Paneer and Punjabi dishes are synonymous with each other. This is a very delicious dish.

Ingredients:

Paneer 200 gms
1 cup fresh green peas
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 medium sized tomato finely chopped
2 tbsps thick curd for marination
2-3 tbsps fresh methi leaves (or 1 tsp kasuri methi)
salt to taste
home made butter or oil for tempering
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste

Masala:

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves
3 cardamom seeds
1 small piece of cinnamon
3 black peppers
3-4 curry leaves

Effort: 30 mins (if you are using readymade paneer)

Serves: 2 persons

- Roast the whole spices for a while on low flame, once the spices start flavoring, remove the spices from the stove. Cool down, and grind the spices.
- Cut the paneer in 1 inch long slices. Mix 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, half of the ground spices mixture and 1/2 tsp cumin powder in curd.
Marinate the paneer pieces in the curd mix for around 30 mins
- Heat oil/home made butter in a kadai. Homemade butter is fattening but it gives a very rich taste to the paneer mutter.
- Once the oil/butter is hot enough, add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste. Stir for a while.
- Add finely chopped onions and cook till onions are golden brown. Add tomatoes, and add all the remaining masalas. Cook till tomatoes are well cooked,
add green peas.
- Cover cook for around 10 mins. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water if the mixture starts sticking to the pan.
- Add marinated paneer and add salt to taste. Cook till paneer is soft.
- Most of the people prefer frying the paneer, but I like to use the paneer without frying.
- Add fenugreek leaves, and cook for 5 mins.
- To make the dish attractive, garnish with fresh cream and coriander leaves.

Courtesy: Sangeeta Bavi