Mattar Paneer (Peas and Paneer in Spiced Tomato Gravy) Recipe (2024)

Much less work and mess: toss the paneer cubes in melted ghee or butter and salt then roast them on parchment paper lined cookie sheet in a 425 degree oven. Check them every 5-7 minutes and take them out when they’re as firmed and browned as you like

Cashews? Cashew butter? Traditional? Not in several decades of eating this dish at home and at numerous friends was this an ingredient. Some celebrity chef decided to add this, and decided it was "traditional." It is excessively decadent. Even the heavy cream is unnecessary -- no need to load on extra fat and calories.

The word Mattar means peas. So if you left out the peas and substituted with greens or potatoes then you would not be making mattar paneer but a different dish.That's perfectly okay, but if you do that, just don't call it mattar paneer when there is no actual mattar in the dish. Call it aloo (potatoes) paneer or saag (greens) paneer, or (ingredient) paneer as the case may be.

I sauté curry leaves first and then green chilies. Then I add diced onions, garlic and ginger pastes. Sauté till golden. Add cumin, coriander, red chili powder, haldi (turmeric) and salt. Then I add paneer which may or may not be fried first. Sauté and then add either 1/2 cup water or milk, cover and cook gently. Then I add baby peas. I often add a sprinkling of fenugreek for added flavor. Add coriander leaves and the dish is ready.

Store-bought paneer can be rubbery. Soak the paneer cubes in hot tap water for 20 minutes, drain and pat dry before pan frying.

Modification:Heat cumin seeds a bit before you add the chili powder. Only heat the chili powder for a few seconds or it burns and can make you cough. Turmeric has health benefits that are destroyed by heat so try adding that toward the end of the dish. How you treat the spices so they maintain their health benefits is an important aspect of Indian cuisine!

This is really bonkers good. I did tofu, probably doubled the spices, grated in a 1” cube of ginger, swapped cashew for half peanut and half almond, and sloshed the cream at it generously. As good as a restaurant.

I am so happy I waited to make this until all the insightful New York Times cooking home cooks added their thoughts and suggestions.Per suggestions - soaked paneer,added curry leaves and coriander. Added potato & zucchini (because I had it in the fridge) cut into paneer size add both after adding the spices. Increased the water content to 1 cup simmered for a half hour then added cashew butter simmered on med/low for 20 - added peas and paneer served over basmati rice. Absolutely delicious.

I followed Erin’s suggestion and roasted the tofu in the oven first. Makes the outside of the pieces nice and crispy. The Ghee adds a nice flavour as well. Took about 30 minutes at 425. Highly recommend this approach even if it adds an extra dish to clean up. Cut up the tofu, lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, tossed the tofu in some salt and melted Ghee and roasted for about 30 minutes. I tossed it during cooking to make sure it is consistently toasty. Delicious!

very good but a little bland - double the spices next time. Made with tofu, wish could find paneer

Peas may be meh if you add them too soon...put them in at the very end, just enough to thaw and warm if they are frozen.

Instead of trying to brown individual cubes of tofu, I cut the brick into three equal planks (horizontal cut), heat up oil on a baking sheet, then put planks on hot sheet and roast until both sides are brown and crispy.

This was even better on day 2. I added fenugreek and coriander as per others’ suggestions and recommend those additions. I also needed to add more water. Great dish.

I used canned tomatoes (12oz whole plum tomatoes, I chopped) which worked out well. I found the end result to need more liquid. Added 1/2 cup more water but could have used even more.

Truly excellent, with tofu and safflower oil. I did use more garlic and ginger though.

Since I didn't have paneer or cashew butter, cubed boneless skinless chicken thighs fried in the oil until slightly browned and smooth peanut butter worked very well, as did aleppo pepper (1/2 tsp)

Roasted paneer in planks separately on sheet pan with parchment paper, slightly over-did it, should have turned more often. Coated them with salted butter. Cut the planks into 1” pieces, wish they had been smaller, maybe 1/2”. Easy to cut, did not crumbleDid not use cashew butter or creamUsed diced tomatoes, could have used more liquidUsed immersion blender but it splattered everywhere (need deeper liquid)

Got a much better result the second time around by roasting the paneer. Delicious!

Pureeing the sauce before adding the peas was a fantastic suggestion. I will do that from now on.

Will coconut milk work instead of heavy cream?

Like many others, I got splattered with hot ghee when turning so be careful. Delicious recipe but mine was nowhere near as saucy as the photo appears and I followed it to the letter. Might be saucier with a different type of tomato, or in-season. Honestly, jarred tomatoes would be faster and probably give more liquid

This was excellent. I skipped the heavy cream and used grapeseed oil instead of ghee. We're on a low cholesterol / saturated fats diet and this was still delicious. Before putting the tofu back in, I gave the cooked tomatoes and onions a quick pulse or three in the blender and I was pleased with the restaurant-like appearance that gave the sauce.

We really enjoyed this recipe. I might try adding curry leaves next time per another recommendation. I pureed the sauce with an immersion blender before adding back the paneer this gave the sauce a nice texture and helped meld the flavors.

Think I used hot smoked paprika for the Kashmiri chili. Maybe try part tofu and part paneer. Prob served with naan. We likely ate whole recipe. What about sugar snaps for the peas? Broccoli salad would be good compliment.

I just love this recipe. I've used both tofu and paneer, and prefer paneer, soaked for about 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry before frying. It's much less rubbery. Sometimes I use roma tomatoes, but mostly I use crushed canned tomatoes (15oz) and just omit the water or add a little as needed. It never looks smooth like the photo; I have to blend it with an immersion blender, but it's great that way. Use 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp cayenne for some kick.

I didnt have garam masala nor kashmiri and I am afraid that is why it tasted a little bland. But the textures are incredible and it was very satisfying.

Absolutely delicious! So comforting and creamy! I used cashew cream, maybe a full cup (made with about 1/2 c raw cashew blended with 1/2 c water), in place of heavy cream and cashew butter, and folded in at the end. Love the contrast between the crunch of the peas and silkiness of sauce. Highly recommend!

This has become a go-to quick meal for us, and it works so well for leftovers too. As a white girl I'm so happy I've finally found an Indian meal that I can make without spending hours to try to get it right. My only change is to use an immersion blender to blend about 1/2 of the sauce, leaving some veggies intact, before adding peas & paneer (we use tofu). Blending part of the sauce just makes it thicker & creamier which I love.

This was a hit in our house. I used an immersion blender after adding the tomatoes and love the smooth consistency. Added a chili oil crunch (jarred) for a hit of spice and crunch. Yum!

I blend the tomato & onion so the gravy becomes thick & velvety and my kid will eat it. I find you don’t need the cream or much cashew butter if you do it that way. That said, both do add decadence to the dish so I still recommend including especially if you’re pleasing a crowd.