Easy Matar Paneer Recipe - Made in 10 Minutes

Matar Paneer Recipe - The ‘Heat & Eat’ Way

If you want a quick matar paneer recipe that won’t require any hassle at all, then we’ve got the perfect solution for you. You can use the Ready-to-eat Mutter Paneer by Kitchens of India which will take only 5 minutes to prepare, and you’ll have a delicious mutter paneer dish ready to be indulged in. You just need to heat the contents of the packet, and it’ll be ready. There are 3 ways you can make this mutter paneer:

1. Stir-fry the contents in a pan for 3-5 minutes.
2. Microwave the contents for 1-2 minutes on high heat.
3. Put the foil pack in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

Matar Paneer Ingredients

1. Paneer

Paneer, also known as cottage cheese, is a soft and crumbly fresh cheese that is made by curdling milk with an acidic agent like lemon juice or vinegar. You can either make this at home by curdling milk at home or you can use store-bought paneer.

2. Vegetables

You will need green peas, tomatoes, onions, green chillies, garlic, ginger, and coriander leaves for garnishing.

3. Cashews

Cashews are used to add a thick and creamy texture to the curry. It also helps in adding a mild tinge of sweetness to the recipe. You can use cream in place of cashews or use both.

4. Seasonings/Dry Spices

The herbs and spices to be added to the matar paneer recipe include garam masala, haldi (turmeric) powder, red chilli powder, jeera (cumin) powder, cumin seeds, black pepper seeds, bay leaves, salt (as per taste), and matar paneer masala.

How to make Matar Paneer?

Stressing over how to make homemade matar paneer? Our quick and simple matar paneer recipe is what you need. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Making the Gravy

The first step in a matar paneer recipe is to make the gravy which is the heart and soul of this recipe. For this step, you need to put together all the ingredients mentioned below and blend them well.

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• 2-3 chopped green chillies (add more or less as per your spice tolerance)
• 4-5 chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 12-14 cashew nuts (add more to make it more creamy or add you can add cream later on)
• 3-4 black pepper seeds

See to it that there are no bits of cashews and it is a finely ground paste. You can add water to adjust the consistency of the paste, but make sure it is neither too thin nor too thick.

2. Making Matar Paneer

Keep the blended gravy aside and heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a pan. You can use butter or ghee in place of oil. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds to the oil, followed by the blended paste. Sauté the paste on medium flame until the paste separates from the oil.

Add the dry spices and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add washed or frozen peas to the gravy, cover with a lid and simmer on low flame until the peas are cooked. Add water to manage the consistency of the gravy and to avoid the gravy from burning.

Finally, add paneer cubes and fresh cream (optional) to the gravy and turn off the heat after a few seconds. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with naan, puri, paratha, or jeera rice!

Substitutes for Matar Paneer Ingredients

If there are some ingredients that you don’t want to use, you can substitute them with:

• You can use tofu or ricotta cheese instead of paneer.
• In place of green peas, you can use frozen peas.
• You can grind fresh whole spices or use them as they are in place of garam masala.

FAQs

1. Do you need to soak paneer?

Usually, paneer doesn’t require soaking. However, some store-bought paneer may require soaking to soften them up, especially if they have been refrigerated.

2. Can I freeze matar paneer?

Yes, you can. But before freezing, make sure to cool it down completely and then transfer it to an airtight container or a freezer-safe ziplock bag.

3. Is matar paneer healthy?

Yes, matar paneer is a healthy vegetarian dish you can add to your diet. Paneer is a rich source of proteins and calcium, while peas provide a variety of nutrients like fiber, proteins, and iron.