Mattar paneer is a North Indian vegetarian dish made with paneer (soft cheese) and peas in a thick curry. It is often served with Indian bread, but can also be eaten with rice. Paneer is made by boiling milk with lemon juice, and the dish is flavored with spices like cumin and coriander. It can be garnished with coriander leaves and is best served warm.
Mattar paneer, or mumble paneer, is an Indian vegetarian dish that combines paneer, which is a type of soft cheese, and peas in a rich, thick curry. It is primarily a North Indian dish that has its origins in Punjab but can be found all over India. Mattar stands for peas, while paneer stands for cheese. It is similar to aloo mattar, which uses potatoes, or aloo, instead of paneer and also palak paneer, a dish that contains spinach. Typically, paneer mattar is served for lunch or dinner with different types of Indian breads.
While it is normally eaten with breads like naan, paratha, kulcha and rotis, some prefer to eat Mattarian paneer with mildly flavored rice preparations, such as ghee rice, jeera rice, pulao and steamed basmati rice. Malai paneer mattar contains cream, or malai, which is normally added at the end of the cooking process. Another variation called matterer butterer masala uses butter in the recipe instead of oil. The dish is quite easy to make from scratch and many prefer to make their own fresh paneer for the dish.
Paneer, or cottage cheese, is prepared beforehand by boiling milk and mixing in some amount of lemon juice. This causes the milk to shrink and separate the cheese and whey. The cheese is then placed in a muslin cloth, squeezed to remove all liquids, and allowed to drain. The crumbly cheese obtained in this way is wrapped in foil and a weight is placed on it. It is left overnight in the refrigerator to harden slightly; fresh paneer made this way can be used for cooking next day and is cut into small sized cubes.
Some prefer to buy ready-made bread cubes from stores instead. Either way, the cubes are first sauteed in the oil until they turn a golden brown color and then placed on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil. The other main ingredients of paneer mattare include onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and peas. Some of the spices that give the dish its delicious flavor are cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder. The chopped onions form the base of the sauce to which the tomato paste and all the other ingredients are added.
The dish is allowed to simmer until the gravy reaches a thick consistency and is garnished with coriander leaves. Materia paneer is typically eaten warm and tastes best when served immediately. Some cooks may add other spices, such as paprika or cayenne pepper, for more color and flavor. Other recipes also use yogurt to thicken the gravy. An extremely easy dish to make at home, especially with ready-made bread cubes, this is the preferred choice for many homemakers when cooking a meal on the spur of the moment.
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