Methi Chaman, and a poetry about food !

Some dishes are like love : you fall in love even before you
realise you are in love. No, thats the romantic in me writing odes to a dish I
fell in love (just reading about it – with Anusha’s recipe, theres poetry, wit and a funny
bone) even before I made it !! A huge thanks and hug is in order for Anusha for
introducing me to this dish. I do love paneer and methi (as individual
ingredients), but their match was made in heaven.  The kiddo just rolled
her eyes in amazement as she dug into the silky smoothness : a term something a
whisky is generally associated with :-)) I am told staunch whisky drinkers are
also poets, so this dish does the same for your tastebuds …

This is one of the really really few recipes I followed to the T,
so I can replicate the ingredients from Anusha’s verbatim, with a few
changes in the order 😀 .. Made this with phulkas (although thats not in the
picture) and with a crunchy salad, it was a memorable dinner affair 😀

Sending this a tad late to my Methi (fenugreek leaves) series of
BM # 51. Hope you liked the series with Low fat Methi Malai Matar, Masala Methi dal. 

Pin

Methi Chaman – a creamy cottage cheese-fenugreek side dish

Serving suggestions : Chapati / Roti / Naan / Pulav

Spice – medium, Cuisine : Indian, Side dish

Prep time : 10 mins | Cook time : 15 mins | Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Fresh fenugreek / methi leaves – 1.5 cups

Paneer cubes – 1 cup

Salt – to taste

Milk – 3/4 cup

Oil – 2 TBSP

Red chilli powder

Sugar – to taste

Set 1 : For the gravy:

Onions – 1 large / 2 medium – finely chopped

casehews – 8 to 10

ginger – 1 tsp

garlic – 2 to 3 cloves

Green chillies – 1 to 2
(adjust taste)

Set 2 : Dry roast and Grind
to powder:

Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1
tsp

Cloves – 3 to 4

cinnamon – 1/2″ stick

Green cardamom – 1 

Cumin seeds/ jeera – 1/5
tsp

Pin

Method:

1. Wash, pick and chop methi
   leaves finely. Dry roast, cool and powder Set 2 ingredients separately. In a
   pan, lightly roast in a tsp of oil set 1 ingredients and grind to a paste with
   little water. 
2.  In the same pan, clear all
   ingredients, add in the remaining oil, fry the paneer cubes till slightly
   golden brown, and soak them in water  / milk for 10 mins. 
3.  In the remaining oil, saute
   methi leaves with a pinch of salt and sugar till wilted (about 10 mins). Now
   add the spice powder , red chilli powder and saute well. check for salt and tip
   in the ground paste and milk and mix them together. 
4. Let it come to a light
   simmer on very low heat (be on a constant watch coz milk can burn). 
5. Tip in the
   paneer cubes (draining the water) and lightly toss them taking care not to
   break the cubes.
6.  Serve immediately with hot
   rotis and / or rice /pulav and a salad 

Pin