: 48gm
• Fibers: 10gm
• Sugars: 11.6gm
• Iron 6.5 mg
• Calcium: 210mg
• Potassium 1410mg
• Vit A,C 

Ingredients Required For Making Methi-Paneer:

• 1 Big Bunch of Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves)/ 250-300 gm of cleaned leaves
• 200 gm Paneer (Cottage cheese)
• 10-15 ml cooking oil (I use mustard oil)
• 2-3 Whole Red Chilies
• 1/2Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1/4Teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
• Salt to taste

Direction To make Methi-Paneer:

• If you have got bunch of methi leaves then pick the leaves and soft tips. Discard the stalk part. The picked leaves should be approximately 250-300 gm.
• Wash the picked methi in flowing water. Drain the water and leave the washed methi on a dry kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes so that all water is removed.
• Chop washed methi as fine as possible. Keep aside.

Chopped Methi

• Cut paneer to 1-1.5 cm cubes. Keep aside.

Pieces of Paneer

• Crush the red chilies to small pieces and remove the seeds. Keep aside.

Crushed Dry Red Chili

• In a thick bottom wok or pan, heat cooking oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot add cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Immediately add crushed red chilies and hing. Cook for 30 seconds on medium heat.

Cumin seeds spluttering in hot oil

Crushed Chili pieces added to oil

• Add paneer pieces and bring the heat to low and cook paneer in spices with continuous stirring, Make sure the paneer pieces do not break while stirring.

Paneer added to spices 

• Cook for 2-3 minutes. Paneer pieces will start looking firmer and color will also change.
• Add chopped methi. Mix nicely but with care.

Methi added to paneer

• Add
• Turmeric
• Salt

• Mix and cover the wok. Cook for 3-4 on medium heat with stirring in between.

Teumeric, salt added before covering

• Remove the lid, there will be liquid do not worry. Bring the heat to high and cook for just one minute, turning the contents in the wok so that they do not get stuck to the bottom of the wok.

Excess liquid in vegetable being evaporated on high heat

Excess liqid  evaporated on high heat

• Switch off the heat, let thye cooked vegetable in the wok till it gerts cooled. this will ensure removal of any extra moisture.

Cooked Methi-Paneer

• Remove cooked Methi-Paneer in serving bowl.

Methi-Paneer

• Serve with Roti / Parantha along with curd/raita/dal etc.

Tips:

• Take only leaves and soft tip of methi. If stalk is taken then it will not give too palatable result.
• It is must that water from methi leaves is removed before chopping. Any extra water will cause the vegetable to have lots of water content while cooking thus require to be cooked for longer time thus changing the appearance and taste of vegetable.
• Methi and paneer ratio by weight is preferably 1:1 or methi amount can be increased.
• Do not cook the paneer or the vegetable after adding methi too much. Leafy vegetables taste best when the leaves retain the green color (Do not turn blakish due to over cooking).

Suggested Variations:

• Finely chopped garlic can be added to the oil once cumin seeds have spluttered, cook it till pinkish brown color comes in garlic pieces then add chili and hing.
• Coarsely ground roasted groundnut can be added after the heat is switched off. This gives a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the vegetable.