Matar Paneer

Green Peas and Cottage Cheese curry

It it a popular dish in North Indian cuisine. It can be made in two ways - dry curry which goes with rotis, chapatis, naans, etc. Other in the tomato gravy which goes with both - breads and rice.

Ingredients :

• 200 grams of paneer cubes

• 1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh whichever you get

• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

• 2 green chilies, chopped

• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (if you have garlic press, use it)

• 2 tomatoes, medium sized or 1 large

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp red chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 bay leave

• 2 cloves

• 1 black cardamom

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• Salt to taste

• Oil & Ghee

• Water

Method :

• In a kadai, add 2 tbsp oil and shallow fry the paneer cubes till golden brown. Set aside.

• In the cooker, cook the green peas with some salt for 1-2 whistles. (I used frozen peas so I added just some salt. If you are using fresh peas, add water too.)

• Heat oil and ghee in the same kadai. Add the bay leave, cumin, black cardamom and cloves. Once they sputters, add the chili, ginger and garlic. Sauté them well. (if you have ginger-garlic paste or ginger paste add that instead of the chopped ones.)

• Add the chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Add the turmeric, red chili powder and coriander powder and mix well.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté them together. Add salt and mix well.

• Reduce the heat, cover the kadai and cook the masala till the tomatoes have turned soft and mushy. (You are free to make tomato puree and use it, but I like to see the tomatoes in the curry as you can see a few in the picture.)

• By this time the onions will also be mushy and well coated in the tomato juice. Now add the cooked peas, fried paneer and sauté well slowly. Add the garam masala, sauté.

• Again cover and cook for 2 minutes. Put some water to the curry, and give it mix. Check for the salt and spices. If adjustments needed add them. Please add boiled or at least hot water to the curry.

• Add the freshly chopped coriander leaves and the curry is ready to be served.

Serve this curry along the hot pulka and some cucumber salad