Recipe courtesy of
Nidhi Jalan
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Nidhi Jalan
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Matar Paneer
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- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 3 1/2 cups)
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 151
- Total Fat
- 10 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 8 mg
- Sodium
- 345 mg
This homestyle Punjabi curry is made with peas (matar or mutter in Hindi) and fresh Indian pressed cheese (paneer or panir) cooked in a lightly spiced onion-tomato gravy. It’s easy, delicious and a particularly hearty, comforting vegetarian dish. Serve it with rice or any Indian flatbread for a satisfying meal. Stirring sour cream into the gravy is optional but adds delicious richness.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 3 1/2 cups)
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 151
- Total Fat
- 10 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 8 mg
- Sodium
- 345 mg
Ingredients
Directions
- Combine the tomatoes, onion, chile, ginger and garlic in a blender. Blend on high until completely puréed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until slightly darker, about 15 seconds. Carefully add the tomato mixture (it may bubble and spatter) from the blender. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the puree becomes thick, 20 to 22 minutes.
- Add the coriander, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the spices get toasty and the paste becomes glossy and starts leaving the sides of the pan, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups water. Stir in the peas and let the mixture come to a boil. Adjust the heat and simmer until peas soften, 5 to 7 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of thick tomato sauce; simmer it longer if it’s too thin or add more water if it’s too thick. Add the sour cream, if using. Taste and season with salt.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the paneer in one layer and cook until lightly seared on one side. Flip and sear the other side; do not overcook or the paneer can get chewy and hard.
- Gently stir the paneer into the sauce. Simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes until the paneer cubes are soft and hot, stirring as little as possible so the cubes don’t break. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Cook’s Note
Since paneer is the star of this recipe it’s important to use a good one. I personally like Sach brand because I find it sears beautifully and remains soft. But there’s nothing like fresh homemade paneer if you’d like to give making it yourself a try.
