Matar Paneer – Light Everyday Recipe

My kids simply love matar-paneer (Peas with Indian cottage cheese in light tomato gravy). In fact, it seems like all south-asian kids love matar-paneer. I don’t mind if they eat it for both lunch and dinner because both matar (peas) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese) are a great source of protein. Adding greek yogurt in the recipe, further increases the protein content. However, I make my day-to-day matar paneer in a slightly different way to keep it light on little tummies and keep the carbohydrate to protein ratio more balanced. In other words, I do not add nut paste and heavy cream to make it creamy with thick consistency.

This simple day-to-day matar paneer recipe only takes a few ingredients and has very simple steps. Actual cooking takes 40 to 50 minutes due to simmering and cooking tomato puree. But, you can also take care of other errands while this is cooking on the stove.

Simple and quick matar paneer recipe used as part of Family Meal Ideas – Quick Indian Dinner Recipes. 

Matar Paneer Ingredients

• Produce
  • Tomato – 6 medium size pureed
  • Green Peas – 2 cups frozen:
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece
  • Green Chilies – 2 or 3 chillies slit into halves (adjust as per spice level)
  • Lemon Juice
  • Cilantro – Handful chopped
• Protein/Dairy & Nuts
  • Cottage Cheese Paneer – 2 cups cubed
  • Greek Yogurt – ¼ cup strained/hung
  • Broken Cashews – ¼ cup
• Spices
  • Ghee -1 tbsp Optionally avocado/olive oil
  • Asafoetida (Hing) – 1/8 tsp
  • Cumin seeds (Jeera) – 1 tsp
  • Salt (Namak) – 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder (Haldi) – 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder (Laal mirch) – 1/2 tsp adjust as per spice level
  • Coriander powder (Dhania powder) – 1 tbsp
  • Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
  • Dry mango powder (Amchur) – 1 tsp
• 4 cups Water

Method

1. Heat Dutch oven on medium heat and add ghee/oil in it.
2. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, ginger and green chilis. Sauté for few seconds.
3. Then add nuts and roast for a minute more.
4. Now add tomato puree, give it a good stir, cover it up with a lid and let it cook on medium heat.
5. Sauté it for around 15-20 minutes or until tomato puree start leaving the pan or start separating the oil from it. Keep stirring in between to prevent the burning. Be careful of the tomato splutters though.
6. Now add hung yogurt and mix well and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add all the spices except garam masala, and give it a good stir to mix up all the spices well.
8. Now add green peas and cubed paneer. Stir it and add 4 cups of water.
9. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Simmering is what brings all the flavors out in the dish. If it starts to get too thick, add little more water and adjust the consistency as per your desire.
10. Add garam masala, lemon juice and mix well.
11. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy.

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Matar Paneer - Light Everyday Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

This matar paneer recipe has been modified for daily family use and is thus not loaded with cream, nut paste and other heavy ingredients that are usually added to rich authentic version of this recipe.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Cottage Cheeses, Mutter Paneer, Paneer

Servings: 6

Calories: 189 kcal

Author: Rupali Agarwal

Ingredients

Produce

• 600 gm Tomato 6 medium size pureed
• 300 gm Green Peas frozen: 2 cups
• 15 gm Ginger 1 inch piece
• 5 gm Green Chilies 2-3 chillies slit into halves - adjust as per spice level
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 15 gm Cilantro Handful chopped

Protein/Dairy & Nuts

• 400 gm Cottage Cheese Paneer: 2 cups cubed
• 75 gm Greek Yogurt ¼ cup strained/hung
• 28 gm Broken Cashews ¼ cup

Spices

• 1 tbsp Ghee Optionally avocado/olive oil
• 1/8 tsp Asafoetida Hing
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds Jeera
• 1/2 tsp Salt Namak
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder Haldi
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder Laal mirch - adjust as per spice level
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder Dhaniya powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Dry mango powder Amchur
• 4 cups Water

Instructions

1. Heat Dutch oven on medium heat and add ghee/oil in it. 

2. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, ginger and green chilis. Sauté for few seconds.

3. Then add nuts and roast for a minute more.

4. Now add tomato puree, give it a good stir, cover it up with a lid and let it cook on medium heat. 

5. Sauté it for around 15-20 minutes or until tomato puree start leaving the pan or start separating the oil from it. Keep stirring in between to prevent the burning. Be careful of the tomato splutters though.

6. Now add hung yogurt and mix well and cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Add all the spices except garam masala, and give it a good stir to mix up all the spices well.

8. Now add green peas and cubed paneer. Stir it and add 4 cups of water.

9. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Simmering is what brings all the flavors out in the dish. If it starts to get too thick, add little more water and adjust the consistency as per your desire. 

10. Add garam masala, lemon juice and mix well.

11. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Matar Paneer - Light Everyday Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 189 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g 12%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 18mg 6%

Sodium 466mg 19%

Potassium 529mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 8g

Protein 13g 26%

Vitamin A 31.2%

Vitamin C 44.9%

Calcium 10.7%

Iron 10.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Link to other recipes that go along with entree to make a complete family meal are given below:

Aloo Shimla Mirch – Bell Pepper Potatoes Stir-Fry

Palak Dal – Spinach Lentil Soup

Cucumber Raita – Greek Yogurt with Cucumber

Avocado Chapati

Perfect Steamed Rice Recipe