Mutter Paneer (Fried Cheese with Green Peas)

I had been intending to make some black bean enchiladas for dinner last night, but was suddenly hit by a desire for cheese. I didn't want beans for dinner, I just wanted a giant bowl of cheese! And one of the nice things about being an adult is that if I want a huge pile of cheese for dinner, I can have a huge pile of cheese for dinner. And one of the nice things about owning a copy of 660 Curries is that I can even find a delicious cheese-for-dinner recipe that lets me feel... well, maybe not exactly virtuous, but at least not excessively guilty about my casein craving.

Mutter paneer served over palak pulao.

Mutter Paneer

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredeints

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 (Indian) bay leaf
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 fresh green Thai chilies, minced
• 1 c. tomato sauce¹
• 2 tsp. bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 250g paneer, cubed and pan-fried
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat ghee over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf and cook for 10-15 seconds.
3. Add onion, ginger paste, garlic, and chilies and stir-fry until light brown (5-7 minutes).
4. Add tomato sauce, garam masala, and salt and reduce heat to medium.
5. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6. Add water and peas. (If using frozen fried paneer, add it now as well.) Cover and simmer until peas (and paneer) are thawed and warmed through.
7. Fold in paneer (if not already present), cream, and cilantro. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
8. Serve with rice/pulao and/or naan.

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¹ I didn't have any ready-made tomato sauce on hand, so I whipped up a quick batch of sauce before starting the curry. I basically just emptied a can of diced tomatoes into a pot and then added spices and let it simmer for a few minutes. You can season it however you like. Here's what I put in mine (to the best of my recollection): 800mL diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. coriander seeds, 1 tsp. jaggery, 1 tsp. dehydrated minced onion, 1/2 tsp. dehydrated minced garlic, 2 Indian bay leaves, 1 (3") cinnamon stick, 2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies (although 1 probably would've been sufficient), 3 green cardamom pods, 1 tsp. chopped basil, 1 tsp. chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, 1/2 Tbsp. ghee. ^Back