Matar Paneer (Fresh Cheese)
Paneer is a fresh cheese with plenty of texture and protein. In this traditional northern Indian dish, Paneer is combined with green peas in a spicy tomato-ginger sauce. Fresh Paneer is quite crumbly, so it is generally cut into cubes and sauteed until golden before combining with other ingredients. For variety, try adding some finely minced fresh cilantro and a little freshly ground black pepper to the mixture before cubing and frying. If you do have any left over, serve it warm in whole wheat pita bread topped with sliced tomaotes and crunchy red onions.
Yield
4 servingsPrep
40 minCook
20 minReady
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | cups |
milk, whole
null |
* |
| 3 | tablespoons |
lemon juice
fresh |
|
| 3 | tablespoons |
all-purpose flour
|
|
| 1 | x |
cheese cloth
|
* |
| 2 | tablespoons |
vegetable oil
|
|
| Sauce | |||
| 1 | medium |
onions
cut into chunks |
|
| 3 | medium |
tomatoes
|
|
| 1 | piece |
ginger
one inch thick |
*
|
| 2 | cloves |
garlic
|
|
| 1 | small |
red chili peppers
|
*
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
garam masala
|
*
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| 1 | cup |
water
|
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
vegetable oil
|
|
| 3 | cups |
green peas
fresh or frozen |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | l |
milk, whole
null |
* |
| 45 | ml |
lemon juice
fresh |
|
| 45 | ml |
all-purpose flour
|
|
| 1 | x |
cheese cloth
|
* |
| 3E+1 | ml |
vegetable oil
|
|
| Sauce | |||
| 1 | medium |
onions
cut into chunks |
|
| 3 | medium |
tomatoes
|
|
| 1 | piece |
ginger
one inch thick |
*
|
| 2 | cloves |
garlic
|
|
| 1 | small |
red chili peppers
|
*
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
garam masala
|
*
|
| 5 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 237 | ml |
water
|
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
vegetable oil
|
|
| 7.1E+2 | ml |
green peas
fresh or frozen |
|
Directions
Bring milk to a boil.
As soon as it begins to bubble, stir in lemon juice; remove from heat.
Allow to rest 15 minutes; the curds will separate from the whey.
Strain curds through a triple layer of cheesecloth; squeeze out as much whey as you easily can.
Discard whey.
Knead flour into curds, place on a plate; pat to ¾ inch thickness.
Refrigerate while preparing sauce.
For sauce, place all ingredients except peas in a blender or food processor; blend to a smooth paste.
Pour into a large skillet, bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove Paneer from refrigerator, cut into 1 inch cubes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet, sauté cubes until golden on both sides.
Add paneer cubes and peas to sauce.
Simmer for ten minutes or until peas are cookes.
Serve with steamed rice.
Makes 4 to 5 servings.
