Muttar Paneer

Curry-Palooza #3 

It was my turn again to choose the recipe for our Curry-Palooza project and I picked Muttar Paneer, which is one of my favorite dishes to order in Indian Restaurants.  After searching for a recipe, I found this one at the blog, A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit, which seemed doable to me.  Remember, this whole project is conceived to help me master become adequate at Indian cookery. 

I love paneer, which is a cheese that doesn't melt when heated. I love the texture of it and it takes on the beautiful taste and aroma of the sauce cooked with it.  Grapefruit educated me about paneer, advising me that it is simply cottage cheese which has been drained and pressed.  She even has a cottage cheese recipe on her blog, which I planned to use. Time got short and I stopped by the market for it instead. 

We really enjoyed this curry and thought it was delicious. The recipe was easy to follow, though like all things curry, a little time consuming. Enjoyable and fragrant time, however. 

Find my co-host, Grapefruit's version of Muttar Paneer at her blog, Needful Things.

We have a new blogger, Margie, of More Please, joining us this month so I hope you will hop over to check out her version of this recipe. She even made her own paneer!

I am always fascinated to see different cook's versions of the same recipe. Won't you consider joining us in this project, still in its infancy, so we can see your versions as well? Just let Grapefruit or I know if you want to join in the fun of Curry-Palooza. 

Muttar Paneer
(Slightly adapted for U.S. measurements)
1 lb.  paneer cheese, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped finely
2 (15 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp ground coriander
3-4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric
2tsp ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
vegetable oil or ghee
fresh coriander, chopped (to garnish)

Heat the oil or ghee in a large heavy bottomed frying pan.

Add the cubes of paneer and fry until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

If necessary add a little more oil or ghee and fry the onions, until soft and golden.

Now add the spices and the garlic and fry for another couple of minutes until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and about 1 cup water and stir. Bring to a a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes.

Add the peas and return the fried cheese to the pan. Cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.


I served this curry with basmati rice, yoghurt, and hot and spicy pickled relish, which I also purchased.