Here is my guide for making authentic matar paneer at home. As far as matar paneer recipes go, this one is as simple as it gets! Ready in just 35 minutes, soft paneer and sweet green peas are cooked in an onion-tomato gravy with spices. Rich and creamy, this vegetarian curry tastes best with fresh rotis! Visual cooking guidance provided below! Ready? Let’s prepare the dish!
I think it’s fair to say that paneer is the king (or queen) of Indian vegetarian dishes . Growing up in India, dishes like creamy butter paneer or hearty palak paneer were always made for special occasions like birthdays or festivals like Diwali and Holi. If you went to a birthday party or wedding in North India, you would 100% find at least one paneer dish on the menu. Basically no special vegetarian Indian meal is complete without paneer. But it’s not just for special occasions, I cook paneer at home at least once a week, and usually I go for easy paneer recipes like the quick paneer bhurji or this simple paneer and matar recipe.
Matar Paneer is a popular Indian curry made with paneer which is Indian cottage cheese and green peas. It can be made in various ways and usually enjoyed with rotis, paratha and rice. The paneer and peas are cooked with aromatic spices and the curry usually has a base of onions and tomatoes.
In India, my mom would often make matar paneer during winters when fresh peas were in season. The fresh peas added to the freshness of the dish. However, these days people make it all the time using frozen peas. Here in the United States, I don’t see fresh peas very often so I almost always make my matar paneer using frozen peas. This recipe uses frozen peas too.
Ingredients
Paneer: you can use store-bought or homemade paneer for this recipe. If using store-bought paneer, make sure to soak it in warm water for 20 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Onion & tomatoes: for this recipe, I like using yellow onions but you can also use red onions.
Green peas: as green peas are not readily available here in the US, I always use frozen green peas for making matar paneer. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before using in the recipe.
Spices: the basic Indian spices used in everyday Indian cooking like coriander powder, turmeric are used here as well. I also use a little bit of fennel powder.
Let’s Make Matar Paneer!
Start cooking the onions, tomatoes
If using 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. Then sauté the cashew nuts first in oil and then the onions until they turn soft followed by ginger-garlic paste. Stir in the chopped tomatoes.
Cook the masala until tomatoes are soft and then grind it
The next step is cook the tomatoes until they are really soft, until around 5 minutes. Once the onions and tomatoes are cooked, let it cool down and then transfer to a blender and grind it to a smooth paste.
Add the prepared onion-tomato paste to oil
Fry some Kashmiri red chili powder in ghee and oil for that vibrant red color (be careful not burn the chili powder, keep the heat on medium-low at this point). And then add the onion-tomato paste that we prepared earlier and mix it really well with that Kashmiri red chili powder.
Add ground spices and cook the masala
Add the ground spices, along with tomato paste and salt and then cook the masala, stirring often until oil oozes from the sides. This takes around 6 to 7 minutes, the color of the masala also changes as it cooks.
Add the paneer and peas to finish the dish
Add the paneer and peas along with water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Finish with garam masala, cilantro and a drizzle of cream (optional).
You can also serve matar paneer along with a side of jeera rice, and aloo gobi or any other dry sabzi.
Instant Pot Matar Paneer Instructions
To make this matar paneer in an Instant Pot, puree the tomatoes with the green chilies and cashews (soak cashews in hot water for 5 minutes before pureeing it). Press the sauté button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil (or 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee). Add cumin seeds, and let them sizzle.
Then add the onions and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 more minute. Add the pureed tomato-cashew-green chili paste and stir. Add the tomato paste , salt and stir. Cook the masala for around 5 minutes until oil separates from the sides. Add all the spices (except garam masala and kasuri methi) and cook for 1 more minute. Add the paneer and green peas along with 1 cup water. Close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 2 minutes with the pressure valve in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally for 3 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
Press the sauté button again and add crushed kasuri methi, garam masala and cilantro. Taste test and adjust the salt as needed. You can also add some cream if you like.
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