Indian & South Asian · Lunch · Dinner
Matar Paneer
मटर पनीर
Soft cubes of paneer and sweet green peas simmered in a gently spiced tomato-onion gravy. This lighter home version uses less oil and adds extra peas, so it stays rich and comforting.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 31% · Fat 49% · Protein 20%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 200 g blockPaneer, cubed
- 2 cups300 gGreen peas, frozen
- 2 medium220 gOnion, finely chopped
- 3 medium360 gTomatoes, chopped
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
- 1 tbsp8 gFresh ginger, grated
- 1 small5 gGreen chilli, slit (optional)
- 1 tbsp14 gRapeseed oil
- 1 tspCumin seeds
- 1/2 tspGround turmeric
- 2 tspGround coriander
- 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tspGaram masala
- 3/4 tsp5 gSalt
- 1 cup240 gWater
- 1/4 cup8 gFresh coriander leaves, chopped
Steps
- 1
Soak the paneer cubes in warm water while you prepare the gravy to keep them soft.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add the cumin seeds until they sizzle, about 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes until golden.
- 4
Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 5
Add the turmeric, ground coriander and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds.
- 6
Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for 8 minutes, mashing, until soft and the oil starts to separate.
- 7
Cool slightly and blend the masala to a smooth paste if you like a silky gravy, then return it to the pan.
- 8
Pour in the water, add the peas and simmer for 6 minutes until tender.
- 9
Drain the paneer, add it to the gravy and simmer gently for 4 minutes.
- 10
Stir in the garam masala, taste for salt and scatter over the fresh coriander before serving.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, swap the paneer for pressed, cubed firm tofu; every other ingredient is already plant-based.
- Use light (reduced-fat) paneer instead of regular paneer for a lighter dish with a similar texture.
- Swap the 3 fresh tomatoes for one 400 g can of chopped tomatoes if good fresh ones are hard to find.
- If you can't find Kashmiri chilli powder, mix 1/2 tsp sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne for similar colour and mild heat.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating gently until steaming hot. Freezing isn't recommended, because paneer can turn crumbly and rubbery once thawed.
Make ahead
Cook the onion-tomato masala up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, reheat it with the water, then add the peas and paneer and finish as written.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Milk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (345 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 293 kcal | 85 kcal |
| Protein | 15 g | 4.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23.4 g | 6.8 g |
| of which sugars | 9.8 g | 2.8 g |
| Fiber | 6.5 g | 1.9 g |
| Fat | 16.4 g | 4.8 g |
| of which saturated | 6.9 g | 2 g |
| Sodium | 906 mg | 263 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
