Matar Paneer

Description

Matar Paneer Recipe – How to Make Restaurant Style Matar Paneer

For this recipe of Matar paneer, I have used a gravy made of onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chilies, and cashews. Some people like a tomato only based gravy for matar paneer but I prefer using both here. The cashews give this dish a rich taste.

I also use a little yogurt in this matar paneer recipe to give the dish that slightly tangy taste. Because peas are sweet, the tanginess really helps balance the flavors. If your tomatoes are too tart, you might consider adding a pinch of sugar to the dish. That is completely optional and it’s up to you to add it or not.

I finish off this matar paneer recipe with a garnish of fresh cilantro. If you want to make it even richer and creamier, you may add a tablespoon or two of cream into the dish once it’s done. I did not add any because I thought the dish was quite creamy already.

The dish tastes best when you use fresh paneer and fresh peas. You can obviously make paneer at home but if you don’t have the time, store-bought works well too.

Here’s a tip to make store-bought paneer soft and nice: add store-bought paneer to a pan of warm water. Let it sit in warm water for around 20-30 minutes and then use in the recipe. It gets soft and the texture is so much better than if you use it straight away.

Method

PS: If using a store-bought paneer, soak in warm water for 20 minutes before you begin the recipe. Also, soak frozen green peas in warm water for 10 minutes before using in the recipe.

1- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot/pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Saute until the spices are fragrant and the cumin seeds sizzle for few seconds.

2- Then add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili.

3- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are light brown and soft.

4- Then add in the tomatoes and cashews and mix.

5- Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the tomatoes are really soft.

6- Remove pan from heat and let the mixture cool down a bit.

7- Once it has cooled down a little, transfer to a blender.

8- And grind to a smooth paste. Set it aside.

9- Heat a tablespoon of ghee (or oil) in a pan on medium heat. Add bay leaf and then add the red chili powder.

10- Saute for few seconds until you see a nice bright red color.

11- Then add the prepared onion-tomato paste back into the pan and mix well.

12- Add the coriander powder, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric, salt, and sugar (if using). Mix well and cook the spices for one minute.

13- Whisk in the yogurt, stirring continuously until it mixes well.

14- Then add water to the pan and let it come to a boil.

15- Add the paneer cubes and green peas. Stir and then cover the pan. Let it simmer for 6 to 7 minutes on medium heat.

16- Sprinkle some garam masala on top.