Methi Chaman

This recipe is from one of the cook show I watched in India and jotted down in my little diary. The dish is rich with cashews, paneer (cottage cheese) and cream. I replaced cream with low-fat milk and it tasted just as rich and delicious.

Ingredients:
Methi – 1 bunch
Spinach – 1 bunch
Onion – 1 large
Green chilies – 5
Cashews – ¼ cup
Grated Paneer – ¼ cup
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomato puree – ¼ cup
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Kasoori Methi – 2 tbsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Cream – 2 tbsp (optional)
Salt – to taste

Method:

• Thoroughly clean and chop methi and spinach leaves. I use Rachel Ray’s method for cleaning my greens. I fill up my kitchen sink (scrubbed well of course) with cold water and put the greens (ends chopped off) in the water. I gently move them around in the water and after 5 minutes take out the greens into a colander for draining. The dirt on the leaves, being heavy, moves to the bottom of the sink and all you have to do is run water and clean up the sink later. Quick and efficient way to cleaning greens.

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, sauté onions, chilies and cashews till onions turn translucent. Remove and when cool grind to a smooth paste along with ginger-garlic paste.
  
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and sauté the onion paste for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree, coriander powder, red chili powder and half of the grated paneer. Cook on medium-low flame for about 7-8 minutes.
  
• Add the chopped greens, cover and cook till the leaves wilt and don’t smell raw, about 5-6 minutes.
  
• Add cream (or milk), rest of the paneer, kasoori methi (crushed with your fingers) and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  
• Finally add the garam masala, cover to let the flavors mingle and take off the heat after 2 minutes.
  

Serve with rotis or rice.