Methi Paneer (No Onion No Garlic)

This Methi Paneer curry is made with tender paneer with fresh methi leaves in a gravy without onion and garlic. The dish is creamy, rich, and flavorful, and the spice level can easily be customized to the preferences.

Methi Paneer is comforting and satisfying, with very mild but pleasant bitterness from methi leaves. This curry is easy to make and best served with Naan, Paratha, Roti, or Rice.

Jump to:

• About Methi Paneer
• Why You Will Love Methi Paneer
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Paneer Recipes
• Recipe Card

About Methi Paneer

Fresh methi leaves and methi seeds are popular ingredients in India and are used in various recipes. While methi seeds are used throughout the year, fresh methi leaves are widely consumed in winter, and they are considered very healthy. 

The combination of methi leaves and paneer is excellent, and the mild bitterness of methi goes well with tender paneer. I love this combination, and the proof is in some other recipes, such as Methi Malai Paneer and Methi Paneer Bhurji.

Methi Paneer is a delicious, creamy, rich, and flavorful curry with Indian spices and herbs. However, the gravy is without onion and garlic but highly flavorful. It is easy to make with pantry staple ingredients.

It contains fresh methi leaves, but they provide a pleasant flavor, and once mixed with other elements, you will not taste bitterness.

Most kids and some adults are fussy about methi leaves. But this recipe is a great way to introduce them to the nutritional benefits of methi leaves. Serve methi paneer with Roti Paratha or Naan or with rice.

Why You Will Love Methi Paneer

• It is comforting, satisfying, and best served with Indian flatbread or rice.
• Methi Paneer is extra rich and creamy without adding cream.
• It is without onion and garlic but full of flavors.
• This curry is restaurant-style and delicious.
• It is packed with fresh methi leaves.
• The recipe is easy to make and requires only staple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

• Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves: Fresh methi leaves add flavor, nutrition, and very mild but pleasant bitterness. If you do not have fresh leaves but have frozen methi, by all means, you can use them. However, if you find methi leaves very bitter to your taste, there is a way to reduce the bitterness. Sprinkle some salt on methi leaves, mix gently, and set aside. After a few minutes, rinse the leaves with water. This will help to remove the bitter juice and reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves.
• Paneer: A fresh and soft Paneer is a must for any Paneer recipe. I usually make Paneer at home, which guarantees a soft, fresh, and creamy Paneer block. Making Paneer at home is not difficult at all; you can check out this Homemade Paneer recipe. If you are buying a store-bought Paneer, make sure to bring it to room temperature before adding it to the gravy. Place the Paneer in hot water for 20 minutes if it is hard. Keeping it in hot water will make the Paneer soft.
• Cashews: Cashews make the gravy thick, creamy, and rich. They balance the tanginess of the tomatoes and provide a velvety texture to the gravy.
• Celery: I like to use celery in gravies; the main reason is to have volume. If you use only tomatoes, it will give mostly a tangy flavor, and then to balance, you will need to add cream and sugar. But if we use celery, it will balance the tanginess of the tomatoes and provide volume to the gravy. Also, celery with the combination of methi provides earthy and rustic flavors to the dish. However, if you do not have it, you can simply skip it.
• Ginger and Green Chilis: Ginger provides an earthy flavor, and green chilis provides spiciness. Add green chilis, less or more, according to your spice preference.
• Ground Spices: I have used regular basic powdered spices to make this Methi Paneer. One can use either Garam Masala powder or Kitchen King Masala powder for this recipe. I recommend using Kitchen King Masala if you find this masala without onion and garlic, or try this recipe Kitchen King Masala Recipe (No Onion No Garlic). Or use regular Garam Masala powder or Punjabi Garam Masala. You can check out this homemade Punjabi Garam Masala recipe.

Step-by-Step Directions

Preparations

• Rinse fenugreek leaves thoroughly, drain, and chop them finely.
• Set aside.

Making The Gravy

• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped ginger, green chilis, celery, and cashews.
• Mix and saute for two minutes.

• Add chopped tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt, stir well, and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.

• Turn off the heat and allow the tomato mixture to cool down slightly.
• Then transfer it to the blender jar, add ½ cup water, and blend into a fine puree.

Making The Methi Paneer

• Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped methi leaves.
• Saute for 2 minutes or until they are wilted and start releasing moisture.

• Add prepared tomato puree and stir well.

• Then add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and red chili powder.
• Mix well and continue cooking tomato gravy on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Now add paneer cubes, salt to taste, and sugar.
• Mix well and add water to adjust the consistency if required. 

• Turn the heat on low-medium, cover the pan with the lid, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the curry from sticking to the pan.
• Turn off the heat and transfer the Methi Paneer to a serving bowl.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this delicious curry with any Indian flatbread of your choice.
• Methi Paneer goes well with Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha, or this Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast) / Kulcha On Tawa.
• However, you can also serve it with plain rice, Jeera rice, or Pulao.
• If you want to make a festive meal, pair Methi Paneer with other Dal preparations and accompaniments like Boondi Raita, Pomegranate Raita / Anar Raita, or Cucumber Raita.

Helpful Tips

• Paneer: If possible, use Malai paneer for the best Methi Paneer. However, if you make paneer at home, use only full-fat or whole milk.
• Fresh Methi Leaves: Use fresh Methi leaves and discard the wilted leaves. This curry is not bitter; however, if you want to remove the bitterness of Methi leaves, mix them with some salt and leave them aside for 10 minutes. Then, wash them thoroughly under running water; this will help reduce the bitterness of Methi leaves.
• Celery: If you do not have celery, you can skip it and add one more tomato instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Replace or Skip Cashews?

Cashews bring richness and creaminess to the curry. Also, it makes the gravy thicker. So, I would not recommend skipping it, but if you don’t want to use cashews, try to replace it with other options. 

1. Instead of cashews, use blanched almonds (almonds without skin).
2. Replace with melon seeds (Magastari Seeds), and add 3 tablespoon of melon seeds instead of cashews.
3. Use heavy cream instead of cashews. Add 3-4 tablespoon of cream in the recipe’s final step. 
4. We can use Khus Khus (poppy seeds) in the recipe to replace cashews. Soak 1 tablespoon poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes, drain the water, and then blend poppy seeds with 2-3 tablespoon of milk into a smooth paste.
5. We can also combine 2 tablespoon melon seeds and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, and blend them into a smooth paste. Add a little water or milk to make a smooth paste.

How To Make My Store-Bought Paneer Soft?

Place the whole block of paneer or paneer cubes into a ziplock bag or a container. Submerge the plastic bag or container of paneer in hot water. Leave it in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, if the water gets cold, replace it with hot water. You can also directly place the paneer block or cubes into hot water and leave it for 20 minutes. Then, drain the water completely before adding it to the gravy.

More Paneer Recipes

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