Matar Paneer (No Onion No Garlic)

This Matar Paneer curry is without onion and garlic, delicious, creamy, satisfying, and easy to prepare! It consists of soft paneer and green peas in tomato-cashew gravy with Indian spices and herbs.

This North Indian style dish is very popular in India, especially during winter when fresh green peas are easily available. Matar Paneer is best served with Naan, Paratha, or Roti. However, for a simpler meal, you can also serve it with plain or Jeera rice!

Jump to:

• About Matar Paneer
• Why You Will Love Matar Paneer
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• More Comforting Curry Recipes
• Recipe Card

About Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer is a food of comfort with simple ingredients. It has high nutritional value and is creamy and rich without adding too much cream. The curry has no onion or garlic but is packed with flavors and deliciousness.

If you regularly visit my blog, you may notice that I have various paneer dishes. We love paneer, and therefore, I like creating more no-onion and no-garlic paneer curries.

Making the Matar Paneer at home is easy and healthy. However, this homemade curry will give you the taste of a restaurant in a healthy manner. The ingredients are basic and should be readily available in your pantry.

Even making this curry is fuss-free, and it comes together easily. You can serve it for dinner or weekend family lunch. It is perfect with any Indian flatbread, but if you want a simpler and comforting meal, enjoy the matar paneer with plain or Jeera rice.

Why You Will Love Matar Paneer

• It is homemade Matar Paneer curry but provides a restaurant-style taste.
• It is highly aromatic and flavorful with pantry staple ingredients.
• The curry is packed with green peas and soft paneer.
• Matar Paneer is without onion and garlic, but it is rich and creamy.
• The gravy is smooth and creamy even without adding heavy cream.
• It is best served with Naan, Paratha, Roti, or Rice.

Ingredients

1. Paneer: A fresh and soft Paneer is essential for any paneer recipe. I usually make paneer at home, which guarantees a soft, fresh, and creamy Paneer block. Making the paneer at home is not difficult at all; you can check out this Homemade Paneer recipe. However, if you use refrigerated paneer, make sure to bring it to room temperature before adding it to the gravy. But, if you use store-bought paneer and it is hard, place it in hot water for 20 minutes and then drain the water. Keeping it in hot water will make the Paneer soft.
2. Green Peas: Green peas are low in calories and rich in protein and fiber. Also, they are a great source of several vitamins and minerals. I like to use fresh green peas over frozen for the matar paneer. But fresh green peas are sometimes not always available in the grocery store. In that case, we can use frozen green peas. Whether you use fresh or frozen greens peas, I would recommend boiling them before using them in this recipe.
3. Whole Spices and Seeds: I have used green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds. However, you can add more whole spices of your choice. If you add cinnamon and bay leaf, remove them from the tomato mixture before making the gravy.
4. Cashews: Cashews make the gravy thick, creamy, and rich. They balance the tanginess of the tomatoes and provide a velvety texture to the gravy.
5. Ginger and Green Chilis: Ginger provides an earthy flavor, and green chilis provides spiciness. However, add green chilis, less or more, according to your spice preference.
6. Ground Spices: I have used regular basic powdered spices to make this Matar Paneer. One can use either Garam Masala powder or Kitchen King Masala powder for this recipe. I recommend using Kitchen King Masala if you find this masala without onion and garlic, or try this recipe Kitchen King Masala Recipe (No Onion No Garlic). Or use regular Garam Masala powder or Punjabi Garam Masala. You can check out this homemade Punjabi Garam Masala recipe.
7. Cream: I like to add a bit of cream to the curry, and I have added light cream. But you can skip adding cream or add 1-2 tablespoon of whisked yogurt for the creaminess.
8. Herbs: I added fresh coriander and dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) for more flavor.

Step by Step Directions

Making The Gravy

• Heat oil in a pan or Kadai and add green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cloves, and cumin seeds.
• Allow the cumin seeds to sizzle.

• Add chopped green chili and ginger, and saute for a few seconds.
• However, instead of chopped chili and ginger, you can also add paste.

• Then add cashews and chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook for two minutes.

• Now add salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder.
• Mix well and cook for 7-8 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.

• Turn off the heat and let the tomato mixture cool down a bit.
• Then, transfer it to the blender jar and blend it into a smooth puree.
• Set aside.

Making The Matar Paneer

• Heat ghee or oil in a pan or Kadai and add boiled green peas.

• Cook for 2 minutes, and then add prepared tomato gravy.
• Mix well and continue cooking for 7-8 minutes.

• Add paneer cubes, ½ cup of water, salt to taste, and garam masala.
• Mix gently and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• But, if your gravy is too thick, you can add more water to adjust the desired consistency.

• Finally, add Kasoori methi, coriander leaves, and cream.
• Mix well, cook for a minute, and turn off the heat.

• Transfer the Matar Paneer to a serving bowl and serve as you desire.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this delicious curry with any Indian flatbread of your choice.
• It goes well with Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha, or this Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast) / Kulcha On Tawa.
• You can also serve the Matar Paneer with plain rice, Jeera Rice (Restaurant Style), or Pulao.
• If you want to make a festive meal, pair this curry with other Dal preparations and accompaniments like Boondi Raita, Pomegranate Raita / Anar Raita, or Cucumber Raita.

Helpful Tips

• Tomatoes: It is best to use fresh and ripe tomatoes.
• Cashews: Cashews bring richness and creaminess to the gravy, so don’t skip them. Instead of whole cashews, you can use broken cashews for a cost-effective option.
• Gravy: The key to smooth gravy is to blend the tomato mixture well. But if your blender doesn’t grind it well, make sure to pass the sauce through a fine sieve. That will make the gravy silky smooth and velvety. Also, cook the gravy for a long enough time to remove the raw taste of tomatoes.
• Green Peas: You can use fresh or frozen green peas. Boil or steam the green peas until they are cooked thoroughly.
• Paneer: Use fresh and soft paneer for the best taste. However, if possible, make Homemade Paneer to use for this delicious matar paneer curry.

More Comforting Curry Recipes

You May Like More Paneer Dishes

• Kadai Paneer (No Onion No Garlic)
• Paneer and Broccoli Masala (No Onion No Garlic)
• Paneer Jalfrezi (No Onion No Garlic)
• Tawa Paneer Masala (No Onion No Garlic)
• Methi Malai Paneer (No Onion No Garlic)

Recipe Card