Mater Paneer

Matar Paneer is a delicious and popular North Indian dish made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and green peas (matar) in a flavorful, spiced gravy. It’s often served with roti, naan, or rice. Here’s a simple recipe to make it at home:

Ingredients:

• Paneer (cottage cheese): 250-300g, cut into cubes
• Green peas (matar): 1 cup (fresh or frozen)
• Onion: 1 large, finely chopped
• Tomatoes: 2 medium, pureed or finely chopped
• Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
• Green chili: 1, slit (optional)
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder: 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
• Garam masala: 1 tsp
• Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves): 1 tsp (optional)
• Fresh cream or yogurt: 2 tbsp (optional, for richness)
• Cilantro (coriander leaves): a few sprigs, chopped for garnish
• Oil or ghee: 2-3 tbsp
• Salt: to taste
• Water: 1 cup or as needed to adjust gravy consistency

Instructions:

1. Prep the Paneer:

   • If using store-bought paneer, you can soak it in warm water for 15-20 minutes to soften it. Drain the water and cut into cubes. If making homemade paneer, use fresh cubes directly.

2. Cook the spices:

   • Heat oil or ghee in a pan or kadai over medium heat.
   • Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add finely chopped onions and sauté until golden brown (about 7-8 minutes).
   • Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for another 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

3. Add tomatoes & dry spices:

   • Add the chopped or pureed tomatoes and cook until the oil starts to separate from the masala (about 5-7 minutes).
   • Stir in turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook the masala until it thickens and the oil starts to appear on the sides.

4. Add peas & water:

   • Add the green peas (if using frozen peas, no need to thaw them first) and mix well.
   • Add 1 cup of water to the pan, and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes until the peas are tender. You can adjust the amount of water depending on how thick or thin you want the gravy.

5. Add paneer:

   • Add the paneer cubes to the gravy. Gently stir so that the paneer is well-coated with the masala. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water to adjust the consistency.
   • Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

6. Finishing touches:

   • Stir in garam masala and kasuri methi (if using). You can also add cream or yogurt at this stage for a richer taste.
   • Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

7. Garnish & Serve:

   • Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
   • Serve hot with roti, naan, or steamed rice.

Tips:

• If you want a richer texture, add a spoonful of cream or a bit of butter towards the end of cooking.
• You can also shallow fry the paneer cubes before adding them to the curry for extra texture, though this is optional.
• Adjust the spices to your liking, especially the heat level (red chili powder, green chili).

Enjoy your homemade Matar Paneer!