Matar Paneer Recipe
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Matar paneer is an authentic dish from the Punjab region of North India. This dish is made with peas and paneer (an Indian cottage cheese).
I will make this matar paneer recipe in restaurant style. This recipe is full of flavours of spices, peas, and paneer.
This delicious matar paneer is filling, and loved by most food lovers. It is easy to make if you know the right recipe for it. The taste of it will be like the restaurant-style at home.
What is Matar Paneer
Matar paneer is an Indian dish made with matar and paneer. These are the two main ingredients of the dish.
Matar paneer’s name comes from the name of peas is “matar” in Hindi and “paneer” is a name in Hindi for Indian cottage cheese.
This classic dish is made in various versions in Indian households and everyone has a different recipe for this. That’s why the taste of the matar paneer is different from the restaurant one.
In this post, we will learn to make matar paneer recipe restaurant style.
In this recipe, I first saute the onion, and tomatoes, with spices. Then after cooking it. I made a fine paste of the mixture. The next step is too shallow frying of paneer and peas a little bit and then these added the gravy paste with little water and some more spices.
The tomatoes and onion saute on the gas with the spices give the perfect taste to this dish. Where all the spices flavour comes to the vegetables.
I request you to further read my other recipes like
Kadai Paneer
Paneer Butter Masala
Shahi Paneer
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka
Some other recipes with taste delicious and accompany by matar paneer like
Dal Makhani
Mix Veg Recipe
Bharwa Bhindi
Ingredients for Matar Paneer
- Paneer: You need a good quality, soft and creamy paneer for this dish. I suggest you always buy fresh paneer for dishes. If you have homemade paneer then it is awesome. You can use that one too.
- Vegetables: Always take fresh tomatoes, onion, green chilli, and peas. If the peas season is not that time. Then you can buy frozen peas. They are easily available at the market.
- Spices: In the spices, you need turmeric powder, cumin seeds, kasuri methi, jeera powder, black pepper, coriander powder, salt, cloves, black cardamom (badi elaichi).
- Cashews: For adding creamy flavour, you need a few cashews to this dish. I haven’t added the cashew to this recipe. You can add them for an additional rich and creamy flavour.
Matar Paneer Recipe Video
Matar Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 black cardamom badi elaichi
- 6 Cloves laung
- 25-30 black pepper
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 big onion
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp roasted jeera powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tomato
- 1½ tsp salt or as per your taste
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 bowl Peas matar
- 2 green chillies
- 100 gram paneer
- water
- 1 Pinch roasted Kasuri methi
Instructions
Making Gravy
- heat the Kadai and add 3 tbsp oil
- Now 2 big cardamom and add 6 cloves to it
- Now add 25 black pepper seeds to it.
- Add ½ tsp cumin seeds, and cook it. once it is cooked.
- Add 1 inch of finely chopped ginger to it.
- Add 1 chopped big onion and saute it.
- Now add ½ tsp haldi powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Add 2 tsp coriander powder and mix it well.
- Add little water and stir it well. so that masala will not burn.
- Add 2 chopped tomatoes to it
- Now add 1.5 tsp salt to it. And mix it well.
- Cover it with a lid and cook it for a few minutes.
- Add half a cup of water.
- Now remove the badi elaichi, as its flavour already come to the dish.
- Cover it with a lid and cook it for a few minutes.
- Cool it down and make a fine paste in the mixer blender.
Shallow fry paneer
- On another gas stove, heat a pan and add some oil
- Add paneer cubes to it for shallow frying.
- Shallow fry it for a few seconds, once it cooks from one side turn it.
Making Matar Paneer
- Heat another kadai and add 2 tbsp ghee to it.
- Add 1 bowl of fresh peas to it.
- Add 2 finely chopped green chillies to it.
- Add a pinch of salt to it.
- And saute it for a few minutes.
- Cover the kadai with a lid and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Now add the paste of our tomatoes and masala to it.
- Add ½ cup of water to it.
- Mix it well and cook it on the low flames.
- Now add the shallow fry paneer to it.
- Add a pinch of roasted kasuri methi to it.
- Cover it with a lid and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Matar paneer goes well with the indian flatbreads like roti, paratha, puri, naan and tandoori roti. It also paired well with steamed rice and jeera rice.
Read my roti, paratha, naan and puri recipes post.
I usually make puri or paratha with it. I also take any raita like boondi raita, onion raita etc. And a plate full of salad, sirka pyaz makes the complete thali.
In the second vegetable dish with it, you can make aloo gobhi, bhindi sabji, petha sabji, arbi etc.
Tips by Neetu
- Tomatoes: Take fresh, ripe and sweet tomatoes, otherwise your taste will taste sour.
- For Creaminess: For adding creaminess to the dish, use a few cashews to the dish. Add cashew at the time of sauteing the tomatoes. And then make a paste with all of it.
- No onion No garlic version: I have not added garlic to this recipe. You can skip the onion too for making it without onion and garlic.
- For more taste: Make this dish in the desi ghee for adding more flavour to the dish.
FAQ
Can you freeze matar paneer?
Yes, you can freeze the matar paneer in the freezer. But, I would suggest consuming the dish the same day.
How can I make paneer softer after refrigeration?
Take warm water into the bowl. Soak the paneer cut into the cubes for 5 minutes in the warm water. This will make the paneer softer for the dish. Do not soak paneer for more than 5 minutes, otherwise, it will break at the time of cooking.
Is matar paneer healthy?
Yes, matar paneer is a healthy dish. It contains proteins and other nutrients.
