Matar Paneer

200 grams paneer
1 cup peas or matar - fresh or frozen
2 to 21/2 cups water
½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp punjabi garam masala powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 or 3 tbsp oil or ghee
a few coriander leaves for garnishing
salt as required
sugar as required and optional (check notes)

ingredients for the masala paste:

3 medium sized ripe red tomatoes, chopped
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
½ inch ginger, chopped
2-3 garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander, chopped
5-6 whole cashews, chopped

Blend all the ingredients mentioned under masala paste in a small grinder or blender to a smooth paste. keep aside.
Heat oil or ghee. add ½ tsp cumin seeds. add the masala paste.
Fry for 6-7 minutes on a medium flame till the oil separates from the paste.
Add all the dry spice powders and stir. add the peas or matar, water and salt.
Pressure cook till the matar/peas are cooked. (check notes below on how to cook in a pan.)
When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
Add the paneer cubes. simmer for 2-3 minutes or till the paneer cubes get cooked.
Don't overcook as the paneer becomes dense and hard then.
Garnish matar paneer with coriander leaves.
Serve matar paneer with rotis, parathas, naan or rice.

Notes
1. if making matar paneer recipe in a pan, then first fry the masala paste in the pan. add the dry spice powders and stir. add the matar/peas, salt and about 21/2 cups water. close the pan and cook the peas till they become soft. if the curry dries up whilst cooking, add more water.
2. if the tomatoes are tart, then sweeten the gravy by adding some sugar.

Serving Size: 4 Servings

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LORILIPS.