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Stovetop: 15-Minute Mattar Paneer with Our Punjabi Masala

March 21, 2025

Stovetop: 15-Minute Mattar Paneer with Our Punjabi Masala
Mattar Paneer with Punjabi Masala Sauce

IMAGINE EATING MATTAR PANEER AS A WEEKDAY MEAL...NOW YOU CAN!

My jarred Punjabi Masala curry starter makes it possible - but most importantly, makes an authentically Punjabi-tasting dish that you could feed your fussy 'I-only-make-it-from-scratch' mother-in-law. I'm not saying I have one of those... but just in case you did! Remember, what we discuss on this page stays on this page! lol. 

When folks ask me what Mattar Paneer is, I first tell them a joke I always teased my girls with when they were little. 'What did one pea whisper to the other mutter... mutter... mutter.' The word for pea in Hindi is matter - pronounced like the English word for whisper. Get it?

Jar of Punjabi Masala

This dish is so iconic that it's the sole reason I created our jarred Punjabi Masala - I wanted to make a sauce that would make peas and Indian cheese simple because my family (especially my husband) loves mattar paneer so much that they insist on eating it weekly. And, now they can without me losing my mind.

The recipe below is the result of months of experimenting. I hope you'll pick up a jar of our masala and give it a try. It's the closest you'll get to homemade mattar paneer. Don't take it just from me - take it from a certain Punjabi mother-in-law. Shhhhh.... 

P.S. We also have an Instant Pot version of this recipe. Try it out!

Mattar Paneer

Stovetop: 15-Minute Mattar Paneer with Our Punjabi Masala

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
  • 2 pinches hing (asafoetida)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 1 (2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
  • 1 pound paneer, diced into 1-inch cubes (3 cups)
  • 3 cups frozen peas, slightly defrosted
  • 1-4 Thai or 1 Serrano chile(s), stem(s) removed and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi Masala
  • ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek), hand crushed to release flavor
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the ghee or oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, add the hing, cumin, cloves, black cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds sizzle and turn reddish brown.
  2. Add the paneer. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until just brown. Add the peas and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. If using frozen peas, the moisture will help deglaze the pan. If not, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
  3. Add the Punjabi Masala, tomato paste, kasoori methi, garam masala, coriander, red chile, salt, and water. Stir, breaking down the paste slightly with the back of a spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes. Once done, remove the lid and boil on high for another 2 minutes to help thicken up the broth just a bit. Turn the heat off, add the cilantro, cover the pot completely, and let it sit for 1-2 minutes on the same burner. Remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick or leave them in for flavor and eat around them. All the other spices including the cloves are edible, though you can also remove and discard the cloves if you prefer. Serve with basmati rice, roti, or naan.

 [[ recipeID=recipe-9lyrcm9qm, title=15-Minute Matter Paneer with Our Punjabi Masala ]]

 

 

 




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Stovetop: 15-Minute Matter Paneer with Our Punjabi Masala

IMAGINE EATING MATTAR PANEER DURING THE WEEK...NOW YOU CAN!

Our jarred Punjabi Masala curry starter makes it possible - but most importantly, makes an authentically Punjabi-tasting dish

Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie

Servings: 8 cups

Keywords: Paneer, Punjabi Masala, Indian Recipes

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
  • 2 pinches hing (asafoetida)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 1 (2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
  • 1 pound paneer, diced into 1-inch cubes (3 cups)
  • 3 cups frozen peas, slightly defrosted
  • 1-4 Thai or 1 Serrano chile(s), stem(s) removed and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala
  • ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek), hand crushed to release flavors
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the ghee or oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, add the hing, cumin, cloves, black cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds sizzle and turn reddish brown.
  2. Add the paneer. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until just brown. Add the peas and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. If using frozen peas, the moisture will help deglaze the pan. If not, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
  3. Add the Punjabi masala, tomato paste, kasoori methi, garam masala, coriander, red chile, salt, and water. Stir, breaking down the paste slightly with the back of a spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes. Once done, remove the lid and boil on high for another 2 minutes to help thicken up the broth just a bit. Turn the heat off, add the cilantro, cover the pot completely, and let it sit for 1-2 minutes on the same burner. Remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick or leave them in for flavor and eat around them. All the other spices including the cloves are edible, though you can also remove and discard the cloves if you prefer. Serve with basmati rice, roti, or naan.

Notes

This recipe is by Anupy Singla, founder of Indian As Apple Pie.

If you share or copy this recipe, we’d greatly appreciate it if you let others know where you found it!