Matar Paneerਮਟਰ ਪਨੀਰ

Name: Matar Paneer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Punjabi
Ingredients: 250g paneer, cut in 2cm cubes; 1 cup frozen or fresh green peas; 2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped; 3 medium tomatoes, pureed; 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1.5 tsp coriander powder; 0.5 tsp red chili powder; 0.75 tsp garam masala; to taste salt; 2 tbsp fresh cream; for garnish fresh coriander, chopped

⏱ Prep 10m🍳 Cook 30m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)

Matar paneer is the weeknight hero of Punjabi kitchens — tender peas and fresh paneer in a spiced tomato-onion gravy that is warming without being heavy. It is as much at home on a steel thali at a roadside dhaba as it is on the banquet table at a wedding. The combination is deceptively simple: matar (peas) and paneer (fresh cheese), but the depth of flavour comes from cooking the masala long enough that the oil separates and every ingredient fuses together.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪paneer, cut in 2cm cubes250g
▪frozen or fresh green peas1 cup
▪yellow onion, finely chopped2 medium
▪tomatoes, pureed3 medium
▪ginger-garlic paste1.5 tbsp
▪neutral oil or ghee3 tbsp
▪cumin seeds1 tsp
▪coriander powder1.5 tsp
▪red chili powder0.5 tsp
▪garam masala0.75 tsp
▪saltto taste
▪fresh cream2 tbsp
▪fresh coriander, choppedfor garnish

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Paneer is stocked in the cheese or specialty section of South Asian and Middle Eastern grocery stores abroad. Firm halloumi cubed and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes is a reasonable substitute — add it at the end to prevent it toughening.
Canned crushed tomatoes (about 300g) replace fresh tomatoes reliably year-round outside India and save blanching time.

Method

1Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring regularly, until deep golden, about 12 minutes.
2Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Add the pureed tomatoes, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the oil separates from the sides, about 10 minutes.
3Add the peas to the masala. Pour in half a cup of water, cover, and cook 5 minutes until the peas are tender.
4Gently fold in the paneer cubes. Add water to reach your preferred gravy consistency and simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes so the paneer absorbs the flavours.
5Stir in the garam masala and cream. Taste and adjust salt.
6Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with phulka, paratha, or steamed rice.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.