Matar Paneer

Name: Matar Paneer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil or ghee; 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; 2-3 cloves garlic; 1 tsp grated ginger; 7-8 ounces (200 g) paneer, cut into cubes; 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen); 2 tbsp char magaz (melon seed mix); 5-6 cashews; 2-3 tbsp water (for blending); ½ tsp cumin seeds; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp cumin powder; ½-1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder; ½ tsp garam masala; to taste Salt; ½-¾ cup water (adjust for desired consistency); 1 tbsp kasuri methi

Curries & Gravies

Protein: Paneer
Complete the plate: Serve with roti or jeera rice
Serves: 2
Hands-on · total: 10 min · 30 min (est.)
Walk-away: No

From my
kitchen

Worth knowing

Matar Paneer is a classic North Indian curry made with soft paneer cubes and sweet green peas in a lightly spiced tomato-onion gravy.
This version skips the heavy cream and instead uses char magaz (melon seeds) or a handful of cashews to create a naturally rich and creamy texture.
For extra flavor and texture, you can lightly sauté the paneer cubes in a little ghee or oil before adding them to the curry. This step is completely optional - using fresh, soft paneer without sautéing also produces a delicious, tender result.
Frozen green peas work perfectly in this recipe, making it an easy and comforting weeknight meal.

Day 2 plan

Reheats well. Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave; add a splash of water if it thickens. Serve with fresh rice, roti, or a different base on day two.

Paneereasy effortweeknight-friendlyleftover-friendlybatch-cookprotein-forward

- Cook this meal

Ingredients & method

Prep

10 mins

Cook

20 mins

Total

30 mins

Serves

scaled from 2 servings - quantities marked “to taste” or “as needed” aren’t adjusted

Ingredients

2 tbspoil or ghee2small onion, roughly chopped4medium tomatoes, roughly chopped4-6 clovesgarlic2 tspgrated ginger14-16 ounces (200 g)paneer, cut into cubes2 cupgreen peas (fresh or frozen)4 tbspchar magaz (melon seed mix)10-12cashews(optional)4-6 tbspwater (for blending)1 tspcumin seeds½ tspturmeric powder2 tspcoriander powder1 tspcumin powder1-2 tspKashmiri chili powder1 tspgaram masalato tasteSalt1-1½ cupwater (adjust for desired consistency)2 tbspkasuri methi

Instructions

01
Blend the char magaz (or cashews) with a few tbsp of water into a smooth paste and set aside.
02
Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
03
Add the onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds.
04
Add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the masala thickens.
05
Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then blend until smooth. Return the blended gravy to the pan.
06
Stir in the char magaz (or cashew) paste along with ½-¾ cup water and bring the gravy to a gentle simmer.
07
Add the green peas and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the paneer cubes and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Finish with garam masala.
08
Garnish with some dried kasuri methi and serve hot with naan, roti, or rice.

Worth knowing

Matar Paneer is a classic North Indian curry made with soft paneer cubes and sweet green peas in a lightly spiced tomato-onion gravy.
This version skips the heavy cream and instead uses char magaz (melon seeds) or a handful of cashews to create a naturally rich and creamy texture.
For extra flavor and texture, you can lightly sauté the paneer cubes in a little ghee or oil before adding them to the curry. This step is completely optional - using fresh, soft paneer without sautéing also produces a delicious, tender result.
Frozen green peas work perfectly in this recipe, making it an easy and comforting weeknight meal.

Day 2 plan

Reheats well. Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave; add a splash of water if it thickens. Serve with fresh rice, roti, or a different base on day two.

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