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 :-D .. Made this with phulkas (although thats not in the picture) and with a crunchy salad, it was a memorable dinner affair :D

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. 

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

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