Fresh cottage cheese cubes and green peas cooked in a smooth, mildly spiced tomato and onion gravy. One of the most widely cooked vegetarian curry preparations of North India — made at home and in restaurants across Uttar Pradesh.
Ingredients
200 g paneer — cut into 2 cm cubes
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp oil
2 onions — finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
3 tomatoes — blended to a smooth puree
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp cream (or milk for a lighter version)
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Optional — fry the paneer: For better texture, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Fry the paneer cubes on medium heat turning gently for 2 to 3 minutes until light golden on the outside. Remove. Soak the fried paneer cubes in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes — this keeps them soft after cooking. Drain before use. You can skip this step and add raw paneer directly — it will be softer but may break more easily.
Heat oil and cook onions: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Add the finely chopped onions. Cook on medium heat stirring every 2 minutes for 10 minutes until deep golden.
Add ginger and garlic: Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir continuously for 2 minutes.
Add tomato puree: Add the blended tomato puree. Cook on medium heat stirring frequently for 8 minutes until the puree cooks down, darkens in colour and you see oil separating at the edges. The tomato must be cooked thoroughly — raw tomato puree makes the gravy taste sour and thin.
Add spice powders: Turn to low heat. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and cumin powder. Stir 2 minutes on low heat.
Add peas: Add the peas. Stir to coat in the masala. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes for frozen peas (5 minutes for fresh peas) until they are just tender.
Add water and simmer: Add 1 cup water and salt. Stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add paneer cubes: Gently add the paneer cubes (fried and soaked if you followed step 1). Stir carefully — paneer is delicate and breaks easily. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes. Do not boil vigorously after adding paneer.
Add cream and garam masala: Add 2 tbsp cream and garam masala. Stir gently. Cook 2 more minutes. The cream gives a smooth finish to the gravy.
Garnish and serve: Scatter coriander leaves on top. Serve hot with naan, roti or steamed rice.
Note: Matar Paneer is cooked in virtually every household in North India at least once a week. In Uttar Pradesh, paneer is made fresh daily in many homes by curdling boiled milk with lemon juice or vinegar — homemade fresh paneer has a softer texture than shop-bought paneer. The UP version uses a smooth tomato gravy without the cream of restaurant versions. Fresh green peas from the winter season (November to February) are the most prized — frozen peas are a year-round substitute.