MATTAR PANEER RECIPE

Mattar Paneer: A Mouthing Watering Indian Dish 

Mattar paneer (also spelled as Mater/Mutter Paneer) is a dish that is known to have its roots in India, specifically in the north of the Indian Subcontinent specifically. It is a pretty famous in India, where matter or peas as we know them, are grown as a staple of the area. Paneer is made from milk and the two together work out amazingly. Mattar paneer is specifically, a vegetarian north Indian food that contains peas (matter) and paneer. The ingredients are cooked in a thick tomato based sauce, spiced with the famous Indian spice mix, garam masala. It is served with rice items or any Indian bread like naan, pooris, parathas, or roti depending on region. Various other ingredients are also often added to the mix, such as aloo (potato), cream, corn or yogurt. 

The power of mattar and paneer

Mattar paneer has two very healthy ingredients associated with it. The matter and paneer individually have numerous health benefits associated with them, so think what the combination could do! 

The health benefits of peas:

1. Helps you lose weight
2. Good for your heart
3. Prevents constipation
4. Prevents signs of ageing
5. Helps reduce depression
6. Prevents stomach cancer
7. Improves your bone health
8. Improves your immunity
9. Great for your child’s growth
10. Prevents anaemia and fatigue

The health benefits of paneer:

1. Good source of protein
2. Keeps hunger pangs at bay
3. Helps burn more fat
4. Rich in protein and calcium 
5. Builds stronger teeth
6. Contains conjugated linoleic acid, which helps lose weight 
7. Helps prevent deadly diseases such as cancer by preventing the growth of cancer causing cells in the body. 

Ingredients 

For cooking:

1. Paneer -150 grams
2. Peas (can be either fresh or frozen )- 1/2 cup
3. Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp
4. Onion finely chopped-1 cup
5. Tomatoes – 3 ripe ones
6. Cashew nuts – 6 to 7
7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
8. Chilli powder – 1 tsp
9. Coriander powder – 2 tsp
10. Garam masala -1 tsp flat
11. Salt to taste

For seasoning:

1. Oil/Butter – 2 tsp
2. Cumin seeds/ jeera – 3/4 tsp
3. Bay leaf – 1

For garnishing 

1. Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1 tsp
2. Fresh cream – 1-2 tsp

Preparation

1. Keep ripe tomatoes in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the totammtos from the water, drain and allow them to cool. Remove their skins and make puree.
2. Soak some cashew nuts in hot water for about 15 minutes and then grind them to a paste adding water.
3. Boil fresh peas with a little salt till soft. Cut paneer into symmetrical cubes. You can use purchased or home-made paneer, the recipe stays the same.
4. Now keep the above aside and chop onions very finely.

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, add jeera, bay leaf, when jeera comes to shimmer, add finely chopped onions and sauté it until light brown. Adding a bit of salt will speed up the process. Stir continuously.
2. Add garlic and ginger paste and sauté the mix well
3. Next step is to add tomato puree and all the dry ingredients. Add salt as well at this stage.
4. It is better to keep the stove on medium flame until the tomatoes become soft and oozes out oil. 
5. Now add the cashew nut paste and saute for a few more minutes.
6. Lastly, add the cooked peas and paneer and mix well with the masala.
7. Add 1 cup of water and cook for till everything gets blended well. 
8. Garnish the dish with finely chopped coriander leaves. You can also add a tbsp of fresh cream.

Savor this wonderful dish with any Indian rice or bread.

Nutritional information

Amount Per Serving (Serving Size 209.2g):

1. Calories 257
2. Total Fat 15.4g
3. Saturated Fat 6.0g
4. Trans Fat 0.0g
5. Cholesterol 31mg
6. Sodium 152mg
7. Potassium 355mg
8. Total Carbohydrates 17.0g
9. Dietary Fiber 3.1g
10. Sugars 4.4g
11. Protein 14.0g

So what are you waiting for? Start cooking this north Indian delight right away.