Paneer is a staple dish at home and this is a recipe that is made often because I can amp it up with peas, carrots or mushroom or whatever vegetable I have on hand. Its a mild and tasty gravy. I normally use a paneer masala powder instead of garam masala and that works well too.
Recipe source: Matar Paneer
Ingredients:-
200 gms cottage cheese/paneer cubed
200 gms packet of frozen peas
2 medium carrots chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp of garam masala/paneer masala
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tbsp of kasuri methi
Ingredients to be ground into a paste:-
3 medium tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 green chilly
1/2 inch ginger
8-10 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
10-12 whole cashews
4-5 peppercorns
2-3 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp coriander seeds
Procedure:
- Start by grinding the ingredients to a fine paste. I used very little water.
- Lightly fry the paneer till a little golden brown in a tsp of oil.
- Heat 1 tbsp of ghee
- Add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds till they splutter
- Add the ground masala paste and fry on a low/medium flame for 10 minutes or so till the oil separates.
- Add all the dry spice powders and stir well for another 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the peas and carrots and stir well. Add the cup of water along with salt and sugar to taste.
- Cover and cook till the vegetables are done. This should take 15 minutes.
- Add the paneer cubes and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Finally, add the dried kasuri methi leaves and stir well.
- Serve with rotis or jeera rice
