Matar Paneer

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Paneer lovers rejoice! Here’s a delicious and creamy restaurant-style matar paneer recipe that you’ve got to check out.

Matar paneer served in a black bowl accompanied with chapati/rotis in grey plate and rice in a black bowl
Restaurant style matar paneer recipe
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What exactly is Matar Paneer?

The Matar Paneer recipe combines green peas (matar) with cottage cheese cubes (paneer) in a creamy tomato onion-based gravy.

The creaminess in the curry can be attributed to the use of

  1. Fresh cream.
  2. Cashews or blanched almonds.

I prefer using nuts instead of cream because it provides the added benefit of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your meal.

It doesn’t matter if you serve it over rice or with rotis – it is delicious either way :-).

How to make Matar Paneer at home

The two main steps are: making the base masala and then adding peas and paneer to it.

Let’s start with the base masala

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a wok kept on medium heat. Add onions along with salt, and when they start to soften, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies (if using).
  3. Fry the mixture for a couple of minutes, and then add tomatoes and blanched almonds (or cashews) if using.
  4. Continue to cook the tomatoes until they turn soft and mushy. Add chili powder and mix well.
  5. Add 1/4 cup cold water to this mixture and mix well. Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes before transferring it to a blender.
  6. Grind it into a fine paste and set it aside.
Step by step pictures to make the base masala for Matar Paneer
Step-by-step pictures to make the base masala for Matar Paneer

Once the base masala is ready, follow the remaining steps

  1. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same wok kept on medium heat. Add the spicesbay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, pepper, cloves and fry them for about a minute. [This is an optional step – feel free to skip it if you don’t have whole spices at home]
  2. Add the ground paste and mix it well.
  3. Stir in the peas and cover the lid. Let the mixture come to a boil.
  4. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the garam masala and sugar (if using) and mix well.
  5. Add paneer and gently stir it in. Let it simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Add cream (if using) and stir it in. DO NOT use both cream and nuts—pick one. It is overkill, not to mention unnecessary calories.
  6. Garnish it with roasted fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and/or coriander leaves.
  7. Serve hot with roti/rice.
Step by step picture to make Matar paneer
Step-by-step pictures to make Matar Paneer

Variations

  1. The non-creamy version: Do not add almonds or cashews, and skip the cream to make it lighter.
  2. Vegan version – Add Tofu instead of paneer for a vegan version.
  3. Garnishings – Garnish it with only coriander instead of roasted kasoori methi. You can also use both.
  4. Use butter or ghee instead of oil for a richer version.
  5. Without whole spices — I love the flavor that the whole spices infuse into the oil but feel free to skip the spices (bay leaves, black peppercorns, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, and cloves) if you don’t have any. The dish tastes great without them as well.

Enjoy this finger-licking dish with warm rotis or rice.

If you love paneer, you gotta check out this Paneer Makhani recipe or my favorite Palak Paneer recipe. You can’t go wrong with either of these.

Matar paneer served in a black bowl accompanied by rotis / chapatis in a grey plate.
Matar Paneer
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Matar paneer served in a black bowl alongside rotis
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4.84 from 6 votes

Matar Paneer

Paneer lovers rejoice! Here’s a delicious and creamy, easy restaurant-style matar paneer recipe that you’ve got to check out.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a wok kept on medium heat. Add onions along with salt and when they start to soften, add ginger, garlic and green chilies (if using).
  • Fry the mixture for a couple of minutes and then add tomatoes and blanched almonds (or cashews), if using.
  • Continue to cook the tomatoes until they turn soft and mushy. Add chili powder and mix well.
  • Add 1/4 cup cold water to this mixture and mix well. Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes before transferring it to a blender. Grind it into a fine paste and set it aside.
  • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same wok kept on medium heat. Add the spices – bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, pepper, cloves and fry them for about a minute. [This is an optional step – feel free to skip it if you don’t have whole spices at home]
  • Add the ground paste and mix it well. Stir in the peas and cover the lid. Let the mixture come to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add garam masala [along with sugar, if using] and mix well.
  • Add paneer cubes and gently stir them in. Let it simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Add cream (if using) and stir it in. Garnish it with roasted fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and/or coriander leaves.
  •  Serve hot with rice or roti.

Notes

  1. I love the flavor that the whole spices infuse into the oil but feel free to skip the spices (bay leaves, black peppercorns, black cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves) if you don’t have any. The dish tastes great without it as well.
  2. You can add 3 tablespoons of cream instead of cashews or almonds. Make sure to add the cream at the end just before serving. Wouldn’t advise using both cream and nuts.
  3. Blanching almonds –  Soak raw almonds in boiling water for about a minute. Drain them before soaking them in cold water for about a minute. Squeeze the almonds to peel the skin off.
  4. For a hint of sweetness, add a teaspoon of sugar. Totally okay to skip it!
  5. For soft, melt-in-the-mouth paneer, microwave the paneer for 30-60 seconds before adding it to the curry. They should be spongy to touch.
NOTE – I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
Read the post…For helpful information on ingredient swaps, storage tips, meal prep ideas, and variations!

Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 12gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 56mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 515IUVitamin C: 12.9mgCalcium: 347mgIron: 1mg
Diet: Vegetarian
Course: Main Course
Method: Stovetop
Keywords: Matar Paneer, Peas with cottage cheese
Cuisine: Indian
Did you enjoy this recipe or have a question?Please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to rate!

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4.84 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was delicious.
    What can i use to substitute the cashews for the next time I make this? Thank you 🙏🏼

    1. Blanched almonds would be a good substitute. You can also use heavy cream as well.

  2. 5 stars
    I tried it, it was so tasty everybody loved in my family. 😍😍😍😍
    Thank you so much for this recipe 😁

  3. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe! My whole family loved it. I assume you take out the whole spices before serving?

    1. Glad you liked it, Jennifer. We remove some spices before serving – bay leaves and cinnamon stick, I let the rest be.

  4. This looks amazing!! I CANNOT WAIT to make it and would love to try a potato and peas version! What are your thoughts on combining the potato part of your Aloo Mutter with this recipe or do you have a suggestion on how to replace potatoes for the paneer? Thank you Anu!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Becky. Matar Paneer is a richer, creamier gravy compared to Aloo matar. Aloo matar is more like an everyday meal. Having said that, feel free to replace paneer with chopped and precooked potatoes.