Malai Matar Paneer – delicious, creamy and perfect curry made with green peas, cream and soft paneer chunks. This restaurant-style rich matar paneer curry makes a part of the ultimate weekend feast or an easy weekday meal.
Creamy matar paneer is one of the most preferred curries regularly enjoyed by vegetarians in restaurants. This perfectly crowd-pleasing dish packed with flavours is easy to make and is gluten-free. This classic restaurant-style matar paneer masala also called mutter paneer is great for potlucks, curry night, or any other special occasion. The rich, creamy texture and flavours will entice kids and they are sure to enjoy it when paired with naan, chapati or any mildly spiced rice dishes such as jeera rice, carrot rice, corn fried rice.
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Recipe Variations
You could add a cube of butter either just before you turn off the heat at the end or at the beginning along with oil to sauté spices and vegetables. Butter enhances the flavour of the paneer curry.
Add fresh/frozen methi to make it methi malai matar paneer.
For a vegan version, substitute cream with cashew or coconut cream and paneer with tofu.
How to Serve?
Delicious paneer curry goes well with naan, roti or any flatbread.
Serve it with Peas Pulao, plain rice, mango dal, cabbage poriyal, green mango chutney, naan, cucumber kosambari, papad, coconut milk pudding, masala lassi for a weekend feast or for a party.
For a simple yet comfort weekday dinner, serve matar paneer curry with methi pulao.
Tips and Tricks
Once you add paneer and cream do not cook for a long time, just simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Cooking paneer longer makes it hard and chewy. The alternative best option is to turn off the flame, mix in paneer, cream then close the pan with a lid and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
The quality of the paneer determines the texture and softness of the paneer. Fresh homemade paneer is the best option to use in this recipe. If you are using store-bought paneer then make sure it is fresh and not expired.
If the paneer is hard, soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it soft.
Before adding fried paneer to the curry, keep it soaked in salted water for 5-10 minutes to prevent it from getting hard and rubbery.
Watch how to make creamy Matar Paneer curry
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Ingredients
Step-by-step Instructions
1. In a pan/skillet, sauté onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
2. Cook until onion starts browning. Stir regularly to prevent burning at the base of the pan.
3. Add tomatoes, close the lid and cook until it softens. Switch off the flame and allow vegetables to cool completely.
4. Grind cooked vegetables to smooth paste and keep it aside.
5. Heat oil, add cumin and sauté until it sizzles.
6. Now add ground onion-tomato paste, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and stir well.
7. Add water and mix well. Cook on medium-high heat until raw aroma of spices vanishes and oil specs appears on the top of curry.
8. Meanwhile, in a 2nd pan, shallow fry paneer cubes. Flip in between and fry another side. Remove it into a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil and then keep it soaked in salted water.
9. Add fried paneer, peas to a curry sauce and mix well.
10. Mix in cream, kasoori methi, garam masala and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Finally mix in coriander and serve malai matar paneer with rice or any flatbread.
Notes
Adjust spices to your taste.
Add paneer and simmer for just 2-3 minutes to prevent it from getting hard.
You could swap fresh peas for frozen ones. Either boil until soft and mix in at the end along with paneer or add it with spices and simmer until it softens.
More Paneer Recipes
Paneer Makhani : cubes of paneer cooked in a cashew and tomato-based makhani gravy, cream and spices.
Paneer Majestic : a classic restaurant-style Hyderabadi appetiser made in a flavourful yoghurt-based sauce.
Kadai Paneer : spicy, flavourful and delicious semi-dry dish made with paneer, mixed peppers (capsicum) and freshly ground spices.
Paneer Jalfrezi : one of the most popular British Indian restaurant-style dishes.
Methi Malai Paneer: paneer and fenugreek leaves cooked in a creamy, luscious and mildly spiced curry sauce.
📖 Recipe Card
Malai Matar Paneer
Video
Ingredients
1 cup =250ml ; 1 tablespoon =15ml ; 1 teaspoon =5ml
For onion-tomato base sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1½ cups/ 195 gms/ 2 medium Onion chopped
- ½ tbsp/ 1 inch Ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic chopped
- 2 Green Chillies roughly chopped
- 1½ cups/ 310 gms/ 3 large Tomato chopped
For curry
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin (Jeera)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder/Cayenne adjust to your taste
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Ground Coriander)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder (Ground Cumin)
- Salt as required
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1½ cups /250 gms Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) cut into cubes
- ½ cup/ 112 gms Frozen Green Peas thawed
- ¼ cup/ 60 ml Cream
- Coriander handful
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) crushed
- 1 cup Water adjust to your required consistency
Instructions
- Heat oil over a medium-low flame in a pan/skillet, add onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté well.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes until onion starts browning. Stir regularly to prevent burning at the base of the pan.
- Now add tomatoes, close the lid and cook for 5-7 minutes until it softens. Switch off the flame and allow vegetables to cool completely.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to the mixie jar or blender and grind it to smooth paste and keep it aside.
- In the same pan heat oil, add cumin and sauté until it sizzles.
- Now add ground onion-tomato paste, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and stir well.
- Add water and mix well. Close the pot with lid and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium-high heat until raw aroma of spices vanishes and oil specs appears on the top of curry.
- Meanwhile, in a 2nd pan, shallow fry paneer cubes. Flip in between and fry other side. Remove it into a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.
- Take the lid off the pan, add fried paneer, peas to a curry sauce and mix well.
- Mix in cream, kasoori methi, garam masala and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally mix in coriander and serve malai matar paneer with rice or any flatbread.
Notes
Nutrition
KEEP IN TOUCH
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