Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer is a vegetarian North Indian dish consisting of peas and paneer – a fresh cheese – in a tomato-based sauce, spiced with different spices and Garam Masala. It is often served with rice and an Indian type of bread depending on the region.

The recipe I am presenting here is very straight forward, simplified version and not as sophisticated in flavour as the original Indian recipes you will find on the internet. Yet I promise you it is delicious too.

Instead of using fresh produce, I use canned Italian Pelati tomatoes and frozen peas – my Indian friends may forgive me. The canned tomatoes have more colour and concentrated flavour.

Ingredients | Serving 4

300 g	Paneer
400 g	Pelati tomatoes
2	Medium size onions
2	Garlic clove
100 g	Fresh ginger, about the same amount as the garlic
1 tsp	Red chilli powder
½ tsp	Cumin powder
1 tsp	Coriander powder
½ tsp	Turmeric powder
2	Green chillies
1 cup	Frozen garden peas
½ tsp	Garam Masala
1 bunch	Fresh coriander
3 Tbsp	Oil
	Salt for seasoning

Preparation

Finely chop the onions, the garlic and the fresh ginger. Cut the Paneer into 2 cm cubes.
Heat a pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the onions, garlic and ginger until softened.
Add the powdered spices – red chilli, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chopped green chilli – and stir for 2 minutes.
Then pour in the Pelati tomatoes and let all cook for 10-15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the oil starts to separate.
In come the frozen peas – stir for a few minutes and add a little water at this time to make the sauce liquid again. Season with salt to taste.
Finally, give in the Paneer cubes and some freshly chopped coriander. Cook for another 4 minutes on a gentle heat. Finish-off by adding half a teaspoon of Garam Masala.

Serve | Ladle the Matar Paneer in bowls sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with Indian bread or rice.