Mattar Paneer
Description
This arrived in my inbox via NYT Cooking and I adjusted it only slightly to make the recipe a tiny bit quicker. Spice levels are up to you, we loved everything about it – enjoy!
Ingredients
1/4 c. canola oil (or ghee) AND 1/2 lb. (~250 g) paneer, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion AND 1 inch of peeled ginger AND 2 cloves of garlic – all pulsed in a small food processor
1 t. cumin seeds AND 2 t. kosher salt AND 1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. kashmiri (or cayenne, or more to taste) – I left this out on the first try
1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes AND 1/4 c. water (use this to rinse the can first)
2 T. SunButter
2 to 3 c. frozen peas
a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of garam masala for garnish
Instructions
Heat up the oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat and fry the paneer, stirring and flipping continuously, until the cubes are golden on most sides. Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
To the same skillet, add in the finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the mix is well softened, then stir in the cumin seeds, salt, turmeric and red chile (if using). Continue to stir the spices into the onion mix for a good minute until well fragrant and then pour in the tomatoes, use the water to rinse the can and pour in the water. Simmer and stir for several minutes until the mix has come together and also thickened up a bit.
Lower the heat and stir in the SunButter, then the peas and paneer. Swirl in a bit of cream and sprinkle with garam masala and then serve up in dinner bowls with rice or naan.
