Description
Instant Pot Matar Paneer is a healthy low-calorie curry for weight loss and calorie counting diets. Can be served with basmati rice or any Indian flatbreads.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200 grams paneer cheese (approx 2 cups)
- 1 Cup of frozen green peas
To grind
- 2 medium onions
- 3–4 Large red vine tomatoes
- 8 cashew nuts
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste(or 1 inch of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic)
- 4 cloves
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/2 inch cinnamon
For Gravy
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste(optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek
- 2 tablespoon full-fat milk(optional)
Instructions
- If using store-bought paneer, soak the paneer cubes in warm water for at least 10-15 minutes. This will ensure the paneer becomes soft and spongy.
- Take all ingredients mentioned under Grind section into a jar, blend to a smooth paste without adding any water.
- Press Saute Mode on instant pot and adjust to medium(see notes below on temperature adjustment).
- Heat butter or ghee and add the ground paste and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add green peas, 1/2 cup f water and mix well. The water is to enable pressure cooking.
- Close the lid and cancel saute mode. Press pressure cook mode and set the timer for 2 minutes. Make sure the valve is turned to sealing mode.
- Once done, the monitor will display L, wait for a couple of minutes and release the pressure manually carefully. Remove the lid and set to saute mode again adjusting between low and medium a required.
- Add tomato paste if using, adjust salt and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add paneer cubes, green chilli along with 1/4 cup of water roughly. Cook for 5 more minutes by scraping the bottom carefully.
- Crush fenugreek leaves between your palms and add to the curry and then garam masala. Mix well.
- Add a splash of milk and simmer for a further couple of minutes. Serve hot with rice or naan.
Notes
- Always toggle between low to medium modes while cooking with less oil in saute mode of the instant pot.
- If you cannot find paneer, greek halloumi cheese is a close option, To make this vegan replace paneer with tofu and butter with cooking oil.
- You can skip green chilli and tomato paste and they are optional.
- The paneer curry stays good at room temperature for a day and is I highly recommend refrigerating afterwards due to it being a diary. It stays good for 3-4 days.
- You may notice the paneer becomes hard but ideally it will become soft when you reheat it and consume immediately.
- Also please note the curry becomes thick when cooled down.
- The nutritional information is only an estimate and always check your original food labels for accurate values.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing. this curry.
- Category: Mains
- Method: Pressure Cook
- Cuisine: Indian