3.8/5 rating (29 votes)

Muttar Paneer

Indian Cheesy Peas

  • Heat Medium
  • Serves 4
  • Prep 30 mins
  • Cook 20 mins

Home made Indian curd cheese cubed, fried and cooked in a warming tomato masala sauce with sweet green peas.

Hari says

I love muttar paneer. It's reminiscent of old school cooking back from the villages in the Punjab. I choose to fry my homemade paneer first so it turns a wonderful brown colour with a crispy texture on the outside that's soft and creamy inside (but if you want a healthier option you can miss this step out).

The paneer sits beautifully in the sauce as it soaks up the spicy flavours of the masala. This combined with the lovely bright specks of green garden peas, that add a subtle sweetness, makes this a wonderful dish.

I change my recipe depending on my mood - either I cook it so the sauce is thick and luscious so it clings to paneer or I make the sauce slightly more soupy by adding a little hot water at the end. Either way you decide but just make sure you scoop up the soft cubes of paneer in a roti and enjoy.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • 2 tbsp oil (for frying the paneer) 
  • 1 tbsp oil for cooking
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3cm piece of ginger, grated
  • 250g tinned plum tomatoes
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fenugreek powder (methi)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 200g peas
  • 150g paneer (cut into approx 5cm cubes)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • Handful of fresh coriander (chopped)

Method

  1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the paneer until golden brown. Remove and set on some kitchen roll.
  2. Add onion and after a few minutes stir in the garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and turning golden.
  3. When the onions are cooked add the tomatoes (which you can whizz up before hand), ginger, salt, turmeric, fenugreek and chilli.
  4. Stir together and cook the sauce until the tomatoes and onion melt together creating a thick masala paste.
  5. Once it is thick and shiny add the paneer and frozen peas. Stir and cook for 5-10 minuets.
  6. Pour in enough hot water to get the consistency of the sauce that you are looking for the sprinkle with garam masala and fresh coriander to serve.

Nutritional information

Typical values* per Serving
Calories46
Fat (g)2.2
of which saturates (g)0.2
Carbohydrates (g)4.9
of which sugars (g)2.5
Fibre (g)1.8
Protein (g)2.2
Salt (mg)0.89
*Based upon calculated values, supplied by myfitnesspal.com. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated.

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Comments

Comments (2)

  • Rosie

    14 August 2018 at 19:14 |
    Thanks for the recipe. I didn't know making paneer was so easy. What's the best way to store it if you are not using it straight away?

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      15 August 2018 at 08:47 |
      Hi Rosie you can store it in the fridge for a few days. You can freeze it too - if you want it in blocks then get it as compact as you can cut up and freeze. Let me know how you get on. Thanks

      reply

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