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.
Mattar Paneer
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 1¾ 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.
About the Author: Chef Mimi
I’ll have paneer anytime too!!!! But it’s always Palek Paneer in my case!
Gotcha. Well they’re just all wonderful dishes!
I don’t make much Indian food, but this looks great. I’ll have to see if I can find paneer here, as serving tofu to Kees would be like filing for divorce 😂
Hahahahahaha! That’s very funny!
That looks delicious!
Thanks, Kay!
I love Indian food but have not tried this recipe. Looks great!
Oh you’ll love it!
So much flavor!
Yes! Indian cuisine is the best!!!
This does look good. I don’t make much Indian food myself, not when the curry house can make a much better job of it. Must have a go!
Thanks Mimi. :))
Ohhhh, you’re so lucky!
I read recently that cashew butter and peanut butter (the kind without any other ingredients) are really good for your health. This sounds delicious Mimi!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Unless you’re allergic to them, I agree that they are!
this sounds spicy and delicious Mimi.
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
I love this dish! And so easy to make as well.
Very. But worth any trouble!
Easy to make and delicious!
Definitely!
I have to say I can usually take or leave Indian food, but I do really love paneer in all its permutations. And this looks like a winner!
Interesting that your husband likes it. From reading your posts and comments, I get the feeling he’s a bit picky…
Oh he’s awful. But early on I made all sorts of international cuisines for him and he fell in love with Indian. Thank goodness!
Looks so comforting and flavourful, Mimi! I love the peas and paneer combination – such a classic and satisfying dish.
Thank you Ben!
I really like Zainab Shah — I just saved one of her recipes this morning. I also love matter paneer, as does Mark. We also tend to love South Asian vegetarian/vegan dishes most. I wonder why? I like making my own paneer but it’s so easy to buy it, which makes sense for time management. Can’t wait to try this, Mimi.
I used to make paneer, and it’s SO easy. I’ve become more lazy about such things, especially because I have more access to them at places like Amazon, these days!
I subscribe to NYT Cooking, so I’ll have to keep a lookout for Zainab Shah’s recipes! Good to know I could substitute tofu in case I can’t find paneer!
It’s not the same texture, of course, but I’ve done it before and it works just fine!