Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek Leaves With Cottage Cheese)

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with cottage cheese)

 Ingredients
Methi (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 bunch / 2 cups
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 1 /2 cups
Fresh Cream -  1 cup
Yogurt - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1 large
Cashews - 8
Poppy seeds (Khuskhus) - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 2 teaspoons
Green chillies - 4-5
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 2-3
Cardamom - 1 (deseeded)
Ghee / Oil - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Salt

Method
1. Blanch methi (fenugreek) leaves in hot salted water for 10 mins. Then drain them well and chop
    them finely.
2. Meanwhile soak cashews and poppy seeds in half a cup of water.
3. Chop onions roughly. Make a paste of onions, soaked cashews, poppy seeds, green chillies,
     ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, sugar and yogurt. You can use the same water
     to make the paste that was used to soak the poppy seeds and cashews. The paste must be very
     smooth and creamy.
4. Chop Paneer into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and lightly shallow fry these cubes and keep aside.
5.  In the same pan, add some more oil and temper with asafoetida powder.
6.  Add the paste and saute' on a medium flame until the raw smell of the onion vanishes.
     (Approximately 7-10 minutes)
7. Add the chopped methi leaves and paneer cubes, mix well and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
    Since the methi leaves were blanched earlier, it doesn't take too long to cook.
8. Add salt and the cream and mix well. Let it boil for couple of minutes.
    Serve hot with roti or rice. Jeera rice or ghee rice goes very well this creamy flavorful curry.

Some variations:
1. You can add peas and paneer both for more flavorful curry.
2. Reduce the quantity of cream, if you want to make it a healthy one.
3. Substitute methi with spinach leaves or paneer with tofu.