Made using fresh paneer and green peas, Matar Paneer is one of the most popular Indian curries. Make it for special occasions or everyday meals, it’s going to be a hit always.
If you are looking to make more recipes from Paneer, then do give these a try – Lahsooni Methi Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masala, Punjabi Saag Paneer, Mughlai Paneer Korma, Restaurant Style Paneer Jalfrezi, Restaurant Style Palak Paneer, Paneer Bhurji, and Paneer Masala.
Jump to:
What is Matar Paneer?
Matar Paneer also called Mutter Paneer or Mattar paneer is a Punjabi style Indian curry that is made using soft paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) and Sweet Matar (Green Peas).
Easy, simple, and delicious, Matar Paneer is the most popular paneer recipe that can be made in many styles. I am sharing my fav Dhaba Style Mutter Paneer Sabji today along with a list of variations that you can do.
This recipe makes the best paneer and the best part is that you can adjust it according to your needs.
This Matar Paneer Gravy is,
- Spicy, quick, and flavorful
- Gluten-Free
- Comforting
- Scrumptious
- Easy to make
- Just like the Dhaba curries
- Perfect for everyday meals
Ingredients
Paneer – Well, I like to make paneer at home, as it is fresh and tastes amazing. But if you are short on time, you can just buy off from your local dairy or the packaged one from the nearby grocery store.
Check the freeze section or the Dairy Section of your grocery store to find paneer.
If using the store-bought one, you can put the paneer pieces in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, to make it a little soft. If using frozen paneer, make sure to thaw it before using it.
Green Peas – Fresh Green Peas are available in abundance during Winters. But apart from winters, you can use the frozen ones in this Matar Paneer Curry. Just thaw the frozen peas before using them in the curry.
Oil – I prefer to use vegetable oil to make this curry, but you can also opt for mustard oil or even ghee.
Onion Tomato Paste – For this curry, we will make tomato onion paste, which is cooked nicely and forms the base of this curry.
For this paste, we will need onions, fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. You can adjust the amount of green chilies according to your taste.
I have used fresh tomatoes but you can definitely use canned ones if they are easily available to you.
Spices – We will also need some basic spice powders such as coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, salt, and garam masala powder.
Use Kashmiri red chili powder, as it adds a nice red color to the curry without making it too spicy.
Coriander Leaves – Finally, garnish this delicious and simple curry with some finely chopped coriander leaves.
How to make Matar Paneer
Add onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilli in a blender and blend to make a coarse paste.
Keep aside.
Cut the paneer into small pieces and shallow fry till golden brown.
Drain and add them in a bowl filled with water.
Heat oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion and tomato paste and fry till the masala turns golden brown.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Now add the paneer and peas in the masala along with a cup of water and salt.
Bring the curry to a boil. Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it No Onion No Garlic Matar Paneer, heat oil or ghee in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add hing (asafoetida) and cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Add ginger and tomato puree and cook for a minute.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add fried paneer and peas as mentioned below.
Add water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Mutter Paneer without onion and garlic is ready.
To make Jain Matar Paneer, follow the recipe to make it without Onion and Garlic but also skip to add ginger in it.
The Mutter Paneer Gravy served at restaurants is generally creamy and mild as compared to the one served at dhaba, which is more robust and spicy.
To make it in the restaurant-style, add milk instead of water and add some cream or fresh malai, honey, and lemon juice at the end of cooking. A little bit of Kasuri methi is a must to get that Restaurant Style taste. You can also puree the masala to make creamy before adding paneer and peas to it.
When we soak the paneer in water, the outer covering becomes soft and it makes the paneer soft and not chewy.
Variations
You can add some cream or milk in the curry to give it a rich taste. If adding cream, also add some lemon juice and honey to balance out the flavors.
Add some khoya in the curry to make it even richer. I call it Shahi Matar Paneer.
You can make this Mutter Paneer Recipe without onion and garlic as mentioned above.
Add some cashew nut (Kaju) of almond paste in the masala to give a different taste and richer feel.
You can also add some yogurt for a slightly different taste of the gravy.
Add boiled cubed potatoes to make Aloo Muter Paneer.
Add sautéed mushroom to make Mushroom Matar Paneer.
You can also cook it in a Buttery Makhani Gravy just like Paneer Butter Masala and add peas along with it.
Puree the cooked masala before adding the paneer and peas to it if you like your gravy creamy and not chunky.
To make it vegan, use cashew cream and tofu instead of paneer.
Storage Suggestions
Dairy products do not freeze very well. Their texture change once reheated after freezing. So I suggest that if you want to freeze this curry, make the curry as mentioned below and do not add paneer in it.
You can freeze the curry and add Paneer and Green Peas to it when ready to eat. Just thaw the curry, heat it, add Paneer and Matar and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this Paneer Butter Masala along with Indian Bread such as Roti, Tawa Paratha, Laccha Paratha, Tandoori Roti, Khamiri Roti, Naan, Missi Roti, and Garlic Naan.
Serve it with Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice, Matar Pulao, Veg Pulao, or any other lightly spiced Pulao.
Recipe Card
Matar Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Vegetable oil (plusfor frying paneer)
- 1 cup Onion (Chopped)
- 1 cup Tomato (Chopped)
- 1 inch Ginger (Chopped ])
- 5-6 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Green chilli (Chopped)
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala powder
- 200 g Paneer
- 1 cup Peas (Boiled till soft)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- Add onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and green chili in a blender and blend to make a coarse paste.
- Keep aside.
- Cut the paneer into small pieces and shallow fry till golden brown.
- Drain and add in a bowl filled with water.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and tomato paste and fry till the masala turns golden brown.
- Do this on medium heat.
- Frying the masala may take up to 15 – 20 minutes.
- Keep adding little water if the masala turns out dry.
- Do not compromise on this step otherwise the gravy will taste of raw onion and garlic.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add some water if required.
- Now add the paneer and peas in the masala along with a cup of water and salt.
- Bring the curry to a boil.
- Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with Paratha, Naan or Rice.
