Matar Paneer
Soft and luscious cubes of paneer, when combined with pea pearls dunked in a rich gravy, make an amazingly delicious dish!!
This is a simple and easy recipe for matar paneer. This recipe is not a lavish restaurant style dish but a simple homemade style dish which you can cook with basic pantry staples. No added creams, butters or cashew nuts like restaurants.
This is that comfy homemade meal which we all look forward to eating with our family on daily basis.
Cottage cheese or Paneer is one ingredient which is very versatile, healthy and nutritious. You can make an almost infinite number of dishes with it. n fact you can make variety of desserts too like Sandesh, Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Chenna kheer to name some. Basically, no special vegetarian Indian meal is complete without paneer!
Today I am sharing this recipe the way I make it on day to day basis at my home, as a very simple one pot recipe. I generally make it in a Pressure Cooker to save time. I generally make it without onion garlic. I have received loads and loads of compliments for this dish from family and friends!!
My family loves this simple and delicious curry!
I always have frozen peas and paneer in my freezer. Whenever I want to cook something in a jiffy, this is one curry which always come to mind first. I have used frozen peas and frozen Amul Paneer.
Sending this post to 86 HWCG’s #OnepotdishesAtHW theme to my Facebook gourmet group, Healthy Wellthy Cuisines wherein participating bloggers share recipes every fortnight on a pre-decided themes.
This time this theme was suggested by me keeping in mind the current pandemic this world is going through. Working and studying from home is the new norm. No maids, no house help, minimum ingredients in hand, keeping all this in mind I thought of this theme, One Pot Dishes i.e., dishes which can be make in a single pot. No sink full of vessels after making a dish!!
Do check out the amazing entries for the theme by our members-
Let’s see how to make this easy recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Peas- 1 cup
Cottage cheese or Paneer cubes- 1.5 cups
Tomatoes- 2, medium
Ginger- 1” piece, chopped
Green chilies- 2, sliced
Clarified butter/ ghee- 1 tablespoon
Bay leaves/ Tejpatta- 2
Whole dry red chili- 1
Tomato paste- 1 tablespoon
Cloves- 4
Black peppercorns- 6-7
Coriander seeds- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida/ Hing- a pinch
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
Salt- according to your taste
Kasoori methi- 1.5 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS:
For making the curry let’s start by chopping ginger and chilies.
Next, chop tomatoes and grind them to a smooth purée.
Coarsely ground cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds with the help of mortar n pestle.
Put ghee in the pressure cooker and let it become hot.
Add in cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Add in grounded cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds also.
Sauté till they splutter.
Next, add chopped ginger, green chilies, whole red chili and bay leaves.
Sauté everything well.
Add in a pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
After that add in tomato purée. Mix well.
Next, add tomate paste and all the masalas powders- red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder.
Give it a good mix.
Sauté for 3-4 minutes or more on a low to medium flame till the oil separates from the paste.
Then add the peas or matar. Stir again.
Add in paneer cubes. Mix everything well.
Add 2 cups of water and season with salt.
Add in kasoori methi and mix well.
Cover the cooker tightly with the lid and pressure cook the curry.
Cook for about 3 to 4 whistles.
When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
If the curry appears thin, then simmer till it reaches the desired consistency. The consistency is medium and neither thick nor thin.
If the gravy appears thick, then add some water and let it cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish it with coriander leaves.
Serve it with Chapati, paratha, naan or with steamed rice or cumin rice.
Enjoy!!
Recipe Card
Matar Paneer
Soft and luscious cubes of paneer, when combined with pea pearls dunked in a rich gravy, make an amazingly delicious dish!! Learn how to make homemade style Matar Paneer from your pantry staples.
INGREDIENTS:
Peas- 1 cup
Cottage cheese or Paneer cubes- 1.5 cups
Tomatoes- 2, medium
Ginger- 1” piece, chopped
Green chilies- 2, sliced
Clarified butter/ ghee- 1 tablespoon
Bay leaves/ Tejpatta- 2
Whole dry red chili- 1
Tomato paste- 1 tablespoon
Cloves- 4
Black peppercorns- 6-7
Coriander seeds- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida/ Hing- a pinch
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
Salt- according to your taste
Kasoori methi- 1.5 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS:
For making the curry let’s start by chopping ginger and chilies.
Next, chop tomatoes and grind them to a smooth purée.
Coarsely ground cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds with the help of mortar n pestle.
Put ghee in the pressure cooker and let it become hot.
Add in cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Add in grounded cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds also.
Sauté till they splutter.
Next, add chopped ginger, green chilies, whole red chili and bay leaves.
Sauté everything well.
Add in a pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
After that add in tomato purée. Mix well.
Next, add tomate paste and all the masalas powders- red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder.
Give it a good mix.
Sauté for 3-4 minutes or more on a low to medium flame till the oil separates from the paste.
Then add the peas or matar. Stir again.
Add in paneer cubes. Mix everything well.
Add 2 cups of water and season with salt.
Add in kasoori methi and mix well.
Cover the cooker tightly with the lid and pressure cook the curry.
Cook for about 3 to 4 whistles.
When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
If the curry appears thin, then simmer till it reaches the desired consistency. The consistency is medium and neither thick nor thin.
If the gravy appears thick, then add some water and let it cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish it with coriander leaves.
Serve it with Chapati, paratha, naan or with steamed rice or cumin rice.
Enjoy!!