My recipe for matar paneer is a breeze to make. One might even say it’s easy peasy. 😏 You can have this dish on your table within minutes, especially if you have my onion masala ready-to-go.
Matar Paneer = Peas and Paneer
The words matar paneer describe the two main ingredients in this dish, peas, and paneer. I almost always have frozen peas in my freezer – they work perfectly here. As for paneer, if you’ve never had it before, it’s a firm block of cheese that’s often used in Indian cuisine. It’s also known as farmer’s cheese. You can make paneer yourself at home or find it at your local Indian grocery store. My Costco actually carriers paneer (Gopi brand), and I’ve seen paneer sold at Whole Foods as well, though it’s far more expensive. Some people refer to paneer as Indian cottage cheese, but to me, the two are nothing alike in flavor or texture. I think of paneer as having the texture of really firm tofu but with a much richer, creamier flavor. Matar paneer is a simple enough dish to make on a weeknight and it’s also special enough to serve to guests. I recently had friends over for dinner and decided on a north Indian menu that included this matar paneer along with Punjabi Kadhi Pakora, Corn Kadai, and Jeera Rice. It was a really nice vegetarian meal. Paneer always makes for a festive vegetarian dish. I hope you love this recipe! Let me know what you think!
ARE YOU DAIRY-FREE? FOLLOW A PALEO DIET?
You can always try my aloo matar recipe! Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later! Or, make my paleo-friendly paneer! The two pictures below are of dairy-free matar paneer. A couple of things to know about my dairy-free paneer recipe: it calls for gelatin and it behaves differently than regular paneer. You’ll want to add it to a slightly cooled curry just prior to serving, otherwise, the dairy-free paneer may melt. If you’re interested in more paleo-friendly Indian recipes, check out my paleo Indian eCookbook, South Asian Persuasion: 100+ Paleo-Friendly Indian Recipes.
