Recipe of Matar Paneer - How to Make Matar Paneer

B) Ingredients Needed for Making the Paste Component in Matar Paneer Recipe

1) Onion – 2 medium sized in number (cut into small pieces)

2) Ginger – ½ inch in length (cut into pieces)

3) Garlic – 6 to 7 cloves in number

4) Tomato – 1 large size in number (cut into small pieces)

5) Cumin seeds – 1/4^th teaspoon

6) Cashew nuts – 50 grams

7) Raisins – 20 grams

8) Edible oil/Ghee/Butter – 1 tablespoon

9) Water – 1/4^th cup (for grinding the complete mixture)

The Procedure – How to Make Matar Paneer at Home

Before we go on to discuss in detail how to make Matar Paneer at home, a few basic tips would be useful. 

• If Butter or Ghee is used for cooking in Matar Paneer recipe then the final taste obtained after preparation of this dish is certainly much better, when compared to a recipe of Matar paneer using edible oil as its cooking medium.
   
• However, for many people who are under dietic restrictions for various reasons, for them, butter or ghee is not advisable. For these categories of people, the recipe for Matar Paneer should substitute low cholesterol oil in place of butter or ghee.
   
• However, here it would be important to make it very clear that in our preparation/recipe of Matar Paneer butter has been used. Reader’s discretion is advised.
   
• If frozen Matar is used in the recipe for Matar paneer, then it should be first washed in plain water for 2 to 3 times and then dipped in hot water for 15 minutes and later the water discarded.

A) Preparation of Sauce of Matar Paneer Recipe

• In our recipe for Matar Paneer, we start the procedure by preparing the sauce component of Matar Paneer first.
   
• For the above purpose, 1 tablespoon butter is taken in a non-stick pan, put on the medium flame burner. As the butter starts to melt then 1/4^th teaspoon cumin seeds are put into it. When the cumin seeds start to change its color then onion pieces are added to it. It is stirred for 2 to 3 minutes until its color becomes glossy.
   
• As the onion changes to the desired color then ginger pieces and garlic cloves are added to it and the mixture is kept on stirring, till its pungent smell disappears. Next tomato pieces and raisins are added to the previous mixture and the stirring continued for 2 to 3 minutes. The burner is now switched off and cashew nuts are added into the mixture & the mixture is mixed uniformly. Later it is allowed to cool at room temperature.
   
• Once the above mixture gets cooled then it is transferred into a grinder and the components are ground after adding 1/4^th cup of water to it, to make a smooth paste. This paste is transferred into a bowl from the grinder and is kept aside.

B) Recipe for Matar Paneer – The Final Steps

•  Now we have reached the most important part of the preparation in Matar Paneer recipe.
   
• A non-stick pan is put on a low medium flamed burner. Now 1 tablespoon butter is put on it and allowed to get warm.
   
• Once the butter melts down after warming, then bay leaf & 1 big pinch of cumin seeds are put into it. When cumin seeds color begins to change then turmeric powder, cumin powder & coriander powder is added one by one and stirring continued for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
• Later washed green peas (Matar) are added to the above mixture and it is sautéed for 2 minutes till it mixes with the spices properly. Next chili powder & the previously (initially) prepared sauce is added to the peas (Matar) mixture and mixed uniformly.
   
• Next 1/4^th cup of water is added to the mixture, along with salt and sugar. The mixture is allowed to boil (cook) in low flame, till the Matar (green peas) gets softened.
   
• When the green peas (Matar) get softened then garam masala powder & paneer cubes are added to the preparation and they are mixed by a very light hand. The boiling is continued for another few minutes (approximately 1 to 2 minutes).

• Next, the burner is switched off.
   
• Finally, Kasuri methi (dry Fenugreek leaves) powder and fresh cream are added to it and the components again mixed uniformly by a very light hand.
   
• Now the preparation is ready for consumption and so shifted into a serving bowl.
   
• In India, Matar Paneer is taken along with plain rice, jeera rice, roti, chapati, nan & paratha.