Mattar Paneer

What is Mattar Paneer?
Mattar = peas
Paneer = an unaged, soft, non-melty, Indian cheese
Where can I get paneer?
You can make your own at home or buy it packaged from an Indian store. If you buy paneer, submerge it in water for an hour before using it to soften it up.
If you want to make your own paneer, you can follow the instructions from my Paneer from Scratch post.
Timmi’s Tips and Tricks
How can I get a smoother gravy?
The gravy with this recipe will be slightly chunky, with pieces of tomatoes and onions. If you prefer your gravy completely smooth, you can either grate the onions and tomatoes instead of chopping them or blend the mixture before adding in the water.
Where can I get paneer?
You can make your own at home or buy it packaged from an Indian store. If you buy paneer, submerge it in water for half an hour before using it to soften it up.
If you want to make your own paneer, you can follow the instructions from my Paneer from Scratch post. Homemade paneer can easily crumble, so make sure it’s been compressed under a weight overnight to remove all moisture is you’re using it in this recipe. It can also help to slightly fry the paneer to help it stay together.
What garam masala should I use?
A good garam masala is vital to this dish. You can make your own using my recipe here or buy one. I’ve used and recommend the MDH one, which works great for a lot of North Indian dishes.
What if I don’t have a pressure cooker?
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simmer everything after adding the peas until the peas are tender, about 10 minutes.
Mattar Paneer
Ingredients
- 1 cup paneer cubed
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger minced or grated
- 3 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp jeera cumin
- 1/2 tsp haldi turmeric
- 1/3 tsp red chili powder optional
- 3/4 tsp garam masala
- dhaniya cilantro, chopped for garnish
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1.25 cup water
Instructions
- Heat a pressure cooker up over medium-high heat and add oil.
- Once oil it hot, add cumin.
- Once the cumin starts splattering, add ginger. Stir a few times.
- Add onions. Sauté until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, haldi, and red chili powder. Sautee until the tomatoes are cooked down.
- Add 1/4 cup water and mix with the gravy. This will help thicken the gravy a bit.
- Add peas and 1 cup water. Put the cooker lid on and cook until one whistle sounds.
- Turn heat off and allow steam to escape naturally.
- Once the lid comes off easily (i.e. steam has all escaped), add paneer and garam masala. Simmer for 2-3 minutes so the paneer absorbs the flavor from the gravy. If you prefer a thicker gravy, simmer for longer. If you prefer a thinner gravy, add water. Taste and adjust salt according to your preference at this point.
- Turn the heat off and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Similar Recipes You May Like!
Note: This post includes some affiliate links. These are in no way sponsored by the brands themselves and are only for products I personally actually use and recommend. Using these links doesn’t increase your cost, but it does give me a small commission.