Matar Paneer
Matar Paneer is a north-Indian style curry made with fresh green peas and Indian cottage cheese, cooked in a onion and tomato based gravy
Ingredients
- 200 gms Paneer
- 1 cup Green Peas Fresh or Frozen
- 2 large Onions
- 2 small Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Cloves
- 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Dhaniya or Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
- ½ tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 cup Full Cream Milk
- 2 tsp Kasuri Methi
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the paneer in water (if store bought) and soak in hot water for 15-20 mins
- Wash the green peas and soak in water for 10 minutes. Later boil them with some salt for 7 to 8 minutes or till they are done. Do not cover while cooking as the green colour will be lost. Drain the water and reserve the stock in which it was cooked. Transfer the cooked peas in some cold water to retain its green colour.
- In a kadai or pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and add roughly chopped onions and sauté on medium flame till it is golden brown in colour. Cool the onions and blend with some water to a fine paste.
- Blanch the tomatoes in water for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the peel, cool and blend in mixer to a fine tomato puree.
- In a kadai, heat 1 tablespoon oil and then add 2 tablespoons butter. On a low flame, add all the whole spices - Bay leaves, green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds. Then add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and the ground onion paste.
- Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till it changes colour.
- Now add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, jeera powder, kitchen king masala and salt and mix well.
- Add some stock which was used to cook the peas. Cook till the oil separates.
- Now add the cooked peas and cook for 2 to 3 minutes
- Dry roast kasuri methi and crush and add to the gravy. Add milk and mix well. Now add the paneer cubes and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally finish it with garam masala.
Notes
- Soak paneer in hot water for the best results. Even if you shallow fry the paneer, soak them in water for sometime after frying. This makes the paneer soft and spongy.
- Do not cover and cook the green peas, as the peas would be discoloured. Also transfer the peas to cold water to retain the green colour.
- Dry roasting the kasuri methi enhances it's smell and flavour.
- Adding milk makes the gravy rich and smooth and balances the spice level as well.
- Do not cook paneer and peas for long after adding them to the gravy. If paneer is cooked for long in the gravy, then it could become chewy.
- Fresh coriander leaves could also be added to the gravy at the end, however I prefer this gravy without the coriander leaves as kasuri methi adds enough flavour already.
- Add garam masala right at the end to retain its flavour.