Matar Paneer- Easy to quick

This is a very simple recipe and very different from restaurant style. This is a classic north Indian recipe which is fuss free. It goes well with roti’s and mild flavored rice. This can be your next pot lunch dish which can be prepared with very few ingredients. Let’s get started.

Preparation time- 15 minutes

Cooking time- 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

200 grams of paneer/ cottage cheese cubed
1 cup green peas- fresh or frozen
1 ½ cups of water
½ tspn. cumin seeds
¼ tspn. turmeric
¼ tspn. red chilli powder
1/8 tspn. garam masala
½ tspn. sugar
1 tbspn. fresh cream
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Oil or ghee as required
Salt as per taste

FOR GRINDING:

3 medium sized tomatoes roughly chopped
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 green chillies
2 garlic pods
1-inch ginger
2 tablespoons of roughly chopped coriander
10-12 whole cashews
4-5 black pepper cons
2 cloves
½ inch cinnamon
1 tspn. coriander seeds

Blend all the above ingredients in a blender to a smooth paste.

METHOD:

Heat oil or ghee in a wok. Add ½ tspn. cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.
Now add the ground paste. Keep sauteing as the paste splutters. If required cover with a lid till the spluttering stops.

On a medium flame, saute 8-10 minutes till the oil separates.
Add all the spice powders, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and saute well.
Add the fresh cream and green peas and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Now add water and salt and paneer. Allow it to cook with the lid closed on low flame for 2 minutes.
Don’t over cook the paneer, it becomes dense and hard in texture.