Mattar Paneer / Paneer and Green Peas in Creamy Sauce

Mattar Paneer is a delicious, rich , creamy gravy made with Green peas and Indian Cottage Cheese. It is spiced with bay leaf and Garam Masala. This curry is best served with roti / naan / pilaff. I made peas pilaff to go along with this gravy and kids had extra servings today since the gravy was actually little sweet and mildly spiced. It was an awesome combo. Too Good ! I have been asked to repeat this combo next week too :)

 

Ingredients

 

250 Grams Paneer - chopped into big cubes
1/2 Cup Green Peas ( if frozen, thaw them )
1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
a small piece of cinnamon stick ( about 1/4 inch long)
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 Cup Fresh Cream
1/2 Cup Milk ( I used full cream milk; You can use low fat Milk )
Salt to taste

For Grinding

1 Medium Sized Onion chopped roughly
10 Cashew nuts
1 Tablespoon Khus Khus  ( called poppy seeds in English) + 1 Tablespoon milk to soak khus khus
1 Green Chilli

 

Directions

1. In a pan , dry roast khus khus quickly for few seconds. Remove from the pan and soak it in 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl

                                     


                          


2. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and fry paneer cubes quickly for a minute. Flip them and fry on the other sides also. Do not fry for a longet time, they might become hard

                        


                         


3. In a microwave safe bowl, add roughly chopped onions, cashewnuts along with 1/2 cup water and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

                                    

4. Drain water from onion, cashew nuts. Let them standby for 5 minutes until they cool a little bit. In the same microwave bowl, add green peas, 2 pinches of salt, 1/4 cup water and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Drain water and keep the green peas aside

                         


5. Add onions, cashewnuts, green chilli, khuskhus soaked in milk into the food processor( do not discard the milk in which khuskhus was soaked in, add the milk to the food processor)

                        


6. Grind everything together into a thick paste consistency. You can use 1 or 2 tablespoons of water for grinding. I did not use any water for grinding

                        

7. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts add cinnamon stick, bay leaves

8. Then add ginger garlic paste and turn the heat to medium setting and fry the paste until the raw smell goes

                          


9. Then add the ground paste we have from step number 5 in to the butter and fry nicely until oil separates from the mixture

                          


10. Add red chilli powder, garam masala and fry for a minute

                           


11. Add fresh cream and milk to the pan and mix everything together

                          

                          


12. Add fried paneer cubes, par boiled green peas to the gravy

13. Season with salt and bring the gravy to boil

14. Check for seasoning and switch off the flame

15. Serve hot with roti / naan / pilaff