Ani's Kitchen Stories

This melt in mouth, flavourful and delicious Creamy Matar Paneer Keema is a perfect addition in your vegetarian diet. Savour it with rice, naan or roti you’ll never go wrong. This particular dish is my family’s favourite and I swear, if you try it once, it’ll definitely hit your taste buds as well.

The crumbled cream cheese aka keema paneer in the red bell pepper and tomato based sauce with the bits and pieces of fried peas makes it really good and delectable. The spices in it makes it flavoursome and the sauce gravy is what I like to use it in my chicken, mushroom and paneer dishes. You can make the sauce gravy beforehand and refrigerate or store it for long in a freezer. The amount of spices or ingredients in it might look overwhelming but it’s worth it. The spices are the basic ingredients that we’ve in any Indian kitchen. The addition of kasuri methi makes it more appetising.

The roasted red bell peppers and the tomatoes makes the sauce taste way better compared to the fried ones. You can roast the bell peppers and tomatoes either on gas burner or in oven. And purée it together along with the fried onions, chilli, ginger, garlic and cashews.

A versatile go to sauce for any Indian dish both vegetarian and non vegetarian, you can make it beforehand, that makes the life much easier on busy days, cheat meals or even when guest comes over for lunch and dinner.

So without any further delay lets head to the recipe.

Ingredients: (serves 5-6)

▪️100 grams Paneer (cottage cheese)

▪️2 red bell pepper ( medium size)

▪️2 tomatoes (medium size)

▪️1/2 cup peas

▪️1 Indian bay leaf

▪️1 onion

▪️2 green chillies

▪️6-7 garlic cloves

▪️1/2 inch ginger

▪️6-7 Cashew nuts

▪️1 tsp cumin seeds

▪️1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

▪️1 tsp cumin powder

▪️1tsp coriander powder

▪️1/2 tsp fennel seed powder

▪️1/4 tsp garam masala

▪️1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

▪️1/2 tsp turmeric powder

▪️1/2 tsp crushed peppercorns

▪️2 tbsp fresh cream

▪️1 tbsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

▪️Salt to taste

▪️Water as per needed

▪️1 tbsp ghee

▪️1 tbsp oil (mustard/ vegetable oil)

Instructions:

▪️On a plate crumble the cottage cheese and set aside.

▪️Wash the red bell peppers and tomatoes, roast them on a gas burner. Turn the heat on and allow the flame to burn the skin on all sides turning on frequent intervals. Repeat the process with both bell peppers and tomatoes until the whole skin turns black and nicely roasted. Turn off the flame. Set aside and let it cool.

▪️Alternatively you can roast the bell peppers and tomatoes in the oven. Broil them in the oven of 400 degree Celsius on a line baking pan with an aluminium foil until the skin is charred and blistered. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

▪️Peel out the charred skin of the roasted bell peppers and tomatoes and put it in the grinder or food processor.

▪️In a pan heat a tbsp of oil and fry the peas for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the excess oil and place it on a plate and set aside.

▪️In the same frying pan add the roughly chopped onion, chillies, cashews, peeled ginger and garlic. Stir it for 2 to 3 minutes in medium flame. Turn off the flame and add to the roasted bell peppers and tomatoes in the food processor. Set aside and let it cool. To avoid any accidents, do not grind it hot. When it’s cooled down, puree the mixture.

▪️In the same pan, heat ghee in low flame and add the cumin and fenugreek seeds. Do not let it burn. (It won’t be pleasant to eat a burnt cumin and fenugreek seeds in the gravy sauce.) When the cumin and fenugreek seeds splatter, add the bay leaf and the puréed mixture. Stir well.

▪️Now add salt, cumin, coriander, fennel and turmeric powder, stir well. Pour fresh cream and stir. Add 1 cup of water, cover the lid and let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes in low to medium flame.

▪️Add the crumbled cottage cheese (paneer) and half of the fried peas. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes uncovered. At this stage add the garam masala and crushed peppercorns along with the hand crushed dry fenugreek leaves ( kasuri methi). Stir well. Turn off the flame and place it on a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining fried peas on top. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Notes: The gravy sauce can be stored in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 days before adding your desired protein.