Mattar Paneer (or Mutter Paneer) is a classic vegetarian North Indian curry made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and green peas simmered in a creamy spiced tomato-onion gravy. It’s a restaurant favorite and homestyle comfort food that’s ready in 30 minutes — perfect with naan, roti, or rice.
Mattar Paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian curry that features green peas, or mattar (pronounced like mutter) in Hindi, and paneer, a mild Indian cheese. The paneer is lightly pan-fried before it soaks in all the flavor from the creamy spiced onion-tomato curry.
It's a flavorful and satisfying homestyle Indian curry that is commonly served with roti or fluffy basmati rice as a quick weeknight dinner in desi homes. The paneer is a great source of protein and the peas has fiber, making it hearty for everyone at the dinner table.
This is a recipe passed down from my mother. I grew up with Mattar Paneer and roti for family dinner a few times a month, so this is definitely one of my favorite vegetarian Indian curries. It's tested to perfection to taste homestyle like hers, with additional pointers from the Dishoom cookbook's Mattar Paneer to elevate it to a restaurant-quality dish.
It's not to be confused with Paneer Makhani, which uses butter, has more spices, and a different technique to preparation. If you love Indian paneer curries, you'll also want to try this Chili Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala, or Saag Paneer!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Mattar Paneer is a hearty, comforting peas and paneer curry that's well loved across Indian families. It's staple vegetarian curry from North India, often made for weeknight dinners or festive occasions. The word ‘matar’ means green peas, and paneer is a fresh Indian cheese. Together, they create a rich, protein-packed dish that’s beloved across India and worldwide. Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- It's a one pot Indian curry and a 30-minute recipe so there's minimal dishes and it's easy to get in front of the family.
- This dish is vegetarian, and it can easily be gluten free by omitting the asafoetida.
- It can be served over basmati rice with a side salad or with roti and a sabji for a family of 4.
- I love Mattar Paneer as meal prep for the week!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Paneer - You can make paneer at home with just milk and lemon juice, or purchase it from most large grocers, like Whole Foods and Costco. Firm tofu or halloumi are great substitutions, although halloumi may be too salty.
- Onion - A yellow onion or red onion work fine.
- Tomatoes - I prefer to use quality vine or roma tomatoes and chop it very finely with a chef's knife. Canned tomato puree can also work just fine. I also use about 3 tablespoon of tomato paste for a concentrated tomato flavor. If you'd like to use more fresh tomatoes, use up to 4 roma tomatoes and reduce the amount of tomato paste to 2 tablespoons.
- Ginger and garlic - We use the classic ginger garlic paste, which is a one to one ratio of pureed ginger and garlic.
- Green Chili - Use Indian green chilis, serrano peppers, or as your last option jalapeños. Remove the seeds if you prefer less spice.
- Kasuri Methi - Or dried fenugreek. This is an Indian speciality ingredient that may not be used often in may homes but is that one ingredient that most people agree can take a dish, like Butter Chicken, to the next level. Crush it between your hands to "activate" it's flavor.
- Peas - Peas, or mattar, is one of the star ingredients in this dish. Use frozen peas year round, or fresh peas if it's in season.
- Spices - For spices, we're using cumin seeds but if you don't have the seeds then you can use ½ teaspoon of ground cumin. For ground spices, we're using turmeric, garam masala, kashmiri chili powder, asafoetida, and coriander. Asafoetida can be substituted with amchur or omitted if unavailable. Kashmiri chili powder is a really mild chili powder, so you can also use paprika with some cayenne.
- Cream - Use heavy cream or half and half for a creamy Mattar Paneer. My mom prefers to use sour cream for a bit of tang if it's in her refrigerator, otherwise she makes it cream-free.
- Cilantro - Used as a garnish.
Every Indian household makes Muttar Paneer a little different. For example, some add sugar to offset the acidity from the tomatoes.
For a vegan Matar Paneer, substitute tofu for paneer and cashew cream for dairy cream.
How to make Mattar Paneer
Mattar Paneer is a delicious one-pot Indian curry that can be taken to the next level if you lightly pan fry your paneer. Not only does it smell incredible, it adds so much extra flavor to the paneer.
Ultimately, frying the paneer is optional! It can be added directly into the curry without this first step.
1. Pan-Fry the Paneer (Optional)
Pan frying the paneer is completely optional, but has a lot of texture and flavor benefits. Otherwise, I recommend soaking store bought paneer in hot water before adding it to the curry to prevent a rubbery texture.
Let's start off with the paneer! If you're making homemade paneer, you'll want to ensure that it's set and ready to use.
One thing we don't love in our family is bland paneer. It's important to season in layers! My mom taught me this hack of gently poking holes into the paneer with a fork. Then, lightly salt the paneer before pan-frying it.
Now, you'll take your homemade or store bought paneer and cut them into 1-inch cubes or into rectangles. Paneer tends to be a bit rustic in shape, so don't worry about perfect cubes.
- In the meantime, put a tablespoon of ghee into a heavy bottom pot and melt it on a low to medium heat on the stove.
- Once your surface is hot, carefully put the paneer in. Fry the cubes on both sides for about 2-3 minutes each, or until they're golden brown. The aroma will smell absolutely wonderful!
- Once the paneer is done, transfer it into a bowl and set that aside while we make our curry. I use the same dutch oven to make the curry so it's less dishes. Keep it hot while we move to our next step.
Note: You don't have to worry about the paneer melting in the pot, since paneer is a cheese that doesn't melt! However, if you've just made the paneer fresh then you'll want to be extra gentle so that it doesn't crumble.
2. Make the Curry Base
The base of Mattar Paneer is an onion-tomato masala mixture. First, finely dice your onion, tomatoes, and green chili.
- Step 1: Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pot on medium heat. Sautè the cumin seeds into the hot oil for about a minute. Once it starts popping, add the chopped onions. Once the onions have browned, about 6 minutes, add the green chili and ginger garlic paste into the pot. Stir everything together and sauté for a minute.
- Step 2: Now, add in the finely diced roma tomatoes, the tomato paste, and the spices (asafoetida, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, kashmiri chili powder, and salt). Stir everything together really well. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar for about 10 minutes. If it dries up, add 2 tablespoons of warm water and continue to let it simmer.
- Step 3: By the end, you should have a deep red, aromatic, chunky mixture of onions and tomatoes. You'll also notice that the oil starts to separate on the sides. Now, add the peas.
- Step 4: Add about a cup of warm water. Bring it back to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the 5 minutes, it'll be a thick tomato-based curry. Taste it to adjust for salt and spices. Add the cubes of fried paneer. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the paneer to soak in the curry, stirring in intervals.
At this point, you can turn off the heat and allow the onion-tomato masala to cool a bit before you blend it. Blending will result in a smooth and creamy restaurant-style curry. Honestly, in my family we don't blend it. It creates more dishes and takes more time. Our goal is usually a quick one-pot meal on the dinner table.
- Step 5: Lastly, add the cream and remove the curry from heat.
- Step 6: Top it off with a dusting of kasuri methi and stir everything together really well. Now we're ready to serve!
If you'd like a thicker paneer curry for serving with rotis, you can continue to allow it to simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. If you'd like to loosen it up a bit for rice, add ¼ cup of hot water or enough to your preference.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish the Mattar Paneer curry with chopped cilantro. It's delicious when served over a bed of basmati rice with a kachumber side salad.
It's more common to enjoy it with roti and another light dish like Aloo Methi.
Expert Tips for the Best Curry
Simple ways to elevate Mattar Paneer to restaurant quality:
- Some store-bought paneers can be rubbery. Soak it in warm water for 10 minutes to soften it.
- Poke holes in the paneer and sprinkle on some salt. Lightly pan fry the paneer in ghee or neutral oil until golden brown on all sides.
- Add a slightly cracked green cardamom pod for more flavor.
- Allow the flavor to develop at each step. From browning the onions to simmering the tomatoes until thick and concentrated, these steps may take a bit of time and some stirring but it makes a huge difference in bringing out the subtle sweetness in onions and tomatoes. You may need to deglaze with some warm water if the curry dries up.
- Blend the onion-tomato masala for a smooth, creamy curry.
- Add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomato.
- Add heavy cream or sour cream for a rich, creamy curry.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Store Matar Paneer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. The flavors actually deepen and taste even better the next day.
Freezer: You can freeze Matar Paneer for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, portion it into freezer-safe containers, and freeze. Keep in mind that paneer may become a bit chewy after freezing, but the curry itself reheats well.
Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or cream to loosen the gravy if it’s too thick. If reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight first.
💡 Meal Prep Tip: For the best texture, make and freeze just the onion-tomato curry base without the paneer or peas. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the curry, add fresh or frozen peas, and simmer for a few minutes before stirring in the paneer. This way the paneer stays soft and the peas keep their fresh pop of flavor.
Variations
- Vegan Mattar Paneer: firm tofu instead of paneer + cashew/coconut cream.
- No-Cream Version: tangy yogurt or sour cream.
- Restaurant-Style: blended, strained, with cream.
- Homestyle: chunky onion-tomato base, minimal to no cream.
FAQs
Yes! While cream adds richness, you can skip it for a lighter, homestyle version. Many families make it without cream and it still tastes delicious. For a slight tang, substitute with yogurt or sour cream.
Absolutely! Swap paneer with firm tofu and replace the cream with coconut cream, almond cream, or cashew cream for a dairy-free, vegan version.
Matar paneer is a spiced onion-tomato curry with peas, while paneer butter masala is creamier, richer, and often sweeter. Both use paneer, but the flavor profiles and preparation methods are different.
Yes, canned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes are a great shortcut if high quality fresh tomatoes aren’t available. Just reduce the cooking time slightly since canned tomatoes are already softened.
Yes! Sauté the onion-tomato masala on “Sauté Mode,” then add peas and water. Pressure cook for 3–4 minutes, release pressure, and stir in paneer and cream at the end.
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Mattar Paneer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ lb paneer, cubed
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 green chili
- 1-2 roma tomatoes, finely diced or pureed
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida, *see notes
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Poke holes in the ½ lb paneer with a fork and lightly sprinkle on salt. Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes, or 1x2-inch rectangles.
- Melt a tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven on low to medium heat. Once hot add the paneer. Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the paneer into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the cumin seeds into the remaining ghee. After a minute, they'll start spluttering. Now, add in the diced onion. Allow the onions to brown for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. If the dutch oven is too dry, add a splash of water to continue browning.
- Now, stir in the green chili and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for a minute until aromatic.
- Add the finely diced roma tomatoes, tomato paste, asafoetida, turmeric, coriander, kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Stir everything together really well. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly open, and simmer for 10 minutes. If it dries up, add 2 tablespoons of water and continue simmering.
- (Optional) Turn the stove off and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Transfer the onion-tomato masala to a blender and run it until the curry is smooth. Return the curry to the dutch oven.
- Add the frozen peas and a cup of warm water to the dutch oven and stir everything together. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the cubed paneer. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the heavy cream and remove the dutch oven from heat. Crush the kasuri methi between your hands and add it in to the curry. Finish off the curry with garam masala. Stir everything together.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with roti or basmati rice.
Danielle Maharaj says
Indulge in the exquisite flavors of Indian cuisine with this tantalizing Paneer recipe. Marinated in aromatic spices, the creamy paneer is cooked to perfection in a luscious sauce, creating a dish that's rich, flavorful, and utterly irresistible. Perfect for a comforting meal any day of the week!