Pick the leaves from the stems of 60 g fresh fenugreek leaves and wash them well. Place them in a large bowl with plenty of water to cover and a sprinkle of salt — this helps to reduce bitterness. After around 5 minutes, drain the water.
Add raw 3 large tomatoes (roughly chopped), 100 g red onion (roughly chopped), 8 cloves garlic, and 1 inch ginger to your mixer grinder. Pulse to a smooth paste.
In a large kadai, heat 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon ghee over medium heat. Add the fenugreek leaves and cook until lightly wilted.
To the same pan, add ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir in and cook for a few seconds.
To the same pan, add the prepared curry paste. Stir everything well to mix. Cook for around 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil and ghee separates from the side of the pan and the paste thickens.
At this stage, add 200 ml water, along with 200 g paneer (cubed)*. Stir well and simmer until the methi malai paneer reaches your desired consistency.
Drizzle in 3 tablespoons cream, add ½ teaspoon sugar and Salt to taste, and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon cumin powder. Simmer for an additional minute to meld the flavors then serve with fresh coriander leaves (optional).
Notes
* While I usually pre-fry the paneer cubes before adding to curries, for this dish I've kept the paneer raw before adding it to the dish. Feel free to brown it in ghee or oil beforehand, but the soft texture pairs well here.