PANEER MATAR MASALA | HOW TO MAKE MUTTER PANEER MASALA

Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer is a popular & delicious, creamy & flavorful vegetarian North Indian Punjabi dish where paneer and green peas are cooked in an onion-tomato gravy.

Paneer Matar Masala goes well with any Indian breads like NAAN, ROTI, CHAPATI, or rice items such as steamed rice, JEERA RICE or GHEE RICE. This is one of the popular vegetarian dishes served for lunch or dinner, at home, at large events, and in restaurants.

Mutter Paneer Masla is available at almost all Indian restaurants along with PANEER BUTTER MASALA, PANEER KADAI, PALAK PANEER, and TIKKA MASALA.

What is Matar Paneer Masala?

Matar means green peas, paneer means Indian cottage cheese, masala is an aromatic blend of spices with roasted onions and tomatoes. So, in short, it is paneer and peas cooked in flavorful onion-tomato sauce. 

As matar paneer is a popular dish, every region has its own variation. But the best part is ingredients are almost the same, but their amounts. So you see, every hotel or restaurant or Dhaba has a different signature taste, and when you make it at home, it tastes different. 

My secret to make the best matar paneer:

The flavors in the dish or any butter masala comes by sauteeing onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, red chilies, cashews, and whole garam masala spices until the onions develop a golden brown color. The sauteed ingredients are then blended to a smooth and creamy paste along with tomato and coriander leaves. 

The blended masala is then transferred to a pan along with water for the desired consistency. Then, green peas and paneer are added and simmered until cooked. 

Even bachelors and beginners can make this simple matar paneer masala at home.

Ingredients for Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer Masala

For Onion Tomato Masala

1 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 inch Cinnamon stick
3 Cloves
2 Cardamom pods
5 to 6 dry Red chillies
1 tablespoon Cashews
3 Onions, medium size, sliced
6 to 8 Garlic cloves chopped
3 Green chilies, slit
1 inch Ginger, chopped
¼ cup Cilantro or Coriander leaves
3 Tomatoes
Water, as needed (maybe a total of 1 to 1.5 cups for the dish)

Other Ingredients

¾ teaspoon Salt
200 grams Paneer cubes
1 ½ cups Green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon Dried fenugreek leaves or Kasuri methi
1 tablespoon Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Coriander leaves or Cilantro, chopped

How to make Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer Masala?

How to make onion-tomato gravy or sauce?

Heat oil and butter in a pan on medium flame. To this, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, dry red chilies, and cashews. Saute on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

To this, add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies and continue to saute till onions become light golden. Sauteeing onions is a very important step and may take 6 to 8 minutes. You can check the video here.

Once the mixture cools down, transfer this to a blender along with tomato, cilantro, ½ cup of water, and blend it to a smooth paste.

Making of matar paneer masala

In the same pan, add the ground tomato-onion masala with an additional ½ to ¾ cup water for the desired consistency, salt to taste, and cook for a minute or two.

Add paneer, green peas, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Finally, add heavy cream, dry fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, and mix. Switch off the flame.

Tips:

• If you do not have whole garam masala, you can skip it. Saute other ingredients along with onions. Substitute whole garam masala by adding 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder when adding paneer. Make sure the garam masala is of good quality. 
• Adding kasuri methi is optional, but it gives your dish a unique taste. 
• You can add the tomatoes & cilantro directly to the blender as I have done today, or you can saute it along with onion and then blend. Both taste great. 
• How well you saute the onion-garlic mixture is what decides how your gravy tastes. So do this correctly. 
• Adding more cashews will make your dish creamier. This gravy thickens slightly as it cools down. So adjust the consistency accordingly.

Some Variation to matar masala:

You can substitute paneer with mushroom or babycorn or gobi(cauliflower) or potatoes (aloo) or you can even combine all of these. It tastes better when many veggies are added together as the flavors from each enhances the taste of this dish. 

Vegan Matar Paneer

To make this dish vegan, simply use tofu instead of paneer, soy milk or cashew milk for cream, and coconut oil for butter. 

Instant Pot Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer

Press saute button on your instant pot. To this, add butter and oil. Next, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cashews, and saute for 1 minute. 

Add onion, garlic, green chilies, ginger, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden. 

Add tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, along with ½ cup of water. Cancel saute button. Close the lid of your IP. PRESSURE COOK for 3 minutes on HIGH. Quick-release and open the lid.

Once the mixture cools, blend it to smooth paste.

Transfer this to your IP. Add around 1 cup of water. Close the lid and PRESSURE COOK on low for 4 minutes. Quick-release and open the lid. 

Stir the gravy. Add salt, green peas, paneer, and cook for three more minutes on saute mode. 

Add Kasuri methi, cream, and coriander leaves. Press cancel of your IP. Remove the steel insert and cover your pot. Let this sit for another 5 minutes. 

Video recipe for Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer

Step by Step Recipe for Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer

PANEER MATAR MASALA | HOW TO MAKE MUTTER PANEER MASALA (STOVETOP & INSTANT POT)

Kushi

Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer is a popular & delicious, creamy & flavorful vegetarian North Indian Punjabi dish where paneer and green peas are cooked in an onion-tomato gravy.

Paneer Matar Masala goes well with any bread, like NAAN, ROTI, CHAPATI, or rice items such as steamed rice, JEERA RICE or GHEE RICE. This is one of the popular vegetarian dishes served for lunch or dinner, at home, at large events, and in restaurants.

5 from 21 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Delhi, north indian, punjabi

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For Onion Tonato Masala

• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom pods
• 5 to 6 Dry red chillies
• 1 tablespoon Cashews
• 3 Onion, medium sliced
• 6 to 8 Garlic cloves chopped
• 3 Green chilies, slit
• 1 inch Ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup Cilantro or Corainder leaves
• 3 Tomatoes
• Water, as needed (may be total of 1 to ⅕ cups for dish)

Other Ingredients

• ¾ teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
• 200 grams Paneer cubes
• 1 ½ cups Green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon Dried fenugrek or Kasuri methi
• 1 tablespoon Heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves or Cilantor chopped

Instructions

 

How to make onion-tomato gravy or sauce?

• Heat oil and butter in a pan on medium flame. To this, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, dry red chilies, and cashews. Saute on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
• To this, add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies and continue to saute till onions become light golden. Sauteeing onions is a very important step and may take 6 to 8 minutes. You can check the video here.
• Once the mixture cools down, transfer this to a blender along with tomato, cilantro, ½ cup of water, and blend it to a smooth paste.

Making of matar paneer masala

• In the same pan, add the ground tomato-onion masala with an additional ½ to ¾ cup water for the desired consistency, salt to taste, and cook for a minute or two.
• Add paneer, green peas, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Finally, add heavy cream, dry fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, and mix. Switch off the flame.

Instant Pot Paneer Matar Masala or Mutter Paneer

• Press saute button on your instant pot. To this, add butter and oil. Next, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cashews, and saute for 1 minute. 
• Add onion, garlic, green chilies, ginger, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden. 
• Add tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, along with ½ cup of water. Cancel saute button. Close the lid of your IP. PRESSURE COOK for 3 minutes on HIGH. Quick-release and open the lid.
• Once the mixture cools, blend it to smooth paste
• Transfer this to your IP. Add around 1 cup of water. Close the lid and PRESSURE COOK on low for 3 or 4 minutes. Quick-release and open the lid. 
• Stir the gravy. Add salt, green peas, paneer, and cook for three more minutes on saute mode. 
• Add Kasuri methi, cream, and coriander leaves. Press cancel of your IP. Remove the steel insert and cover your pot. Let this sit for another 5 minutes. https://youtu.be/VTPx1pW_OKk

Notes

• If you do not have whole garam masala, you can skip it. Saute other ingredients along with onions. Substitute whole garam masala by adding 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder when adding paneer. 
• Adding kasuri methi is optional, but it gives your dish a unique taste. 
• You can add the tomatoes & cilantro directly to the blender as I have done today, or you can saute it along with onion and then blend. Both taste great. 
• How well you saute the onion-garlic mixture is what decides how your gravy tastes. So do this correctly. 
• Adding more cashews will make your dish creamier. This gravy thickens slightly as it cools down. So adjust the consistency accordingly.

Keyword easy paneer recipes, Green Peas, high protein meal, instant pot paneer, mattar paneer, muttar paneer, naan and curry, paneer dishes, paneer sabzi, roti and curry, tofu, vegetarian meal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

For more recent updates, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

***Click below to save it on Pinterest***