MATAR PANEER

Ingredients

To make a paste

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cup ripe tomatoes
• 8 to 10 cashew nuts or 1.5 tbsp. magaz
• 1 green chili(optional)

other ingredient for gravy

• 1 to 1.5 tbsp butter or oil (or half butter half oil)
• 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 ½ cups paneer/ indian cottage cheese
• 2 green cardamoms
• ½ tsp cumin / jeera (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• half inch cinnamon stick/ dalchini
• 2 cloves/ laung
• ½ to ¾ tsp kashmiri red chili powder
• ¾ to 1 tsp garam masala (or ½ tsp garam masala,½ tsp coriander powder)
• salt as needed
• ¼ tsp kasuri methi
• few coriander leaves chopped finely

optional ingredient

• ¼ cup cream(use for restaurant style)

Instructions

Make a fine paste of onions, tomatoes, chili, cashews.

Optional step. Saute paneer in little oil and keep aside.

Saute cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf in oil for 1 to 2 minutes. Fry ginger garlic paste until the raw smell goes off.

Add the ground paste and fry until it leaves the sides of the pan.

Also the raw smell must disappear. Add chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt. saute for 2 minutes.

Add peas and 1.5 cups water. cook until soft done.

When the gravy thickens, add paneer, kasuri methi. Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes.

Using cream is optional. Pour cream to a bowl, add little gravy and mix well. Stir this in to the pan.

Switch off the stove and add finely coriander leaves.