Matar Paneer (Cottage cheese with peas in spicy gravy)

Today my post is dedicated to my mummy , she makes the world's best Matar Paneer (I am sure every child feels that). She is very down to earth lady, not into much sho-sha, very quite & calm, not very demanding. We two had a great bonding just like best friends, used fight a lot and then roothna-manana :)))), being an eldest child she always used to involve me in her decisions, we used to go for shopping together on my Scooty , Ahhhhhh badly missing those days :(((
She is not very much into cooking, cooks just the daily food but whatever she cooks just taste heavenly good. She only prepare two types of paneer curries, one is Matar Paneer & the other is Palak paneer. Prepares her own style chatpata types. Missing her so much past few days, so just thought to prepare Matar Paneer just the way she does and I won't say that its completely ditto as she has her magical touch in it, but yes to quite an extend ye I did it!!!!!!!!!!!

Usually Matar paneer is a very common recipe, but I am sure the recipe might vary some or the other way. I am sharing my Mom's recipe and would love to here the way you make yours :)

Paneer is my homemade, for the recipe click here.

Ingredients :

• Paneer/cottage cheese - 250 gms
• Peas/Matar - 1 cup (I used frozen)
• Onions - 2 medium sized (grated)
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomatoes - 2 medium sized (grated/pureed)
• Cloves - 4
• Bay leaf - 2
• Crushed Black peppercorns -  1/2 tsp
• Whole red chili - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (for color)
• Garam Masala -1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
• Dried Fenugreek leaves/Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt as per the taste
• Oil - 2 tbsps
• Butter - 1 tbsp

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan, add cubed paneer pieces and fry till lightly colored. Keep aside.
• Now in the same pan with remaining oil add butter, cloves, bay leaves, whole red chili and turmeric powder and saute a little. Now add ginger & garlic paste and fry till all the rawness is gone.
• Now add the grated onions and crushed peppercorns and fry till you get a nice golden brown color and the oil oozes out. 
• Now add the powdered spices except kasuri methi and saute until oil separates.
• Then add in the tomato puree and cook. Once done add peas (as I used frozen peas, hence i didn't cook them, but if you are using fresh peas then boil them prior with a generous pinch of salt), and later add 1 cup of boiling water.
• Add Garam masala, Kasuri methi and paneer. Cook on medium flame for 5 minutes and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy with Chapati, nan, Paratha, rice :)

Please do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :) 

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Thanks & Happy cooking

Priyanka