MATAR PANEER

PANEER is unripened cheese popular in the Indian subcontinent. It is easy to make this vegetarian cheese. If you are living outside of India, it may not be available at your local supermarket. You may have to travel to an Indian / Asian store and look for it in the frozen section. Do not worry, if soaked in warm water for an hour, frozen paneer tastes equally good as the fresh ones. Alternatively we can prepare it at home with cow milk and lemon juice / vinegar. We get fresh paneer here but I buy the frozen packets mostly.

Paneer seems a good vegetarian option. It is popular all over the Indian sub-continent. However, in Bengal, it is in use for merely about 15-20 years. Many a fish loving Bengali still do not have it in their favourite list. In my family, from the day it was available fresh in the local sweet shops, it became a favourite. Thursdays always had been a full vegetarian day. I and my brother called it a doom's day. We did all weird things hoping mani would change her decision. We would stop talking to her on that day, would run away to friends' homes have fish. Our mani dear undaunted, used to give examples of good children in the neighbourhood who loved vegetables, hence had beautiful skin and hair. It did not inspire us at all. 

Paneer entered Bengal and our Thursdays got better. Time has changed me, I  got wiser and love vegetables of my choice now, preferably with an accompaniment of fish /meat /egg curry. 

Matar Paneer is more of a North Indian dish. I used to love their thick gravies using cream, not anymore. I do it my own way with simple spices adding a dash of butter in the end. It goes well with both steamed rice and roti. I have used home made paneer.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer : 250gm [store bought or home made]

Green Peas : 1/2 cup

Tomato : 1[medium]

Ginger Paste : 1tbsp

Cumin Powder : 1tsp

Coriander Powder : 1tsp

Green Chilli Paste : 1tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp

Cumin Seed : 2pinches

Bayleaf : 1

Butter : 1tbsp

Salt : As required

Sugar : 1/2tsp

Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Soak the paneer pieces in warm water for an hour. Take out, add salt. Wash, cut, deseed the tomatoes, prepare a paste in the blender. Get the ginger and green chilli paste done separately. Wash, add little salt to the green peas.

Heat oil in wok. Keep a big bowl beside half filled with warm water. Lightly fry the paneer pieces in batches, drop into the warm water. This helps the paneer remain soft.

Temper the remaining oil with a bayleaf and cumin seeds. Add the ginger paste, fry until the raw smell goes away. Add the chilli paste and tomato paste. Fry until the paste separates from the oil. Add salt, turmeric, cumin powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and the green peas. Fold in well.

Add 2 medium tea cups of water. Cover, let boil at low heat. When the gravy gets thicker, add the paneer pieces, sugar[optional], garam masala powder. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, give a stir and switch off the gas burner. It is done!

Enjoy with rice or chapati! We had it with luchi / Bengali puffed bread & shemai er payesh / vermicelli pudding, an offering made to my God Family on the day!