Paneer Mattar is a wholesome and flavorful curry made with fresh green peas and paneer or Indian cottage cheese. The dish is made with a base of onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic, seasoned with traditional Indian spices and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek).
This creamy, high-protein, fiber-rich, and delicious curry is easy to prepare, takes about 30 minutes to cook, making it an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner. Serve it with rotis, chapatis, or naan, along with a fresh salad on the side for a satisfying meal.
Paneer Mattar Curry is our favorite curry so I make this curry at least once a week or fortnight, and we enjoy with ghee-smeared chapatis and an onion-cucumber salad on the side.
I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do!
Ingredients
For the paste:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3/4 medium white onion diced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1/2 inch ginger root roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp cashews soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
- 2 green chilies optional
- 100 ml water or just enough to make a fine paste
Others:
- 1 pack paneer (about 350g) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 150 g green peas You can use either fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 inch unsalted butter cube
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or adjust to your taste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp garam masala
- salt
- 2 tbsp Kasuri methi (sun-dried fenugreek leaves)
- water to adjust consistency
Instructions
Make the paste:
- Heat oil in a large skillet/pan on medium heat.
- Add the ginger and garlic. Sauté until the garlic turns golden brown.
- Add the green chilies, chopped onion, and tomatoes to the pan. Sauté for a minute, then cover and cook on medium-low heat until the onion and tomatoes soften. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the ingredients from burning.
- Turn off the heat and allow the ingredients to cool completely.
- Transfer the ingredients to a blender jar, add cashews, water, and blend to a fine paste.
Make the curry:
- Heat oil in the same skillet/pan on low heat.
- Add the powdered spices: turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander and cumin powder, and garam masala. Sauté on low heat for a few seconds, making sure the spices don't get burnt.
- Add the freshly made paste to the pan along with the butter cube and stir for a minute. If the consistency is too thick, you can add about 100 ml of water. Stir well, then cover the pan and cook on medium-low heat until the oil separates, stirring occasionally. This will take approximately 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add the green peas and salt, and continue cooking until the green peas is tender.
- Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
- Transfer the paneer cubes to the pan, stir, and cover and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes until the paneer cubes are tender.
- Gently crush the kasuri methi using your palm and sprinkle it on the curry and mix.
- Serve this wholesome curry with rice or rotis, alongside a fresh salad. Enjoy!
Check out a slightly different version of this recipe on YouTube:
If you tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below or tagging a picture of your preparation on Instagram @swaadista
Happy cooking, happy eating!
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