Matar Paneer
Peas and paneer in a straightforward onion-tomato gravy. A weeknight dish that takes half an hour and no special ingredients.
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 45m
- Serves
- 4
- Effort
- Easy
Scale
Units
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 3 tbsp | Fry until deep golden 10m | Cook the masala until the oil separates 18m The oil pooling at the edges is the signal. Rushing this is the usual mistake. | Add the peas and water, simmer 8 minutes 9m | Add the paneer, simmer 5 minutes, then finish with garam masala 6m | |
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 1 tbsp | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||
| 1/2 tsp | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 1 1/2 tsp | |||||
| 2 cups | |||||
| 1 cup | |||||
| 250 g | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| a handful | |||||
-
Fry until deep golden
10m- neutral oil 3 tbsp
- cumin seeds 1 tsp
- onions 2
- ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
- green chilli 1
-
Cook the masala until the oil separates
18m- from 1 Fry until deep golden
- tomatoes 3
- ground coriander 2 tsp
- ground turmeric 1/2 tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp
- salt 1 1/2 tsp
The oil pooling at the edges is the signal. Rushing this is the usual mistake.
-
Add the peas and water, simmer 8 minutes
9m- from 2 Cook the masala until the oil separates
- frozen peas 2 cups
- water 1 cup
-
Add the paneer, simmer 5 minutes, then finish with garam masala
6m- from 3 Add the peas and water, simmer 8 minutes
- paneer 250 g
- garam masala 1 tsp
- coriander leaves a handful
Frozen peas are the right choice
Peas begin converting sugar to starch within hours of picking, and commercial freezing happens faster than any supermarket supply chain can deliver fresh ones. Frozen peas are usually sweeter than “fresh” peas that have spent three days in transit — and they need eight minutes, not twenty.
Notes
- Add the peas from frozen, straight into the gravy.
- Paneer for five minutes only. It has nothing to gain from longer and plenty to lose.
- Garam masala at the end, off the heat. It is an aromatic finish, not a cooking spice.