Mattar Paneer

Mattar Paneer is a North Indian dish. I have made paneer dishes like Tangy Paneer , Paneer Bhurji, and Paneer Masala. This time I wanted to try something different. When I researched this recipe, I found several different ways to make it. One was with cream, which I preferred not to use because of its heaviness. Then along came Manjula's recipe, which is listed below with a few minor changes to suit our tastes.

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
2" piece of ginger
4-5 cloves of garlic
4 green chilies
200g of frozen peas (which is about 7.5 oz. Manjula uses 12 oz.)
200g block of paneer
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tbso corn starch
Salt per taste
1/2 tsp sugar

1. Make a paste of the onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Keep aside.
2. Puree the tomatoes and keep aside.
3. Chop block of paneer into long thick strips.
4. Heat up griddle. Lather about 1-2 tbsp oil on griddle, speading it out. Lay the strips of paneer on the griddle and shallow fry until golden brown. Turn over and shallow fry other side. When both sides cooked, remove from pan. Once the paneer cools down, chop the paneer strips into 1/2" cubes. Keep to side.
5. Heat oil in pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Then add the onion-ginger-garlic-chili paste and sautee for about a minute or two.
6. Next add the tomato puree along with about 1/2 cup water. Close lid and let come to boil.
7. Check back 2-3 minutes later. Once the tomatoes have reduced, add the turmeric, coriander, red chili powders, garam masala, salt and sugar. Also add the peas and cubed paneer. Mix well and close lid again to let gravy continue to boil.
8. Now mix the corn starch with 3-4 tbsp of water to make a thin paste. Add to pot to thicken the gravy. Close lid and let continue to boil on low heat.
9. Mattar paneer is ready once the peas are soft and tender. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis/parathas.

Step 3 is where I messed up. I proceeded to chop the paneer into cubes before shallow frying, which made it a little difficult. It would have been easier to just follow Manjula's recipe so I will have to remember that next time. Other than that, we ate this with spicy yogurt (cilantro chutney mixed with yogurt .. yes, I was too lazy to add any veggies!) and roti, and it tasted delish! You can watch the above recipe step by step on YouTube by visiting Manjula's Kitchen at www.manjulaskitchen.com