Matar Paneer / Cottage cheese and Peas gravy

Matar Paneer is a north Indian dish which has cottage cheese aka paneer and green peas in it. It is mostly served with rice or rotis. This is a vegetarian dish cooked in a tomato based gravy.

Ingredients:

Cottage cheese/Paneer - 200 gm
Green peas - 1 cup frozen or cooked
Onion - 2 small finely chopped
Tomato - 1 large Pureed
Cashew nuts - 10 soaked and made to paste
Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped or paste
Garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped or paste
Green chilies - 2 finely chopped
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Pepper cones - 5
Bay leaf - small
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamom - small pc
oil
Salt
Sugar - Pinch
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Cream - to garnish

Method:

Heat a wok and melt butter. Add paneer and saute till it turns light brown. Change from wok and keep aside.
In same butter add 1 tbsp oil and splutter all whole spices. You can use butter itself instead of oil, but for a healthier option oil is better as we are already sauteing paneer in butter. once whole spices splutter add chopped onions. Saute well. Add Ginger Garlic and saute well till onion turns transparent. add some salt to fasten process. Once done add green chilies and tomato puree. saute well. add all dry powders and cashew paste. Add little water and mix well and close lid and cook for 2 min. Add green peas and close lid and cook for 5 min. Now add in the sauteed paneer and some coriander leaves and mix well. Close lid and cook for 2 min. Remove from stove. Serve by garnishing with some fresh cream and coriander leaves.