A home-style but very popular matar paneer recipe that is simple, fresh and very tasty without any added cream. Soft paneer and peas are cooked in an onion-tomato gravy topped with green chillies and cilantro. Instant Pot method included.
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About Matar Paneer
If you like paneer and peas, combine the two and you get matar paneer masala! Simple and fresh, it tastes of lazy winter days. Plus, this recipe is light and easy with no cream, butter, milk or cashews (these are usually added in a restaurant-style matar paneer recipe). Since this is more of a home-style, everyday dish, you don't need these ingredients.
Matar paneer was my mother’s regular when I was growing up in New Delhi, India. In those days, packaged or frozen food was not readily available, and people bought their veggies from street vendors who had heaps of fresh seasonal vegetables arranged neatly on their carts. When the subziwala (vegetable seller) called, the neighbourhood aunties, baskets in hand, came out and bought what they wanted, but not before they had gone back and forth over the prices of everything! My mother was no exception and bought her choice of vegetables ... after the requisite haggling of course. In the winter, it was always carrots, beetroot, okra and peas with a fistful of green chillis or cilantro thrown in for free (if the subziwala was in a good mood).
The task of shelling all those pea pods fell to me, and I looked forward to it because the small and sweet ones would go right into my mouth! The rest went into the matar paneer my mother made. Whenever I cook this dish, I am reminded of those long ago winter days:)
Another paneer dish that reminds me of my mom's cooking is this palak paneer recipe, a much-loved North Indian dish.
As mentioned before, this is a very homely paneer curry with peas. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated version, do try the other paneer recipes on the blog, especially shahi paneer and malai kofta.
Ingredients
Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.
Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese: So, here's my take on paneer. I love to make my own paneer for all my paneer dishes. It is very easy to make in your instant pot and yields soft, delicious paneer cheese that you can use immediately. However, if you are strapped for time and want to make short work of lunch or dinner, use store-bought paneer. Ready made paneer is available in most Indian grocery stores and even in supermarkets like Walmart and Superstore in Canada.
Tip: If using store-bought paneer, immerse it in hot water for about 15 minutes. It will become soft. Then cut into small cubes.
Peas: I use frozen peas mostly as I don't have the time to shell fresh peas these days. There's no need to thaw them either. Just throw them straight into the cooking masala and they turn out just fine.
Onions and yogurt: The onions are caramelized and blended with yogurt to make a thick paste that adds a lot of depth to the curry.
Ginger and garlic paste: This forms the base of the masala for matar paneer as it does for so many Indian curries. It's easy to make this paste. Grind equal amounts of peeled ginger and garlic and blend them along with a little water in a blender to get a smooth paste. Use the amount required by the recipe.
Tomatoes: Choose red and ripe tomatoes if you want that pleasing reddish-orange colour to your gravy.
Substitution: You can substitute the tomatoes for tomato puree or passata as well if you are out of tomatoes. You'll save the step of having to puree them!
Ground spices: I used coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli (affiliate link) and garam masala powder.
Kashmiri chilli powder is a milder variety of chilli. I like to use it instead of cayenne because it is not as hot and also because it has a pleasing natural red color that adds vibrance to curries.
Garam masala is a blend of a few whole spices and adds a kick to any gravy or curry. The thing to remember is that garam masala should be used in moderation. Too much and it will make the curry too sharp and unpleasant. Read all about it including how to make it in this garam masala recipe post.
Green chillies and cilantro: Again, like garam masala, these save the curry from blandness and take it up a notch or two. Cilantro adds a lovely aroma to the curry and looks nice!
Preparation
1. Heat the cooking oil and add the cumin seeds. Follow with the onions and fry until they are caramelized. Then, remove them from the hot oil. When the fried onions cool down, grind them with the yogurt to make a thick paste.
If using an instant pot, fry the cumin and onions on sauté (medium).
Tip: I find it easy to put the oil with the cumin and fried onions over a strainer or sieve and let the oil drain into a cup. Then I put the oil back into the pan.
2. Put the tomatoes in a blender and give them a spin to make a smooth puree. Keep this tomato puree and onion-yogurt paste you prepared in step 1 aside.
Cooking (Stovetop)
1. Heat the oil again (in the same pan that you fried the onions), and add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time. Then add the tomato puree and the powdered spices and cook, stirring vigorously for 5-6 minutes until the oil separates. Finally, add the onion-yogurt paste and cook again, stirring vigorously for 5-6 minutes. Now your base for the recipe is made.
2. Add the peas and 1 ½ cups water and cook covered for 10-12 minutes on low-medium heat. The peas will soften in this time and the oil will be separate and float on the top. Go ahead and add the paneer now. Cook for just a minute more.
3. Finally, garnish the matar paneer with chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) and slit green chillies and serve hot with some Indian bread/roti or rice.
Cooking (Instant Pot)
1. After following through with the prep steps described above, turn on your instant pot to sauté (medium) and heat the oil again. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time.
2. Add the pureed tomatoes, salt and powdered spices and cook, stirring vigorously for 4-5 minutes until the oil separates.
3. Add the onion-yogurt paste and cook again, stirring vigorously for 4-5 minutes. Finally, deglaze the pot and cancel sauté. You can a few splashes of water if required at any stage.
4. Add the peas, paneer, and 1 ½ cups water. Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. When the timer beeps, release the pressure manually and open the pot. Add the cilantro and green chillies and serve hot with some roti or rice.
Top Tips
1. It is important to sauté the curry really well in all the stages of cooking to bring out the flavour of the dish. This is known as 'bhunai' (a combination of stir-frying and sautéing). Don't add the peas or the paneer before the curry is well-cooked and glossy.
2. Don't overcook the curry after adding the paneer, or it will become tough. This is not so much a problem with homemade paneer as it is with the store-bought frozen block.
Storage and Freezing
You can keep the matar paneer in the fridge for 2-3 days easily. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a little water and heat on the stovetop or microwave until done.
You can also make the curry ahead of time (minus the peas and cheese) and freeze it in ziploc bags or freezer safe containers.
When you want to thaw it, keep the container in warm water first to loosen it a bit, tip the frozen block of curry in a pan, add some water and peas and cook for 8-10 minutes until the peas soften. Then, add the paneer, green chillies and cilantro and serve hot. Simple!
You can also use your instant pot for thawing the curry. Put the frozen block of curry in the instant pot, add peas and a little water and pressure cook for 2 minutes with quick release. Then, add the paneer, green chillies and cilantro and serve hot.
More Paneer Recipes
- Paneer Jalfrezi
- Chilli Paneer
- Paneer Biryani
- Paneer Kali Mirch (Paneer in Black Pepper Sauce)
- Paneer Kabab
📖 Recipe
Matar Paneer (Cottage Cheese and Peas Curry)
Equipment
- Blender
- Cooking pan
- Instant Pot Duo 6-quart
Ingredients
- 14 oz paneer
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4.2 oz red onion 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp yogurt plain
- 5.2 oz tomato 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 5 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder for less hot
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 Thai green chillies slit
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the sliced onions and fry them in hot oil. Remove from the oil once brown and grind with the yogurt to get a thick paste.
- Put chopped tomato in a blender and blend to get a puree.
- Put the frozen block of paneer in hot water for 15 minutes. Then cut into cubes.
Cooking (Stovetop)
- Reheat the oil in the pan in which you fried the onions and add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, salt coriander, turmeric, red chilli and garam masala powders. Cook well for 5-8 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Add the onion-yogurt paste you prepared earlier and again cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Add the peas and 11/2 cups water, cover the pan, and cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Once the curry is done (the oil will separate and float to the top), add the paneer and cook for one minute more.
- Add the chopped cilantro and green chillies and serve hot with roti or rice.
Cooking (Instant Pot)
- After following through with the prep steps described above, turn on your instant pot to sauté (medium) and heat the oil again. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, salt and powdered spices and cook, stirring vigorously for 4-5 minutes until the oil separates.
- Add the onion-yogurt paste and cook again, stirring vigorously for 4-5 minutes. Finally, deglaze the pot and cancel sauté. You can a few splashes of water if required at any stage.
- Add the peas, paneer, and 1 ½ cups water. Make sure the steam release vent is on 'sealing' and lock the lid in place. Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. When the timer beeps, release the pressure manually and open the pot. Add the cilantro and green chillies and serve hot with some roti or rice.
Notes
- Don’t bother thawing the peas if using frozen ones. I add them to the cooking masala straight from the packet and they turn out nice and soft.
- Make sure the tomatoes are the reddest and ripest ones you can find for a vibrant looking dish. You can use readymade tomato puree too if you are out of tomatoes.
- Saute the curry well at all stages to make for a rich and flavourful dish. Don't add the peas or the paneer before the curry is well-cooked and glossy.
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