Matar Paneer
Matar paneer is a popular vegetarian north Indian dish consisting of matar (green peas) and paneer (cottage cheese). This dish is made more often in dinner or for lunch. Some people make it on a special occasion.
You can use fresh peas and if not available can use the frozen one. It's very easy to cook and taste super.
It's cooked in a paste/gravy of onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies or sometimes in cream or in a cashew paste. I learned this dish from my mother. She really cooks everything very yummy and tasty and I learned cooking from her.
This dish is often served with rice - plain or jeera (cumin seeds) rice or with an Indian bread (naan, paratha, poori, tandoori roti or roti depending on region). My husband and I normally have matar paneer with poori to celebrate a special occasion.
I personally like matar paneer with jeera rice or with poori. It's one of my family all time favourites.
Recipe Servings: 3 - 4
Cooking time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
- Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 250 - 300 grams
- Peas (Matar) - 1 cup (fresh or frozen)
- Water - 1 - 1.25 cup or as required
- Garlic - 4-5 cloves
- Ginger - 1"
- Green Chillies - 1-2
- Tomato (medium) - 2
- Onion - 1
- Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
- Cumin (jeera) seeds- 1 tsp
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- In a grinder or mixer, grind onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and garlic to a smooth puree. You may use little water to grind it, if required.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Once oil gets hot add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Once cumin seeds began to sizzle add already prepared puree of onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies into it. Mix it well.
- Cook it on a medium flame and stir occasionally. Cook it till the oil separate from the paste/puree.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and mix it again.
- Cut paneer/cottage cheese into cubes.
- Now add paneer cubes and green peas/matar into it. Add 1-1.25 cups of water into it or as per the gravy you want to make/have. If you want a think gravy or thin add water accordingly. Mix well.
- Pressure cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Switch off the flame. When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid.
- If the curry/gravy appears thin, you may simmer it till it reaches the desired consistency.
- And if the gravy appears thick, you may add water or boiled water and simmer for few minutes.
- Matar Paneer is ready to serve.
- Take it out on a serving dish. You may garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve it hot with steamed or jeera rice or with roti, naan, tandoori roti. poori or paratha.
