Muttar Paneer – easily one of the most loved Indian vegetarian curries! This recipe has a refreshing mint and cilantro flavor that is just out of this world and a great variation to the traditional tomato based dish.
Ingredients:
Oil – 2 tbsp
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1″pc.
Cloves – 2
Green Cardamom – 2
Onions – 1 large, chopped
Garlic – 2 large cloves
Ginger – 1″ pc.
Green Chili – to taste
Mint – handful
Cilantro – 1/2 cup, packed
Paneer – 1/2 pkt (7-8 oz), cubed
Salt – to taste
Black Cumin – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Frozen Green Peas – 16 oz pkt
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Heavy Cream – 3 tbsp
Water – as needed
Method:
1. Heat a medium size pan on medium heat.
2. Add in the Oil and allow it to heat up.
3. Cook and stir the Paneer in the Oil till it is golden in color.
4. Take out the Paneer on a paper towel and keep aside.
5. In the remaining Oil add in the chopped Onions and stir for a minute.
6. Add in the Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilies.
7. Cook till the Onions are cooked and have a nice brown color.
8. Take it off the flame and allow the Onions to cool down.
9. Meanwhile, soak the fried Paneer in room temperature water.
10. In a blender, grind the Onions, Cilantro and Mint – in that order.
11. Heat the balance of the Oil (add a tsp more if need be).
12. Once hot, add in Shahi Jeera (Black Cumin) and allow them to splutter.
13. Add in the Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Green Cardamoms and Cloves, cook for 30 secs.
14. Add in the Turmeric Powder and then the Ground Mixture.
15. Cook for a minute or so and add in the Green Peas.
16. Mix well and add in water (enough to cook the Peas).
17. Add in the Red Chili Powder and Salt. Mix well.
18. Cover and cook until the Peas are tender (approx 5-7 minutes).
19. Gently squeeze the water out of the Paneer and put it in with the Peas.Mix well.
20. Lower heat and add in the well-beaten Yogurt/Curd and Heavy Cream.Mix well.
21. Add in Garam Masala and Water (if required).
22. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
23. Serve hot with Chapatis or Rice. Serves 4.
Hi guys. Made this a couple nights ago and loved it (love mint) however I have one question. You ask to soak the paneer in room temperature water which i understand is to soften it. I have seen a lot of other sites mention to soak in hot salted water. Do you know the differences in each method? Also, how long should it be soaked for?
Hi.. I tried this dish yesterday it came out very well… It was awesome…..Thanks for your recipe 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Sheela!
Hi hetal n anuja,
Firstly I love ur website n it’s helped me loads.
I have a query n wud b very helpful if I can get ur help.
I live in London n m hosting a christmas dinner for a wonderful English couple who love our cuisine.
M planning to make mutter paneer as one of my main course dish but m worried tat the green peas here which r naturally sweet will sweeten up the dish instead of bein spicy. Any idea how I can reduce the sweetness of green peas.
Thanks ever soo much in advance
N merry Christmas n a very happy new year to ur families
Hi Jyotsna,
Sorry for the late response…we were on vacation.
If the peas are naturally sweet, you can counter it with a dash of lemon or lime juice.
Thank u !
Hope u guys had a lovely vacation 🙂
Dear Hetal & Anuja,
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. I made this last weekend and my kid just loved it. Of course me too 🙂
Also, can you suggest me what kind of pan I can use for making dosa. At present I am using an iron tawa for rotis/chapathis/parathas and non stick for dosa. But the non stick seems to wear off very soon. Is aniodised good option? Like your tips on this.
Hi Aruna,
We use a cast iron pan for dosa. It is the best for its long lasting quality (indestructible) and for crispy dosa texture.
Hi,
This is the first recipe i have tried form this site and it was awesome. My husband doesnot like paneer or mattar (much to my dismay as i love them).BUT, this one he loved.I didnot have to coax him to eat it at all.
I loved the way you both presented the recipe. Looking forward to try many more from this site.
A huge thank you 🙂
Have a nice day 🙂
Ladies – another wonderful recipe! It’s so refreshing to be able to eat Matar Paneer and actually taste the peas! I made this for a fairly large gathering and it was a huge hit (not surprising!). Personally, I usually avoid Matar Paneer in spite of being a HUGE paneer lover simply because the tomato gravy typically overwhelms the dish. Not this time though – rest assured, from now on, this will be my go-to recipe for Matar Paneer. Thanks again!
It is a pleasure to watch both of you cook. You do a clean job..especially not tasting anything with a spoon and putting it back in the pan! I like that very much and mention that to my teen daughter who watches too many Western cooking shows!! Thank you. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Usha! Maybe your daughter will switch over to us one day :).
Thanx! I hope so too. :))
Question: Is an electric roti/tortilla maker a good investment? I have always done by hand…but I thought it might be convenient for larger quantities. Do the chappatis taste the same as hand-rolled ones? I do have a manual puri press in cast iron but in spite of using wax paper on both sides, chappathis don’t come out big and they stick sometimes. What are your thoughts/suggestions? Thanx.
Thanx! I hope so too. )
Question: Is an electric roti/tortilla maker a good investment? I have always done by hand…but I thought it might be convenient for larger quantities. Do the chappatis taste the same as hand-rolled ones? I do have a manual puri press in cast iron but in spite of using wax paper on both sides, chappathis don’t come out big and they stick sometimes. What are your thoughts/suggestions? Thanx.
Hi Usha,
We have not used an electric roti maker for rotis so unfortunately, cannot comment. Sorry. Some people swear by it for making pani puris though :).
Usha – I do have a roti maker and I use it regularly when I’m making puris, not for rotis or parathas though. We also use it to make puris for pani puri.
For regular puri/luchi, I keep the machine plugged in and work fast. If I have someone helping to fry, then it’s no issue – the puris go straight into the oil. If not, I “roll” all of the puris first, and let them cool slightly prior to stacking them up. The nice thing about having the slight heat is that it keeps the puris from sticking together. With this method, you can also make a large quantity and freeze them in small batches. I wrap them in aluminum foil and then put them in a freezer bag. If you make packets of small batches, you can pull out only as much as you need, thaw in the fridge, and fry.
When using it for pani puri, I plug it in only until it’s heated and then unplug. I usually only do 5 or so puris at a time in the warm roti maker and keep going until the machine has cooled down. At that point, you simply pug it in again to heat up and repeat. For this, it’s really important to have someone doing the frying as, after many trials, we’ve learned that the puris don’t puff up well when they’ve cooled down completely out of the roti maker.
Anyway, I hope all of this helps. For the $25-30 that the appliance costs, IMHO it’s completely worth the investment. Good luck!
Thanks so much Mona! That was very useful information.
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
I just want to say thank you for your website. I am vegetarian and love Indian food and always found it too intimidating until I found you. The recipes are good, but the videos showed me how easy it can be to cook healthy, fresh Indian food at home.
Last night I looked in the fridge and had peas and paneer (and not much else) so searched the site and found this recipe. It was simple and very tasty, the mint really makes it. My husband loved it, and keeps praising me for it!
I love too that you give ‘healthier’ alternatives as you explain the recipes. Thank you!
Dianne
Hi Dianne,
Feedback like yours makes our day. Our goal is to make Indian food approachable for everyone from every walk of life, so we love to hear that our efforts are paying off. Thanks!
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
I love your website and all of your videos. I tried making this dish, and it was good, but I think I probably didn’t put in enough salt. I’m new to Indian cooking, so I’m not sure how much salt will make it taste right. Could you tell me about how much salt you think you put in when you make this dish? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer,
Salt is such a personal taste but we will try and do that when we can… 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
hi
can you let me know the tomato version as well as it is more popular than this
shobana
Hi! I’m great fan of your recipies…you both are doing great job.
I have a question- can i make this dish without using mint? Please answer as i am thinking to make this dish today for some guests but dont have mint.
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!I tried this recipe today and it came out really well.
I live in US. Can you suggest me a brand of Garam masala powder? I currently use Everest and I dont like it that much.
Thanks,
Padma
Hi Padma,
We grind our own and keep. Here is the recipe:
https://34.233.61.50/odds-ends/basic-garam-masala.html
Hope that helps!
I would like to use Tofu instead of paneer. Is it the same process (frying and soaking)?
Hi Laxmi,
You would not have to soak the tofu.
thanks for your reply.
I got firm tofu. Shall I put it in the freezer for extra firmness.
Though we’ve never tried it, some people say that if you freeze tofu and then defrost it, the texture becomes more chewy and holds up better.
Hi,
I tried this recipe for the first time and it was a hit! Thank you so much! Can we substitute paneer with any other veg like mushroom/aloo?? If so, what would you recommend as a substitute for Paneer?
Thanks once again!
Hi Malar,
Yes, mushrooms or potatoes would be good substitutes. Please note that the cooking time would be different and you would not be able to add them in like you do the paneer.
Thank you Hetal! I shall try these options too!
hi hetal and anuja
I have seen your site few weeks ago and have been trying your dishes almost everyday. My family loved it.
Just one ques whenever I put yoghurt in curries it splits. is there any particular reason for that and can i do something to avoid it, cos it gives a split kind of look instead of creamy.
I have found that making sure the yogurt is at room temperature helps. Otherwise, the yogurt kind of curdles when it hits the hot curry.
That is an excellent tip, Jennifer. Thanks for pointing that out 🙂
achaaa….superfood! i’m eating this wonderful dish right NOW! it’s just fantastic, and so easy (once you have all the spices 🙂
THANK YOU! and keep on showing us curries…
LOVE from Belgium,
celeste and wim
Hi Celeste and Wim,
Glad you are enjoying the dish 🙂
hello Hetal and Anuja,
Its a really great recipe!! I and my husband love it. Mint is just too good. 1 qstn : initially couple of times I didnt feel it, but since few times every time I make it, the gravy starts turning dark… just like how green chutney starts getting dark if we keep it out of fridge… why this is happening. I love the curry so much but before serving its appearance changes so much… that I dont feel like serving to guests… please suggest something to me.
thank you!!
Veena
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
This may seem like a stupid question but I’m new at this. After you add the cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf, do you just leave them in whole? It seems that way from the recipe but that doesn’t seem practical. Can you please explain?
Thanks,
Ann
Hi Ann,
No question is ever stupid 🙂
When we add whole spices to the hot oil, they flavor the oil (which in turn flavors the curry). When the rest of the ingredients are added, the whole spices further release their subtle flavors into the curry. These whole spices (except the cumin) are not meant to be eaten. Some people remove them before serving but most people will know not to eat them even if they get it on their plate.
This was an interesting twist on the traditional matar paneer. I followed the recipe exactly but didn’t find this version to be great. It was rather disappointing. I’ll stick with the tomato version.
Good job with innovation!
Hello Hetal & Anuja,
I had some family get together this weekend & I made this recipe . They all just loved it.
My husband just loved it & keep on praising again & again because it’s a little bit different recipe for Matar Panneer:)
Thank a lot to you guys!!!
I am going to try Samosa recipe now. Looks like my day started with you guys now 🙂
Keep going.
Shaveta
Hi,
Tried your matar paneer recipe. it was quite a twist from the regular recipe i make and it turned out so well; though I couldn’t help adding a tomato to the recipe! It was yummy, Thanks….
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Loves this variation with mint! I tried it today without Yoghurt or cream (as I did not have either), but still it came out fantastic !
Just a few unanswered Qs –
1. Why is the paneer soaked in water?
2. Why should Onions, Cilantro and Mint be ground in that order? How does the order matter?
– Regards,
Bhakti
Hi Bhakti,
We soak the paneer to soften it. When the paneer is fried or sauteed, it forms a hard crust. This is a benefit to keep it from falling apart in your dish but you don’t want paneer to be hard. Also, all the excess oil from frying gets removed.
The order of the onions, cilantro and mint really doesn’t matter. We mention this for those who are new to the kitchen. If you put onions first in the blender, the grinding process is much smoother than if you put a leafy ingredient first.
hi anuja/hetal, can we use ricotta cheese instead of heavy creme ?
thank you for providing wonderful recipes.
Hi Pari,
Ricotta cheese has a very different (almost grainy) texture than heavy cream which is very smooth. You could probably add some ricotta cheese to it but you’ll get something different.
A big hi from Eateastindian
Great site ladies. Keep up the good work. We’ve just launched out East Indian restaurants website. Visit us at: http://www.eateastindian.com
We will appreciate it if you can please share it with your readers as it will be a resourceful guide for them and help us promote East Indian Food.
Thanks from your East Indian friends!
We will and wish you all the best. Thanks!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I just got married recently and I’ve been having a bit of my own adventure in the kitchen. Thanks to you two, I’ve been really serving it up! 🙂 You two are a great team and a pleasure to watch!
My question is, my husband I both are into meditation/yoga, which inadvertently has steered us away from eating garlic/onion. (ginger is ok)
Can you recommend what to substitute for the flavors (such as increasing the masalas or any other suggesstions?)
Thanks!
Mena
Hi Mena,
It is very hard to substitute the flavor of garlic or onions, but if you don’t use them, it doesn’t mean that the food will be flavorless. Be careful adding more spices as they will just make your food spicier – not necessarily more flavorful. Some people use asafoetida (hing) to get the pungent flavor.
hi hetal n anuja..
can i use cooked or boiled peas to tis recipe??
or is thr any specific reason of usin raw peas n thn allow it to cook???
thanks
When I try to make paneer kabab. Panner always brake when I put them in skuwer.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I love your website.i have tried out many dishes .My family loves it…i want to thank you guys ,for ur recipes…you both are wonderful…thanxs
Hi Hetal and Anuja!
I just made your Mutter Paneer recipe and it was a great success! It also makes a lot, so I have lots of leftovers, which I greatly appreciate. I was wondering if you have any plans to add a breakfast section to the website- I’m very interested in Indian breakfast food since everything else is so good!
Thanks a lot!
Chris
Hi Chris,
We have a lot of dishes on our website that can be served for breakfast! Here are some options:
-Upma
-Seviya Upma
-Idli
– Aloo Parathas
– Egg Parathas
– Bhurji
Above are only to name a few…there is lot more, go ahead and explore the site;)
If you have something specific in mind, do request it and we’ll put it on our list!
hi anju,
well requesting u to put sum good pasta recepies with different sauce as i always use white sauce now looking for some different thing plzzz do add asap.
also can u plzz let me knw is it possible to store white sauce in freese for a week or two if so how
thanking u
deepa
Hi Deepa,
Have you tried our Penne Pasta? Here is the link: https://34.233.61.50/fusion/penne-pasta-italian-vegetarian-recipe.html
White sauce will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about a week. If you intend to keep it longer, you can freeze it. The texture will not be exactly the same as fresh, but it’s passable for a quick fix. Be sure to defrost it slowly otherwise it may separate. You can transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before and let it thaw.
Hi Sujatha,
You can grind the peas, but the texture may be a little different. We all have done anything and everything to get our kids to eat their veggies so if your daughter likes it, by all means, grind it!
Hi Hetal and Anuja
Thank you the great receipe. It is my daughter’s favorite. I have done with tomato, can’t wait to try this method. She will eat the panneer and leave the peas. I just want to know is it OK to add 1/2 cup of peas while cooking the onion, cook them well and grind it as u said.
I just don’t want my daugther to miss out the nutrients of the peas.
Thank you
Sujatha
Hi Malini,
Black cumin is also called Shahi Jeera. It is used a lot in pulao and other rice dishes. If you don’t have it, you can definitely use the regular cumin.
hey hetal and anuja,
i haven’t tried this recipe yet but it sounds delicious! i have a question though…what is the difference between black cumin and regular cumin? can you substitute regular cumin for the black variety? i saw black cumin at the indian store, but didn’t end up buying it because it was a big bag and i don’t know of any recipes that call for it. what else can you make with black cumin?
i love your site. thanks you two!
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
I made this recipe for my family for Thanksgiving dinner and they absolutely loved it – the flavor combination was fantastic. However, I had one question: I found that the cilantro-mint-onion base ended up being more of a paste, as opposed to a gravy as depicted in the video – even when I tried adding some more water to it to thin it out. Could that be due to the use of cream (I substituted evaporated milk)? or is there any other way to get the same gravy-like consistency while still using a healthy substitute for cream?
hi anuja n hetal,
have been looking ur website since i started cooking.
u people r just wonderful.
i have a doubt,,, in this dish u have fried and soaked the paneer but in tangy paneer dish u have just used it as it is? y is it? is there any specific reason? can i use raw ones in this mattar paneer dish?
Thanks,
saveetha
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
I tried this one and it came very good. The taste was supereb. The only thing I felt was the paneer wasnt soft enough. I did soak it in water after frying them. Does it have anything to do with the brand of paneer?
Thanks for this wonderful dish.
Thanks,
Pavithra
hi mam!!!
I tried this dish last week!! trust me it was awesome!! im not going to make the tomato version hereafterwards!! The mint flavour just did some magic!!! 🙂 i used tofu (extra ¨firm) instead of paneer and..still the dish tasted heavenly!!!
thanks once again!!!
Priya
I tried this recipie.. it was awesome.. I have always tried the tomato version but this one is lot better than that.
Thanks for the recipe, this was delicious! I love the site and appreciate the calorie consciousness. Keep up the good work.
Hi Indira,
A good substitute for heavy whipping cream is evaporated milk. It is available in the same aisle as condensed milk/baking items. Of course it won’t be exactly as creamy but you can save a lot of fat and calories.
any other option for heavy cream.please
Substitute for heavy cream is Flexi creme.It is non dairy cream as well as it is cholesterol free
Find it here :http://www.flexicreme.com/