Mattar Paneer

If you ask my husband what Indian dishes he loves, he’ll mention mattar paneer and saag paneer, both vegetable dishes made with cheese curd. He loves the masalas, kormas, tikkas and so forth, but there’s just something he loves about the veggie dishes. I’ve made saag/sag for the blog, although without paneer, and now it’s time for the peas to shine!

In spite of having quite of few cookbooks from various regions in India, I looked online for a more unique recipe, and I found one. It’s at New York Times Cooking and the recipe author is food writer Zainab Shah.

Often in Indian dishes, nuts like cashews and almonds are used puréed in water to add creaminess and flavor. In this case, Ms. Shah adds cashew butter.

Mattar Paneer
printable recipe below

1/4 cup ghee or neutral oil
1/2 pound paneer or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes and patted very dry
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon kashmiri or other red chile powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cashew butter
8 ounces frozen (no need to thaw) or fresh green peas (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 tablespoons heavy cream or cashew cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Rice for serving
Naan for serving

Heat ghee in a large frying pan or medium wok on high for 30 seconds, or until it is melted. Lower heat to medium and lightly fry paneer or tofu cubes, turning frequently, until they are golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

In the same frying pan or wok, add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add cumin seeds, chile powder and turmeric, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Add ¾ cup water. Simmer on medium until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium-low, and stir in cashew butter. Add peas and paneer. Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.

Top with heavy cream in a swirl, if you like. Sprinkle with garam masala. Serve with rice or roti.

This is definitely the best mattar paneer we’ve ever had. And by the way, I purchased a 5 pound chunk of paneer from Amazon, and it freezes beautifully.