Mutter Paneer

The Mutter Paneer masala recipe is tasty and easy. Paneer is a good source of calcium. Paneer is low in calories and is easily digestible.

Mutter Paneer is one of my favorite dishes, which I prefer in a restaurant. Every bite will get us out of the world….Yes, I mean it. It’s healthy, too. Paneer and peas combos play a perfect role and make this matar paneer recipe extraordinary. Here we go for the recipe.

Other side dish that could perfectly match roti along with this paneer masala is Baingan Subzi, Gobi Manchurian, and Malai Kofta.

What is Mutter Paneer

This is a traditional Indian curry made with cottage cheese cubes in simple onion and tomato gravy. It is a flavorful side dish that is best to pair up with any Indian flatbread or with rice. This makes your regular dinner a fantastic dinner.

Paneer is the Indian-style cottage cheese, which is the most popular and widely used throughout the country. Furthermore, this is also considered the best vegetarian substitution for the meat.

Mutter is the Hindi word for Green Peas. The green peas and paneer are inseparable combos, which supplement each other in the taste, texture, and look of this paneer butter masala.

If you are familiar with Indian restaurants, you might have noticed that the side dishes often have the choice of substituting meat with Paneer. In simple words, this is good to use and great in taste.

The Paneer holds its shape even after cooking, which is best for making the side dish, and has a great chewy texture.

What does this Paneer Mutter Masala taste like?

This simple Indian side dish recipe tastes exceptionally delicious, with bold Indian flavors. The paneer has a soft and chewy texture and tastes rich and creamy. The curry retains the green pea’s natural mild sweetness.

If you think about any Indian curry, this is how it does taste like. If you are exploring Indian cuisine after your recent visit to an Indian restaurant, this is probably the curry recipe you should start with.

This restaurant-style recipe is made more straightforward, making it possible for everyone to try it, even those new to Indian cooking.

Key Ingredients

This restaurant-style matar paneer recipe needs a few authentic Indian ingredients. We will see where to get them and their substitutions available.

Paneer. Cottage cheese is the primary ingredient in the mutter paneer. You can get them in the nearby Indian stores. They carry them in the frozen aisle. Or you can also make them at home. Making at home is super easy and cost-effective, and there is no need to run to the grocery store when you plan to make this recipe. Thus, you can use a store-bought paneer or a homemade one depending on your preference.

Green peas. You may use this universal ingredient as fresh or frozen. You can get the store-bought frozen peas and reserve them for up to 4 months.

Red chili powder. You cannot find any Indian recipe without this super essential ingredient. This is the sole ingredient for making any Indian recipe hot and gives a nice reddish tint to the dish. Suppose this is not available to you. You may use paprika and cayenne powder.

The whole Spices. I have used cinnamon and aniseed for the flavor. The entire spices have to be fried in oil for the rich aroma. But you may use half a teaspoon of garam masala instead. If you are substituting whole spices with garam masala powder, sprinkle on the gravy at the final stages of cooking.

Ginger and garlic. I have used them as grated in this recipe, which gives a robust flavor. But you may also use the store-bought ginger garlic paste for quick cooking.

Cilantro. Cilantro is the coriander leaves. Garnish the curry with fresh cilantro, which blends well with the curry's taste and aroma. This herb is added for its flavor and appetitive look to mutter paneer.

How to make

Paneer is available as cubed or as a solid block. If you have a big block of paneer, cut them into small bite-size cubes.

Then, shallow fry them in a tablespoon of cooking oil. Shallow frying gives a firm texture.

Blanch the tomato and grind it in the blender. You may also use diced canned tomatoes. For blanching, cook the tomato in boiling water for 2-3 min—no need to peel off the skin in this recipe.

Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan with cinnamon star anise. Fry until they become brown.

Then, add finely chopped onion, followed by grated ginger and garlic. You may also use the readymade ginger garlic paste. 

Once the onion becomes translucent, add red chili powder and coriander powder. Fry them for 30 seconds without burning them.

Add tomato puree, green peas, and half a cup of water.

After the gravy thickens, add cottage cheese and kitchen king masala.  Cook it for 5 min on medium flame. If needed, adjust the consistency with water.

Once it reaches the desired consistency, switch off the flame and add fresh cream garnished with cilantro. The new cream brings you a restaurant-like taste. But it is purely optional.

Serve Paneer Mutter Masala with hot roti and fried rice.

Other classic curry recipes you may like,

• South Indian fish curry recipe
• Cabbage curry
• Potato peas curry
• Avial recipe
• Rajma masala

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