Creamy Matar Paneer Curry My Food Story

on Mar 03, 2023, Updated Apr 12, 2023 Welcome to my second favorite way to eat paneer – creamy matar paneer curry. Because everyone needs an easy paneer recipe in their life and this one right here is everything that a good paneer curry should be – creamy, comforting, luscious. Is it weird that I always have a block of paneer lying around in the fridge? Soft, delicious Homemade paneer for when I have the patience, but mostly store-bought because I’m a little lazy like that. I’m not a big fan of green peas or matar as we call it in Hindi but in this curry, I kinda need them. It’s just how the world works for me. When you want a quick and easy way to cook paneer, it’s always matar paneer aka cottage cheese and green peas curry. I’ve tried this with potatoes (aloo matar paneer) and mushrooms (mushroom matar paneer) and those two rank a close second and third position but my first love – this matar paneer.

Here’s Why You Need To Make This Curry ASAP

Has a luscious, creamy gravy that’s surprisingly light and deliciousA super quick and yummy dish that comes together in a jiffyMakes for the perfect weeknight dinner or as a quick meal for unexpected guests Can be put together with just pantry staplesIt is a perfect way to include green peas in your family’s dietSince it doesn’t have any cashews or cream, this dish is not just light, but healthier tooIt’s a 100% vegetarian and gluten-free recipe, which can easily be made vegan by replacing paneer with tofu and curd with coconut milk

Ingredients you’ll need to make Matar Paneer

Paneer: About 100 grams, cut into small cubes. I have used homemade paneer for this recipe, but a store-bought one works perfectly well too. Make sure to buy malai paneer though, as that will give you softer and creamier results. Green peas: Since green peas are in season right now, I have used fresh, par-boiled green peas for this recipe. But you can easily use frozen peas too. Simply thaw frozen peas and then boil as usual. Veggies: Onions and tomatoes, finely chopped, added in a 1:2 ratio. Spices: All you need is a handful of basic Indian spices for this recipe for flavour and spice. I have used turmeric, red chilli powder, jeera, coriander powder, chopped green chillies and garam masala. Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt or hung curd works best as they are both thick and not very sour, making it ideal to achieve that luscious, creamy texture. I wouldn’t recommend subbing this with normal curd as that may make the gravy too sour and/or watery. Ginger and garlic: Both finely chopped for flavour and aroma. Oil: Any vegetable oil or neutral-flavoured oil like canola, sunflower, peanut will work for this recipe. Kasuri methi: Added towards the end for a beautiful, smokey flavour and enhances the taste of the entire dish. A little bit goes a way. Coriander leaves: Finely chopped and used as a garnishing. Adds a dash of earthy freshness to the whole dish and helps bring everything together.

How To Make Creamy Matar Paneer Curry

Here’s a step-by-step collage showing you how to make matar paneer at home:

Top Tips To Make The Best Creamy Matar Paneer

Avoid overcooking the paneer as it will become hard and chewy. Just a few minutes at the end should be enough. To make sure that the yogurt does not split while cooking, start with whisking it until it is smooth and has no lumps. Then gradually add the onion tomato mixture, one tablespoon at a time and mix it properly. After about 3-4 tablespoons, transfer this mixture to the pan to prevent it from curdling. Lightly rub kasuri methi in between in your palms before adding it to the pan to enhance the beautiful smokey flavour. Allow the onion, tomato and spices mixture to cool down completely before adding it to the mixture to avoid accidents. If you are in a rush, and want to make this dish even faster, you can use a hand blender to make the gravy directly in the pan. Although this may not give you the smoothest gravy, there will be no change in the taste.

Now I know everyones going to have their own secret way of making matar paneer and I’d love to know how you make yours (leave me a comment) but I prefer mine creamy and blended instead of super chunky with all the bits of onions and tomatoes separate. So I just use my hand blender to give it a quick whizz while it’s still in the pan. If you are the chunky matar paneer kinds, skip that step and you’ll be fine too. And you know another thing that’s so great about this recipe? It’s naturally Gluten Free and you can totally make it vegan if you sub the paneer for tofu and the yogurt for coconut milk. I know there are a lot of you out there who are always looking for vegan alternatives and this one right here is a winner in that category! That’s it! Who would have thought making delectable matar paneer would ever be this quick and easy! This dish is creamy, slightly tangy and fresh flavours are truly mouthwatering, and will even make non-paneer or matar fans fall in love! I serve my matar paneer with either hot rotis or plain rice. But this dish is super versatile and tastes amazing with naan, kulcha or even jeera rice.