This easy matar paneer with tomato sauce (or mutter paneer) is prepared using fresh or frozen paneer in delicious & creamy gravy made with peas, onions, tomato sauce, spices & cream.
Matar paneer or mutter paneer is a very popular and delicious paneer curry from India using paneer (Indian style cottage cheese), peas (also known as matar or mutter in India).
Usually matar paneer recipe uses fresh tomatoes in the preparation to make the delicious gravy.
In this recipe, I made the matar paneer without using fresh tomatoes, because I used tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes to make the gravy.
I didn’t use the fresh tomatoes here, because sometimes I run out of fresh tomatoes and so I use different methods to make these without tomatoes as well.
I have also made this delicious matar paneer without tomatoes here, where I didn’t use tomatoes or tomato sauce to make the matar paneer curry.
However, in this recipe for matar paneer, I am using tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes for preparing the paneer curry!
In fact, you may also use other tomato based sauces (other than regular tomato ketchup) like tomato basil sauce, garlic tomato sauce etc as well but the flavors may be slightly different based on the kind of tomato sauce that you choose.
Here we use the regular tomato sauce which is the same as the popular tomato ketchup.
You may also use concentrated tomato paste, however if you are using concentrated tomato paste you will only need very less amount like about one teaspoon of tomato paste.
This mutter paneer curry is made using fresh or frozen peas (you may use dried peas well to make matar paneer but you need to soak the dried peas in water in advance and also the cooking time will be little longer) & also paneer.
I have used frozen peas in this matar paneer recipe, but you may also use fresh peas instead.
If using fresh peas, you can cook the gravy for little less time since the fresh peas will get cooked little more faster.
Similarly, I used frozen paneer which is thawed first and then sliced into cubes.
You can also use homemade fresh paneer or store bought paneer as you like.
If you are using fresh paneer, you do not need to thaw the paneer like I did.
Since I had the store bought frozen paneer with me, I first removed the plastic wrap from the paneer and then transferred the paneer block to a microwave safe plate and heated for about a minute or so until the paneer is thawed.
Then I sliced the paneer into cubes to use in the curry.
If you are using fresh paneer, you can easily slice the paneer into cubes which will be even more easier, simpler and faster to do!
So here is how you can easily make this matar paneer with tomato sauce at home.
How to make matar paneer with tomato sauce?
We use the following ingredients to make easy matar paneer (mutter paneer) with tomato sauce.
ingredients to make easy matar paneer
paneer 12 oz sliced into cubes
frozen green peas 1 cup
salt as needed
tomato sauce 2 tablespoons
onion 1 large sized
water 1 cup
ginger garlic paste 1 tablespoon
oil 2 tablespoons
cumin seeds ½ teaspoon
coconut cream or heavy cream 2 tablespoons
cilantro leaves chopped 1 tablespoon (optional)
spice powders
turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
red chili powder ½ teaspoon
coriander powder 1 tablespoon
garam masala powder 2 teaspoons
kasoori methi 1 teaspoon
step by step instructions
Chop the onion (finely or thinly) and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds.
As the cumin seeds are lightly fried, add the ginger garlic paste, saute for few seconds.
Add the chopped onion and saute the onions for few minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Stir in between so the onions won’t stick to the pan and they also get evenly cooked.
Once the onions are lightly browned, add the tomato sauce and mix well with the onions.
Saute for another one to two minutes while you stir constantly.
Add the spice powders – turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder, mix everything well with the onion tomato sauce mixture.
Also add the frozen green peas and enough salt to the pan, mix well with the contents and saute for another 1 minute.
Add the water, mix well with the onion tomato peas mixture, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the mixture starts to boil, cover the pan with lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes until the onion tomato mixture & green peas are well cooked.
Make sure to cook until the green peas is soft enough and the gravy is also well cooked.
Meanwhile you may lightly stir fry the sliced paneer cubes in a little oil, if desired (you may also add fresh paneer instead of fried paneer).
Once the onion tomato and peas mixture is well cooked, add the paneer slices, mix with the gravy, cover and cook for another 2 minutes (make sure not to overcook the paneer).
Once it’s done, add the kasoori methi, coconut cream or heavy cream and mix in with the prepared matar paneer or peas paneer.
Also garnish with chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
Serve the easy and delicious matar paneer curry with rice or Indian breads like chapathi, poori, naan bread etc!
More paneer recipes in this blog:
instant pot paneer vegetable biryani
palak paneer dhaba style recipe
palak paneer without cream, onions & tomatoes
how to roast paneer in the oven – baked paneer
Below you can get the recipe for easy matar paneer with tomato sauce in detail.
Matar Paneer With Tomato Sauce – Easy Mutter Paneer
Ingredients
- 12 oz paneer sliced into cubes (may use upto 14 oz)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- salt as needed
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 large sized onion
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped, optional
spice powders
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
Instructions
- Chop the onion (finely or thinly) and keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds.
- As the cumin seeds are lightly fried, add the ginger garlic paste, saute for few seconds.
- Add the chopped onion and saute the onions for few minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Stir in between so the onions won’t stick to the pan and they also get evenly cooked.
- Once the onions are lightly browned, add the tomato sauce and mix well with the onions.
- Saute for another one to two minutes while you stir constantly.
- Add the spice powders – turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder, mix everything well with the onion tomato sauce mixture.
- Also add the frozen green peas and enough salt to the pan, mix well with the contents and saute for another 1 minute.
- Add the water, mix well with the onion tomato peas mixture, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, cover the pan with lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes until the onion tomato mixture & green peas are well cooked.
- Make sure to cook until the green peas is soft enough and the gravy is also well cooked.
- Meanwhile you may lightly stir fry the sliced paneer cubes in a little oil, if desired (you may also add fresh paneer instead of fried paneer).
- Once the onion tomato and peas mixture is well cooked, add the paneer slices, mix with the gravy, cover and cook for another 2 minutes (make sure not to overcook the paneer).
- Once it’s done, add the kasoori methi, coconut cream or heavy cream and mix in with the prepared matar paneer or peas paneer. Also garnish with chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
- Serve the easy and delicious matar paneer curry with rice or Indian breads like chapathi, poori, naan bread etc!
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