Matar Paneer Recipe – Paneer in Peas Gravy

Matar Paneer Recipe is an all time favorite North Indian dish. The combination of peas, tomatoes and paneer gives this dish a subtle sweetness which enhances the taste of this flavored dish. The recipe works perfectly well with frozen peas which is tossed in butter. Course : Dinner Ingridients : 250 grams Paneer (Homemade Cottage Cheese) , cubed into small pieces 1/2 cup Green peas (Matar) , frozen and thawed 1 tablespoon Butter (Salted) 1 tablespoon Ghee 2 Brown cardamom (Badi Elaichi) 4 Cloves (Laung) 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) , broken 1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper Corns 1 Onion , finely chopped 4 cloves Garlic , finely chopped 1 inch Ginger , finely chopped 5 Tomatoes , quartered 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder 1/2 teaspoon Coriander (Dhania) Powder 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder 1 teaspoon Salt , or to taste 1 teaspoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) 6 sprig Coriander (Dhania) Leaves , finely chopped Instructions To begin making the Matar Paneer Recipe, prep all the ingredients and keep them ready.Add the chopped tomatoes to a mixer grinder jar and blend to make a smooth puree. Keep this aside.Thaw the frozen green peas in the microwave along with a tablespoon of butter and keep aside.Heat ghee in a cooking pan/ wok/ kadai; add the whole spices from cloves, cinnamon, badi elaichi and pepper. Stir fry them for a few seconds till the aromas start whiffing through the room.Next, add the onion, ginger and garlic and saute until the onions become soft and tender and lightly golden brown.Stir in the masalas - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder. Give it a stir.Add the tomato puree, salt and sugar and give the mixture a stir. Allow the tomato masala to come to a brisk boil. Once it comes to a brisk boil, stir in the kasuri methi, paneer and the buttered green peas.Cover the pan, and simmer the Matar Paneer for about 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Give the Matar Paneer a taste and adjust the salt and spices accordingly. Finally stir in the coriander leaves and transfer the Matar Paneer to a bowl and serve hot.Serve the Matar Paneer along with hot Phulka smeared with ghee along with Indian Sliced Salad and Lacha Pyaz for lunch or dinner.