Matar paneer
Matar paneer is a classic vegetarian curry of Indian cheese and peas cooked in a tomato-based sauce. Frying the cheese until golden makes a big difference to the flavour and texture of the curry so don't be tempted to skip that step.
Each serving provides 463 kcal, 33.6g protein, 20.3g carbohydrate (of which 9.7g sugars), 28.7g fat (of which 17.6g saturates), 5.8g fibre and 0.26g salt.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for shallow frying
- 450g/1lb paneer, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1½ tsp crushed dried chillies or ½ chilli, finely chopped (and deseeded, optional)
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stalks separated, both finely chopped
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp garam masala
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú passata
- 250g/9oz frozen peas
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat 5mm/¼in oil in a sauté or deep frying pan over a high heat. To check the oil is hot enough, add a cube of paneer to the oil – it should sizzle if oil is hot enough. Once ready, add the paneer cubes and shallow fry in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning once until golden brown on each side. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the paneer and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
Carefully tip out the oil and return the pan to the heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and fry the onion and cumin seeds over a medium heat for around 6–8 minutes until the onions are soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and coriander stalks and fry for a further minute.
Add the cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, turmeric and garam masala. Season well with salt and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring until the spices are aromatic. Stir in the passata and simmer gently for 10 more minutes.
Add the paneer, mix well and simmer for a few minutes to allow the cheese to take on the flavours. Add a generous splash of water to loosen and then stir in the peas and coriander leaves. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 2–3 minutes to cook the peas. Serve immediately.
