Melthing matar paneer

“Indian food touches your soul before it touches your taste buds.”

 I think Indian food is the best combination of comfort food to cook and to eat. Take this Matar Paneer for example. While the ingredients maybe many, but it’s mostly a question of just bunging everything into a mixer, whizz it up, simmer and then eat to your heart’s content. There is just something about layering the textures and flavors that we do just right. And of course, I don’t have to especially mention on how well we eat, because that is one of our great skills. And why wouldn’t it be with recipes such as this.

RECIPE

Feeds four for dinner or lunch or anytime of the day

INGREDIENTS

• 100gms paneer, or cottage cheese
• 2 cups green peas
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon hing, or asafetida
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoon oil

For the paste

• 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 5-7 cashews, roughly chopped
• ½ cup coriander stems, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom
• ½ inch cinnamon
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon curd, or yoghurt
• 1/2 cup milk

METHOD

1. In a mixer, put all the ingredient for the paste and blend until a smooth paste forms.
2. In a pot, bring water to boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and green peas. Drain into another pot once the peas are soft. Keep the peas aside but in the same pot with drained water, add the paneer, cubed into 1-inch pieces. Let them soak in the salted hot water for 10-15 mins.
3. In a pan, add oil, cumin, bay leaves and hing. Once the cumin crackle, add the masala paste.
4. Add in all the spice powders along with garam masala, salt, sugar, milk, and half teaspoon of kasuri methi. Stir and simmer for 10-15mins or until the paste is cooked out and leaves oil at sides.
5. Then add in the drained peas and paneer and cook for a further 5-10mins with the lid on.
6. Serve along rotis or rice with a garnish of remaining kasuri methi and coriander leaves.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

1. You can use fresh or frozen peas.
2. For a vegan version, leave out the curd and add a nut milk of choice.
3. For a Jain version, leave out the onion and hinger-garlic paste and add only half an inch ginger piece.