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.

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.

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 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]
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.

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.

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Matar Paneer

By Anushree Shetty

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 mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Sieve
• Blendtec Blender

Ingredients

  

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• 4 tablespoons olive oil  
• 1.5 cup finely chopped onions
• salt as needed
• 1- inch piece of ginger finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves peeled and minced to a fine paste
• 1 green chili slit lengthwise
• 2-1/2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup unsalted cashews or blanched almonds [see note]
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
• ¼ cup cold water
• 2-3 cloves optional
• 2 Indian bay leaves optional
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns optional
• 2 black cardamom optional
• 1- inch cinnamon stick optional
• 1-1/2 cups cooked green peas [can use frozen just cook them before using]
• 400 gms paneer cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon sugar optional [see note]
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream optional
• 1 teaspoon dried and roasted fenugreek leaves  kasoori methi for garnishing
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro / coriander leaves for garnishing cilantro/dhania

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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.

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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

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