Mattar Paneer

This is another Indian dish I make often.  Crazy healthy with the peas.  And the paneer (Indian Cheese) adds a good balance.

I was very certain that I had paneer in the freezer when I planned this dish, only to discover it was Halloumi.  No worries, that worked just fine.  Halloumi is a Greek cheese that does not melt when cooked (same concept as the paneer, just a bit saltier).   It is a great snack when grilled and served with a drizzle of olive oil and chili peppers (I think I got that from Nigella) like this:

But back to the peas ...

 Ingredients:

1/2 lb paneer, cubed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
3 medium tomatoes
1" stick cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp each turmeric and chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup tomato juice



Fry the paneer cubes in a small amount of oil.  Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the ginger, garlic and tomatoes and blend into a paste.

In the same pan, add the cumin seeds and heat until they start to pop.  Add the ginger, garlic, tomato paste and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated.  Add remaining spices and cook 2-3 minutes until the spices become fragrant.






Add peas and tomato juice and cook until peas are tender.  Return the paneer to the dish just before serving to warm through.  Serve with naan or rice.