Matar Paneer is a delicious, creamy gravy made by cooking matar in a tomato & onion based puree along with spice powders and simmering it with paneer. Matar Paneer is a great side dish for both rice & flatbread and simple & quick to make. Matar Paneer recipe is presented in this post with step by step pictures and video.
Matar Paneer is one of the popular dishes from North Indian cuisine that is savoured by all for its taste. Matar Paneer is a good choice for special occasions and also a nice lunch box idea as well. It goes well with roti, paratha,phulka, jeera rice, basmati rice etc.
About Matar Paneer Recipe
This recipe of Matar Paneer is restaurant style with homely touch which makes the family crave for more. By restaurant style I meant the addition of fresh cream & cashews to make the gravy rich & tasty. And by homely touch I meant homemade paneer, fresh cream (malai of milk) usage to regular gravy preparation.
I have adopted this recipe from a cooking show in TV & my other paneer dishes and perfected it to the best taste I love and happy to share the same here.
Matar Paneer or Paneer Matar
However you call it – Matar paneer / Paneer Matar / mutter paneer / mattar paneer it is all the same yummy & nutty matar paneer. Matar paneer is a dual hero dish that blends perfectly in tomato & onion based puree making a tasty delightful treat. Matar Paneer is very healthy too with the goodness of plant protein from peas and milk protein from paneer.
Matar Paneer – Is it a curry or gravy?
A curry made in excess for lunch makes as a gravy at night and a gravy in excess for dinner makes as a curry for lunch the next day! Curry and gravy mean actually the same, however, for the context here, we can take curry as subzi side dish for rice and gravy as the side dish for roti, chapatti &naan.Curry is diluted with warm water and heated to make a gravy and gravy is reheated (without paneer so that it does not become rubbery) & added with sautéed paneer to make a curry.
Matar Paneer Ingredients
- Matar : Using fresh peas or frozen peas is recommended for this recipe. Fresh green peas are sweet, tender, healthy and gets us a tasty gravy.If you are going for fresh peas, handpick each pod that have are matured green color, firm & that feel full, heavy and as if the seeds are about to burst. The meatier seeds are tastier and the better lot.Thaw / defrost if you are using frozen peas by resting it in room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Soak peas overnight if they are dried ones from grocery section.
- Paneer – Indian Cottage Cheese: Use fresh soft homemade paneer for best taste. If you use frozen paneer thaw /defrost it first by allowing it in room temperature for about an hour and then add it to gravy.If the paneer is store bought, getting aged & within expiry date, it tends to get rubbery. So soak paneer in water for 5-10 mins before using them for gravy so that they become soft & spongy. You can replace paneer with tofu for vegan preferences.
- Tomatoes &Onion : Tomatoes and Onion decide the taste of the gravy – so choose the ripe, red, mild sweet tomatoes. Onion also give sweet tint to the gravy – use liberally if you like sweetish gravy else limit to prescribed quantity.
- Fresh Cream – the secret ingredient: I always wonder how restaurant gravies alone are so creamy and tasty. Later I found that cream does the magic and gives a richness to the gravy. If you donot have fresh cream alternatively you can use milk / yoghurt / curd too. Spices &Herbs : Matar Paneer gets its flavour with the addition of spices. Use ground red chilli powder or Kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika powder. Since the matar tends to release sweetness when cooked use the prescribed quantity of chilli powder if you like sweetish tint of the gravy. Add more chilli powder or 2 green chillies if you prefer a spicy gravy. Use coriander for garnishing the gravy.
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Matar Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 gms cup paneer
- 1 cup peas
- 2 – 3 tbsp fresh cream
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- 2 tsp coriander leaves
- salt to taste
To temper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 tsp shahi jeera You can use cumin seeds too
To grind:
- 2 medium sized onion
- 4 medium sized tomatoes
- 1 no clove
- 10 nos cashews
- 1 no cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 10 nos pepper corns
Instructions
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To a mixer jar add onion, tomato, cashews, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves and pepper corns.
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Grind to a fine paste without adding water.
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The paste should be fine. Set aside.
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To a pressure cooker heat oil, ghee – add shahi jeera let it splutter then add ginger garlic paste.
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Saute for a minute.
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Then add onion tomato paste.
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Rinse mixer jar with 1/2 cup water and add it.
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Give a quick mix boil well until raw smell leaves. This may take around 10-12 mins.
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Once oil seperates and raw smell leaves then its done.
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Add kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder along with required salt.
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Give a quick mix and let it to boil for 2 mins.
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Add green peas along with 1/4 cup water.
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Give a quick mix.
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Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame.Switch off.
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Open and switch on. Give a quick mix.
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Add cubed paneer.
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Mix well and boil for a minute.
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Add fresh cream, garam masala, crushed kasoori methi and coriander leaves.
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Give a quick mix and switch off. Matar paneer ready!
Video
Notes
- For peas or any green vegetable to stay green, after pressure cook release the pressure manually and open it. This way the veggies will stay green while adding in gravies – Got this tip from my cousin and it worked too.
- Fresh cream gives a nice flavour to the gravy giving it a restaurant taste. You can use milk too replacing cream and it gives a nice flavor too.
- This gravy goes well with any dry rice like fried rice/ pulao or even with naan/rotis.
- After I tried this I prefer this to PB masala. I really regret for not trying this for all these days, and am glad I tried this now atleast
How to make Matar Paneer
Grinding ingredients
1.To a mixer jar add onion, tomato, cashews, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves and pepper corns.
2.Grind to a fine puree without adding water.
3.The puree should be fine. Set aside.
Tempering
4.To a pressure cooker heat oil, ghee – add shahi jeera let it splutter then add ginger garlic paste.
5.Saute for a minute.
Cooking onion tomato paste
6.Then add onion tomato paste.
7.Rinse mixer jar with 1/2 cup water and add it.
8.Give a quick mix boil well until raw smell leaves. This may take around 10-12 mins.
9.Once oil seperates and raw smell leaves then its done.
Adding spice powders
10.Add kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder along with required salt.
11.Give a quick mix and let it to boil for 2 mins.
Cooking peas
12.Add green peas along with 1/4 cup water.
13.Give a quick mix.
14.Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame.Switch off.
15.Open and switch on. Give a quick mix.
Adding paneer
16.Add cubed paneer.
17.Mix well and boil for a minute.
Garnishing
18.Add fresh cream, garam masala, crushed kasoori methi and coriander leaves.
19.Give a quick mix and switch off. Matar paneer ready!
Delicious matar paneer ready!
Expert Tips
- For peas or any green vegetable to stay green, after pressure cook release the pressure manually and open it. This way the veggies will stay green while adding in gravies – Got this tip from my cousin and it worked too.
- Fresh cream gives a nice flavour to the gravy giving it a restaurant taste. You can use milk too replacing cream and it gives a nice flavor too.
- This gravy goes well with any dry rice like fried rice/ pulao or even with naan/rotis.
- After I tried this I prefer this to PB masala. I really regret for not trying this for all these days, and am glad I tried this now atleast
Matar Paneer – Serving & Storing Suggestions
Matar Paneer goes well with plain basmati rice, jeera rice, curd rice, pulao, chana biryani& many more. Matar Paneer is a great side for roti, chapati, lacchaparatha, paratha& other flatbread variations.
Matar paneer can be packed for lunch box too. Refrigerate matar paneer for later use and reheat with microwave or stove top before use.
FAQs
1.What is Matar Paneer?
Matar Paneer is a delicious, creamy gravy made by cooking matar in a tomato & onion puree and simmering it with paneer. Matar Paneer is a great side for both rice &Indian flatbread.
2.How to make Matar Paneer?
- Grind onions, tomatoes and cashews to make it a puree.
- Temper the spices and add them to puree along with red chilli powder, garam masala & coriander powder and cook to a thick sauce.
- Now add water and let it boil for 2mins. Add peas and pressure cook for 2 whistles.Then add fresh cream and let it boil.
- Meanwhile toast the paneer cubes in dosa tawa till golden with little oil.
- Now add toasted paneer and to the gravy & mix well.
- Finally garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.
3.Which matar to use – fresh / frozen / dried grocery peas?
Using fresh peas or frozen peas is recommended for this recipe. Thaw / defrost if you are using frozen peas by resting it in room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Soak peas overnight if they are dried ones from grocery section.
4.Why is paneer in the gravy rubbery?
When paneer is overcooked it becomes hard. Also if the paneer is store bought, soak it in water for 5 minutes so that they become soft & does not become hard easily. Also if it is too moist, paneer may tend to dissolve.
5.Can I cook Matar Paneer in stove top?
Instead of pressure cooking you can cook the peas in 2 cups of water until they become soft. Follow the rest of the step as prescribed.
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