Matar Paneer Recipe Without Tomato - Easy Peas Paneer Curry
Easy and simple matar paneer curry or green peas paneer curry prepared without tomatoes, so you can use this recipe to make easy and delicious matar paneer curry even when you don't have tomatoes at home.
Servings 6
Calories 396kcal
Ingredients
- 14 oz Paneer (about 400 grams)
- 1 cup dry green peas use little more amount if using fresh or frozen peas
- 5 cups water may add little more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust as needed
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 1 large onion chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chilies sliced lengthwise or whole
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Spice Powders
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Instructions
Preparing The Peas (Matar)
- Soak the dry green peas for about 6 to 7 hours at least in enough water, after soaking drain the water and rinse the peas in water again, keep the washed peas aside. If you are using fresh or frozen peas, you can skip this step.
- In a pressure cooker, add the green peas (rinsed), 4 cups of water, sugar and enough salt, close the pressure cooker with lid and safety valve and cook for 4 whistles or about 12 minutes in medium heat. This is if you are using dried peas and we want the peas to be cooked really well and soft as we are not using any tomatoes, and we want the peas to be cooked really well to thicken the gravy. If you are using fresh or frozen peas, you may need to reduce the cooking time accordingly or you can cook it separately in a saucepan. Just make sure to cook the peas very soft, as some of the peas will get mashed up with the gravy which makes the gravy thick and delicious. Wait until the cooker is cooled enough before opening.
Preparing The Paneer
- Cut the paneer into medium sized cubes, keep aside separately from the peas. If you have frozen paneer, you can defrost it in microwave or just microwave the paneer in any microwave safe plate for about 1 to 2 minutes which will help you to cut the paneer very easily. Make sure to cut the paneer very gently so it won't crumble. Keep this aside.
To Make Matar Paneer Curry
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan or skillet and add the chopped onions.
- Add salt and saute the onions in medium heat until the onions are almost caramelized or browned really well, which will take around 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to stir the onions in between, especially after start turning brown so as to avoid the onions getting burnt at the bottom of the pan. Once the onions are caramelized or browned, keep this aside.
- Once the pressure cooker is cooled enough, open the cooker and see if the peas is cooked really well. You might think the peas is a bit overcooked, but try it that way as it will make the gravy more delicious. Stir the cooked peas really well.
- In a medium or large sized pan, heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil and add the cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds are lightly browned, add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies, stir fry in low heat for about a minute.
- Add the cooked peas mixture to the pan and stir the contents well.
- Add the caramelized onions also to the pan containing the peas and mix everything well. You can check if there is enough salt, and if you need more salt, you may add a little more based on your preference.
- Add the spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, mix everything well and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once the mixture starts boiling, add the paneer cubes to the mixture, gently stir the contents, cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the paneer is soft. Make sure not to overcook as the peas is already cooked and we don't want the paneer cubes to break down and become crumbly. So just cook a few minutes until the paneer is cooked and tender. Gently stir in between using a good quality steel spatula which will help with mixing gently without breaking the paneer.
- Once the paneer is also cooked, gently mix in the contents again and the matar paneer curry is ready to be served! Enjoy the delicious matar paneer or peas paneer curry with rice, pulao, chapathi, roti or poori as you wish.
Notes
If you want the curry to be slightly tangy, since we do not have tomatoes in this recipe, you may add 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste or use amchoor powder (dry mango powder) to add the preferred tanginess.
Otherwise, you may also use about 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce or about 1 teaspoon of tomato paste too if you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 357mg | Iron: 2mg