“Matar-Paneer” with jeera rice made for a perfect combination for lunch today. Matar-Paneer is a dish from North Indian cuisine in which green peas and paneer/cottage cheese are cooked in a tomato based gravy seasoned with a blend of whole spices and spice powders.

Green peas are a winter produce and the fresh ones have made it into the markets already. While matar-paneer can be made both with fresh or frozen green peas, the curry made with fresh peas is a total delight! Grab a bunch of fresh green peas and make this curry to go along with rotis or rice, it tastes equally yummy with either one of them.

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Sharing Matar-Paneer recipe below. Also, do check out my other Paneer recipes:

1. Paneer Pasanda
2. Paneer Khurchan
3. Kadai Paneer
4. Paneer bhurji/ masala
5. Paneer Makhani/ butter masala

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Matar-Paneer Recipe:

Serves – 5
1 Cup = 240 ml

INGREDIENTS:

Main ingredients:

• Green peas – 1-1/2 cup, boiled if fresh & thawed if frozen
• Paneer – 250 gm, cubed

For onion-tomato paste:

• Oil – 2 tsp
• Cashew nuts – 12
• Onion – 2, medium, diced
• Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Tomato – 6, diced

Others:

• Oil – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Onion – 1, medium, finely chopped
• Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1-1/4 tsp
• Kasuri methi – 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
• Fennel powder – 3/4 tsp
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup, finely chopped
• Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
• Ginger juliennes – a few
• Green chilli – 1, julienned
• Water – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Garam masala – 1/2 tsp

INSTRUCTIONS:

For Onion-Tomato Paste:

1) Heat oil in a frying pan and add cashew nuts. Saute until they turn golden brown.

2) Add diced onions. Saute until tey turn translucent.

3) Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes away. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so that it doesn’t get burnt.

4) Add the diced tomatoes.

5) Add 1/4tsp salt and saute for two minutes.

6) Cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Stir every two minutes so that they don’t get burnt at the bottom.

7) Once the tomatoes are cooked well, turn off heat and allow to cool down to room temperature. Blend to a fine puree. Keep aside.

For the gravy:

1) Heat oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds to it. Allow to crackle.

2) Add finely chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.

3) Add Kashmiri red chilli powder.

4) Add coriander powder.

5) Add kasuri methi.

6) Add cumin powder.

7) Add fennel powder.

8) Add the remaining salt.

9) Add turmeric powder.

10) Saute all the spices for about 30 seconds.

11) Add finely chopped coriander leaves and saute for a minute.

12) Add the onion-tomato paste.

13) Add fresh cream.

14) Add ginger and green chilli juliennes and mix well.

15) At this point add water to adjust the consistency of the curry. If planning to serve with rotis, add less water and for serving with rice add a little more water. Mix well.

16) Add green peas.

17) Add paneer cubes.

18) Mix well and bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

19) Add garam masala and mix well.

Serve hot with plain rice, jeera rice roti, naan or kulchas & Enjoy!