Easy Mattar Paneer (restaurant-style!)

Mattar paneer is a delicious Indian curry recipe made with peas and a soft cheese called paneer (although tofu is a good substitute). The sauce is similar to a butter chicken sauce and is so tasty. We've simplified the cooking method to make it easy to make and it is every bit as good as any restaurant mattar paneer!

Curry is best served on a bed of steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice. If you love paneer, you may also want to try our easy palak paneer.

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Mattar paneer, matar paneer, or mutter paneer, no matter how you spell it one thing is for certain … it's delicious!

But most mattar paneer recipes border on too complicated to try to make at home. Which is silly because we've figured out how to streamline the cooking process into just 4 steps so that it's easy to make.

How to make restaurant-style mattar paneer at home

1. Soak the paneer in cold water. This helps to soften it so it will taste more like homemade paneer.
2. Cook the onions, garlic, and ginger until deliciously well-browned. Add the spices to cook off their raw flavor for about 1 minute.
3. Blend the onions with some canned tomatoes to create the sauce. Then pour the sauce back into the pan.
4. Now all that you have to do is add the softened paneer, peas, and some yogurt and warm the curry.

See how easy it is to make this curry recipe?

Full recipe in the recipe card below.

Which spices are used in mattar paneer?

We use cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. The curry also gets a ton of flavor from the well-browned onions, ginger, and garlic.

How long will this curry keep?

Mattar paneer will keep for 5-6 days in a covered container in your fridge and it tastes even better the day after you make it. Reheat it either in a microwave or with a splash of water in a pan on the stove.

Can I freeze mattar paneer?

Yes! This recipe freezes very well. We love these big reusable Stasher Bags for freezing leftovers.

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Mattar Paneer Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Mattar paneer is a delicious Indian curry recipe made with peas and a soft cheese called paneer (although tofu is a good substitute). The sauce is similar to a butter chicken sauce and is so tasty. We've simplified the cooking method to make it easy to make and it's every bit as good as any restaurant mattar panner. 

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.95 stars (50 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 package paneer, 350 grams – see notes
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons EACH: ground cumin and coriander
• 1 teaspoon EACH: turmeric and garam masala
• 14 ounce can tomatoes, fire roasted, if possible
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions 

• Cut the paneer into cubes, put them in a bowl, and cover them with cold water. (This helps to soften store-bought paneer.)
  1 package paneer
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook until the onion is well browned, about 8 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala and let the spices cook for 1 minute. 
  1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 medium onion, 2 tablespoons minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons EACH: ground cumin and coriander, 1 teaspoon EACH: turmeric and garam masala
• Transfer the onions to a blender. Add the tomatoes and blend on high until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan. 
  14 ounce can tomatoes
• Stir in the peas and yogurt. Drain the paneer and add it to the pan then heat the curry gently over medium heat. Add up to ½ cup of water to thin the curry, if needed. Season with salt, to taste.
  1 cup frozen peas, ½ cup plain yogurt

Notes

If you can't find paneer, medium tofu makes a great substitute. Skip soaking it and simply add it at the end with the peas and yogurt and let it warm through. 

PAIR WITH STEAMED BASMATI RICE OR CAULIFLOWER RICE

Serving: 1 ½ cups, Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 42mg, Potassium: 244mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 322IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 494mg, Iron: 2mg

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