Matar Paneer

Matar paneer is the most common form of paneer dish available in almost all Indian restaurants – big or small. It is a delicious curry made from soft Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and Matar (Peas) in a mild spicy tomato curry. It is a very simple, quick, tasty recipe which seems to be is loved by everyone. Today I have made Matar Paneer with only 1 tsp of oil but there is absolutely no compromise in taste and colour.

As I always try to use less oil in my cooking, hence used this trick to use less oil without any compromise in taste and have got success 🙂 . I dry roasted the onions and tomatoes first, then made the puree and finally the gravy. The taste and the colour of gravy is just perfect !

So, let’s make this delicious curry with less oil 🙂

The ingredients for making Matar Paneer are :

1. Paneer (Cottage Cheese) : 1 cup
2. Peas : 1 cup
3. Onion : 1 big
4. Garlic : 3
5. Ginger : 1/2 tsp
6. Green Chilli : 2
7. Tomato : 2
8. Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
9. Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
10. Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
11. Garam Masala : 1/4 tsp
12. Salt : to taste
13. Oil : 1 tsp

Method :

Heat a pan and dry roast onion, ginger-garlic, tomato separately. Keep them aside for cooling down.

Now grind green chilli and the dry-roasted ingredients (onion, garlic, ginger) together and put the puree in a bowl. Separately grind the dry-roasted tomatoes and keep them aside.

Cut paneer into cubes, place it in a bowl full of warm water, cover it and keep it aside (for softening the paneer).

Now heat oil in a pan, add the onion puree and sauté for 2-3 minutes or till cooked. Then add the tomato purée and cook till it becomes dry.

Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and sauté for another 2 minutes. Then add 1.25 cup of water, and stir well; add peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. The quantity of water to be added depends on the desired consistency.

Now add the paneer cubes and cook covered on simmer for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame.

Your delicious Matar Paneer is ready to be served ! You can serve this matar paneer with naan, whole wheat kulcha, parantha, chapati or rice.

Insider Tips / Finer Points :

• You may adjust the spices according to your taste buds.
• You can skip the dry roasting part and grind onion / garlic / tomato directly or you can cook all of them and then make a single puree.
• I have used frozen peas but do feel free to use fresh peas.
• You may also use tofu instead of paneer, as per your preference.

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