Matar paneer is a popular North Indian dish featuring soft paneer cheese and green peas cooked in a mildly spiced tomato and onion gravy. The paneer is fried until golden, while the peas are blanched for a fresh pop of colour. A luscious cashew paste adds richness to the curry, which is fragrant with cumin, turmeric, red chillies, garam masala and fenugreek leaves from Sunrise. Serve piping hot with rice or roti.
Sunrise tip: For a restaurant-style finish, soak the fried paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before adding it to the gravy. This keeps it soft and moist.
Time: 3 minutes
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 2–3 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Time: 6 minutes
In a dry pan, roast the cashews on low heat for 4–5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, grind the nuts into a fine paste with 1–2 tbsp water. Set aside.
Time: 6 minutes
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the paneer cubes and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the edges are golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
Time: 15 minutes
Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan. Add the Sunrise Jeera seeds and let sputter for 30 seconds.
Add the onion, ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for 5–6 minutes until golden, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking.
Add the tomato paste and salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until the oil starts to separate from the mixture.
Stir in the Sunrise Haldi Powder, Sunrise Lal Mirch Powder, and ¼ cup water. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes more.
Time: 15 minutes
Add the ground cashew paste to the gravy base. Stir well and cook for 1–2 minutes.
Gently add the fried paneer and blanched peas. Pour in ½ to 1 cup water to reach your desired gravy consistency.
Simmer for 6–8 minutes on low heat until the paneer is soft and the flavours have melded.
Sprinkle in the Sunrise Shahi Garam Masala. Crush the Surise Kasuri Methi between your palms and add to the pan. Stir well and remove from heat.
Transfer the matar paneer to a serving dish. If desired, drizzle 2 tbsp cream on top.
Serve hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, roti, naan, or paratha. A simple kachumber salad makes a refreshing accompaniment.
Bread: Tandoori roti, Butter naan, Lachha paratha
Rice: Steamed basmati rice, Jeera rice, Vegetable pulao