Best Ever Restaurant Style Matar Paneer

Winter is almost bidding adieu to us; so enjoy the last chill of the season with a scrumptious restaurant style matar paneer while this green protein powerhouse is still in abundance!

I could not believe that I haven’t shared the classic matar paneer recipe till date with you guys even after running this blog for more than 10 years!

And that too after making this classic paneer recipe uncountable times at home! This is simply inexcusable!

I mean, in winter, what else do you make when you have so much matar aka green peas around you! You take matar, you take paneer. then combine both in an incredibly delicious gravy and ta-da – you have the restaurant favorite matar paneer!

What is restaurant style matar paneer?

Now that’s a difficult question to answer! How can you just place the names of two ingredients side by side and call it a dish?

You have to give any good recipe a legit name! Like paneer butter masala or chana masala or paneer tikka – names that would entice curiosity in you to know more about it!

But it is what it is! So matar paneer it is – a classic paneer recipe that is found in almost all Indian restaurants across the length & breadth of the country!

Even though it looks like a humble curry, this good old matar paneer is somehow loved by all, which I believe is all thanks to its simplicity!

All you need is a good quality paneer, as much quantity of green peas as you like and make a delicious onion-tomato based gravy that is smooth like silk! And you have restaurant style matar paneer on your dinner table!

A meatless high protein dish having a soul-satisfying warm gravy is all you need on a chilly winter night to wrap up your parathas or phulkas before heading for a good night’s sleep!

Just don’t forget about portion control while eating this, as no food is good enough for overeating!

Ingredients for restaurant style matar paneer

Matar/Green peas: I was debating with myself before finalizing the star ingredient of this matar paneer – should it be matar or should it be paneer?

Well, it’s matar i.e. green peas that emerged as the winner! Paneer has ample other scope to become the hero, let the humble green peas shine this time!

Now I have a humble request!

To make this healthy high protein matar paneer at home, please use fresh green peas and not the frozen ones! Especially if you are making this in winter when matar is at every nook & corner!

Yeah, you will need to break the pods to take the peas out, but that’s the fun! Tag your family with you and cherish these moments of joy found in simplicity which are rare in this era of social media!

Paneer: The next star in line is paneer which is also known as cottage cheese. If you follow a meatless diet, then I am sure paneer, the protein powerhouse, is a staple in your meals as it should definitely be!

So, you must include this matar paneer in your weekly meals to make your lunch and/or dinner more satisfying as well as fulfilling.

Both matar and paneer are very good sources of protein and this matar paneer gravy is very high on the scale of satiety! So a perfect win-win recipe in terms of health & taste!

Trust me, you will love to be a vegetarian! How am I so sure? Because we, even being a hardcore meat-lover family, love this one like crazy and make it on repeat!

Onion: Matar paneer is made with an onion based gravy, but you won’t see any onion in the gravy! Wondering why? Because everything is blended to give it a silky smooth finish.

Tomato: Use nicely ripe red tomatoes to add that warm richness in your matar paneer gravy. Also, I suggest deseeding your tomatoes before using as not only they don’t add anything to the dish, but also unnecessarily dilute the taste.

Aromatics: A good amount of typical Indian aromatics i.e. ginger and garlic is added to your matar paneer to impart that classic Indian taste; so don’t skip it!

Green chilli: Add a couple or more depending on how much heat you prefer in your dish!

Whole spices: A host of warm whole spices makes this restaurant style matar paneer so crave-worthy that you would keep coming to it again and again!

The classic trio of cloves, cinnamon & green cardamom along with their first cousins cumin seeds & bay leaf aka tej patta release their mind-blowing flavors into the oil while tempering, making this matar paneer a forget-me-not dish!

Powdered spices: Of course you will need all the typical Indian powdered spices to make this onion-tomato gravy as tasty as it could be!

Add a generous dash of turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder to your matar paneer and finally a good sprinkle of homemade garam masala to round things up!

Mustard oil: Being a Bengali, I use mustard oil in majority of my Indian cooking and I feel it adds an extra edge to the taste; but if it is too pungent for your liking, feel free to use any other oil of your choice (except of course olive oil!).

Seasoning: Classic matar paneer is slightly on the sweeter side; so along with salt to taste, do add a couple of teaspoons of sugar for a subtle sweetness.

Fresh coriander leaves: Do not forget to garnish your matar paneer with a generous sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves!

How to make restaurant style matar paneer?

Step 1: Peel the green pea pods and get the green peas out to make about a cup of hare (i.e. green) matar. Boil the green peas in salted water until they become soft. Drain the water out and set the boiled green peas aside until needed.

Step 2: Cut the block of paneer into 1-inch cubes. Set them aside while you prepare the matar paneer gravy.

Step 3: Heat a kadai and add the mustard oil into it. Once the oil is warm, temper it with cumin seeds and allow them to crackle for a few seconds.

Step 4: Next add chopped green chillies & chopped garlic to the kadai and fry them for just a minute on low flame making sure that garlic doesn’t burn.

Step 5: Now it’s time to add sliced onion. Sauté the onion on medium flame for a good 10-15 minutes until they turn golden brown and somewhat crispy.

Step 6: Add chopped tomatoes and ginger paste to the kadai and let everything cook on medium flame for another 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are all soft and melted.

Step 7: Once oil starts to release from onion tomato mixture, switch off the flame, transfer the mixture to a blender or grinder jar and let it cool completely.

Step 8: When the onion tomato mixture is absolutely cooled down, blend it to make a very smooth paste which should also look very creamy. Take your time here and do not rush!

Step 9: Now wash and heat up the same kadai again; then add about a tablespoon of mustard oil to it.

Step 10: Temper the hot oil with whole spices – cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and tej patta. Allow them to become fragrant by tossing them in hot oil for half a minute on low flame.

Step 11: After about half a minute add all the powdered spices – turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and kashmiri red chilli powder.

Step 12: Cook the powdered spices again for half a minute on low flame. Then add the onion tomato paste that you had prepared as above.

Step 13: Sauté the onion mixture for 5 minutes on medium flame until oil starts to release. Then add about 1 & ½ to 2 cups of water, preferably warm, to the kadai.

Step 14: Season the prepared onion tomato gravy with salt to taste and also add the sugar at this stage. Let the gravy come to a full boil.

Step 15: Now add the paneer cubes and boiled matar aka green peas. Stir them through the gravy to distribute evenly. Bring the gravy to boil.

Step 16: Then lower the heat to minimum and cover the kadai with a lid. Simmer the covered matar paneer gravy for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the paneer and matar to absorb all the flavors.

Step 17: After about 10 minutes, uncover the kadai and check the consistency of the gravy. If it seems too thin, boil off some excess water to bring it to your desired consistency.

Step 18: Check and adjust the seasoning at this stage if needed. Finally sprinkle garam masala over the matar paneer and give it a good mix.

Step 19: Your restaurant style matar paneer is ready! Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves and enjoy with hot phulkas!

More delicious meatless recipes from Flavor Quotient

Restaurant Style Matar Paneer | Best Ever Matar Paneer Recipe

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Priyanka

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients

Paneer/cottage cheese - 200 gms
Matar/Green peas - 1 cup
Onion - 2, large, thinly sliced
Tomato - 2, large, chopped
Mustard oil - 6 to 7 tbsp
Cumin/jeera seeds - ½ tsp
Green chilli - 1-2 (feel free to adjust!), finely chopped
Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves, chopped
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 4 to 5
Green cardamom - 4 to 5
Cinnamon - 1-inch stick
Bay leaf/tej patta - 1
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Instructions

Peel the green pea pods and get the green peas out to make about a cup of peas. Boil the green peas in salted water until they become soft. Drain the water out and set the boiled green peas aside until needed.
Cut the block of paneer into 1-inch cubes. Set them aside while you prepare the matar paneer gravy.
Heat a kadai and add the mustard oil into it. Once the oil is warm, temper it with cumin seeds and allow them to crackle for a few seconds.
Next add chopped green chillies & chopped garlic to the kadai and fry them for just a minute on low flame making sure that garlic doesn’t burn.
Now it’s time to add sliced onion. Sauté the onion on medium flame for a good 10-15 minutes until they turn golden brown and somewhat crispy.
Add chopped tomatoes and ginger paste to the kadai and let everything cook on medium flame for another 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are all soft and melted.
Once oil starts to release from onion tomato mixture, switch off the flame, transfer the mixture to a blender or grinder jar and let it cool completely.
When the onion tomato mixture is absolutely cooled down, blend it to make a very smooth paste which should also look very creamy. Take your time here and do not rush!
Now wash and heat up the same kadai again; then add about a tablespoon of mustard oil to it.
Temper the hot oil with whole spices - cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and tej patta. Allow them to become fragrant by tossing them in hot oil for half a minute on low flame.
After about half a minute add all the powdered spices - turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and kashmiri red chilli powder.
Cook the powdered spices again for half a minute on low flame. Then add the onion tomato paste that you had prepared as above.
Sauté the onion mixture for 5 minutes on medium flame until oil starts to release. Then add about 1 & ½ to 2 cups of water, preferably warm, to the kadai.
Season the prepared onion tomato gravy with salt to taste and also add the sugar at this stage. Let the gravy come to a full boil.
Now add the paneer cubes and boiled matar aka green peas. Stir them through the gravy to distribute evenly. Bring the gravy to boil.
Then lower the heat to minimum and cover the kadai with a lid. Simmer the covered matar paneer gravy for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the paneer and matar to absorb all the flavors.
After about 10 minutes, uncover the kadai and check the consistency of the gravy. If it seems too thin, boil off some excess water to bring it to your desired consistency.
Check and adjust the seasoning at this stage if needed. Finally sprinkle garam masala over the matar paneer and give it a good mix.
Your restaurant style matar paneer is ready! Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves and enjoy with hot phulkas!