Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer

Ingredients 

1. Paneer 250 grams

2. Green peas 1 cup

3. Green chillies 5

4. Ginger 2 tbsp

5. Garlic 8

6. Kasuri methi 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp more

7. Onions 21/2 cup cut into big chunks 

8. Jeera/cumin seeds 1 tsp

9. Cashews halves 25

10. Tomatoes 11/4 cup roughly chopped(I used 3 medium tomatoes)

11. Chilli powder 1 tsp

12. Turmeric 1/4 tsp

13. Kitchen King masala 2 tsp 

14. Salt 

15. Peas 1 cup

16. Water 2 cups

17. Oil 1 tbsp plus 1 tbsp

Method Of Preparation 

1. Add water in a saucepan & bring it to a rolling boil & then turn off the stove. Immerse the paneer cubes in the water & let it stay there for 10 minutes. Discard the water & keep the paneer aside.

2. In a saucepan bring some water to a rolling boil. Add the peas into the boiling water. Remove the peas from heat after 2-3 minutes. Drain the water from the peas & wash it under cold running water & set it aside. 

3. Add oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the ginger, garlic, green chillies & cashew nuts. 

4. When they start to change color, add the roughly chopped onions. When it turns translucent, add the kasuri methi & sauté for a 5 seconds. 

5. Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes & salt. Cook till the tomatoes turn mushy & then turn off the gas.

6. Let the mixture cool & then blend it to a fine paste.

7. Add 1 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat. When the oil gets hot, add the ground/blended paste.

8. Stir the mixture well for a minute. There will be a lot of splattering so keep the flame on medium & keep stirring. 

9. Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder & the kitchen king masala. Mix the powders with the base & let it cook till the oil separates from the mixture. 

10. Now add the green peas & water & cook for another 1 minute. Do a salt test & add salt if required. Remember the paste already has salt, so make sure you do not add too much. 

11. Add the paneer & let it cook for a minute more, sprinkle coriander leaves, give it a mix & then turn off the gas.(If the gravys is very watery, then let it cook for a couple of minutes more before you turn off the gas.

12. Serve hot with phulkas/rotis/chappatis or pulao.

Notes: 

1. You are going to sauté the onions & then grind them to a fine paste so you do not have to chop them finely. Chopping the onions roughly will do. I cut them into big chunks & that's how I got 21/2 cups. If you chop them finely, you may get around 11/2 cups. The same goes with the tomatoes too. 

2. The gravy should neither be too watery nor too thick so add just 1 cup of water to the gravy first, if you think you need more water, add 1 cup more. 

3. Kitchen King masala can be replaced with Garam masala & it will still taste good.

4. This dish is a spicy one, if you don't want it spicy then you may reduce the quantity of spice powders.