Meatless monday: methi malai paneer

Ingredients

• 8 ounces paneer, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1/4 cup canola or peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons ghee, canola oil or butter
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or shallot
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup dried methi greens soaked in hot water and squeezed out
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 1/2 -3 cups roughly chopped fresh fenugreek greens (remove big stems before chopping)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

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Preparation

• Heat the 1/4 cup of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed nonstick (or well-seasoned cast iron) skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add half of the paneer and cook, turning over with a spatula now and again, until it is golden brown and crispy on all sides. Remove with a spatula to drain on paper towels, and fry the next batch.
• In a heavy-bottomed deep skillet, heat the ghee, oil or butter on medium heat until it either foams or shimmers. Add the onion or shallot and cook, stirring, until the slices turn golden brown. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and almonds, and continue stirring.
• While the onions, spices and almonds cook, grind up the soaked dried methi, garlic, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, pepper flakes, fennel seeds, amd peppercorns into a fine, fragrant paste.
• When the almonds are lightly browned and the onions are a reddish brown, add the spice paste, and cook, stirring for another couple of minutes.
  
• Add the fresh methi leaves and cook, stirring, until they wilt slightly–about a minute and a half. Turn heat down to low. Add the cream and tomato paste, then stir in with the salt.
• Add the fried paneer cubes to the sauce and cook, stirring as needed until the paneer turns soft and spongy–about 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce will also reduce until it thickens and basically clings to all of the other ingredients, leaving very little in the pan.
• Serve with bread or rice.

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