Matar Paneer with Jeera Rice

Ingredients

• 🧀Paneer, cut into 2 cm cubes250 g
• 🫛Peas, thawed if frozen150 g
• 🍚Basmati Rice, rinsed well1 cup
• 💧Water, for the riceas needed
• 🧈Clarified Butter (Ghee)2 tbsp
• 🧂Cumin Seeds2 tsp
• 🧅Yellow Onion, finely sliced1 onion
• 🧄Garlic, minced3 clove
• 🫚Ginger (ground)1 tsp
• 🥫Tomato Paste2 tbsp
• 🧂Coriander (ground)2 tsp
• 🧂Turmeric1 tsp
• 🧂Garam Masala1 tsp
• 🧂Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed2 pod
• 🧂Cinnamon Sticks1 stick
• 🧂Kosher Salt, for the rice and curryto taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground)to taste
• 🧊Lemon Juice1 tbsp
• 🌿Curly Parsley, chopped2 tbsp

Contains Celery, Dairy, Garlic, Mustard, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the rice

   Put the Basmati Rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold Water, swishing it with your fingers for about 1 minute until the runoff turns from cloudy white to mostly clear. If the water stays milky, keep rinsing a little longer so the grains stay separate and fluffy later rather than turning sticky.

   2 min
2. 2

   Slice the onion

   Place the Yellow Onion on a chopping board and slice it thinly from stem to root with a sharp knife, keeping the pieces even so they soften at the same rate, about 2-3 minutes. If the slices wobble or feel too thick, slow down and use the tip of the knife to guide the cut so they do not burn in patches later.

   3 min
3. 3

   Mince the garlic

   Peel the Garlic Cloves and mince them finely on the chopping board, rocking the knife through the pile until the pieces are small and damp-looking, about 1 minute. If any pieces stick to the blade, scrape them back into the pile and chop once more so they do not catch and brown too fast in the skillet.

   1 min
4. 4

   Start the rice

   Set a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the Ghee until it foams quietly and smells nutty, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Cumin Seeds and let them sizzle for about 20 seconds until they darken a shade and release a toasted aroma, then add the rinsed rice and stir to coat every grain in the fat so the cumin scent clings evenly.

   2 min
5. 5

   Add the rice water

   Pour the Water into the medium saucepan, season it with the Kosher Salt, and bring it up over high heat until the surface bubbles hard, about 3-4 minutes. Keep the boil lively but not violent so the grains move evenly; if the foam rises too fast, lower the heat for a moment and stir once to settle it.

   4 min
6. 6

   Simmer the rice

   Drop the heat to low, cover the medium saucepan tightly, and let the rice steam for about 12 minutes until the water is absorbed and the surface looks matte with little steam tunnels showing through. If you hear sputtering or smell scorching, the heat is too high, so move the saucepan off the burner for a minute before continuing.

   12 min
7. 7

   Warm the paneer

   Set the large skillet over medium heat and add the Paneer in a single layer, turning it gently with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes until the edges take on pale gold and the cubes feel firmer to the touch. If the cubes stick, leave them alone for a few seconds longer rather than forcing them, because they release more cleanly once a light crust forms.

   3 min
8. 8

   Bloom the spices

   Melt the remaining Ghee in the large skillet over medium heat, then add the Cumin Seeds, Cardamom Pods, and Cinnamon Sticks and stir for about 30 seconds until the spices smell vivid and the cumin starts to crackle. Keep the heat steady and pull the skillet back slightly if the spices darken too quickly, because burnt whole spices turn the whole curry harsh.

   1 min
9. 9

   Soften the onion

   Add the Yellow Onion to the large skillet and stir it through the spices, scraping the base with the wooden spoon so every slice is coated, then cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the edges start to pale gold. If the pan looks dry before the onion softens, lower the heat and let it sweat rather than brown so the curry stays mellow.

   5 min
10. 10

    Cook the garlic base

    Stir the Garlic Cloves, Ginger (ground), Tomato Paste, Coriander (ground), Turmeric, Garam Masala, Black Pepper (ground), and a pinch of Kosher Salt into the onion and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly until the tomato paste darkens and the spices smell warm rather than raw. If the mixture sticks, splash in a spoonful of Water and keep stirring so it does not catch on the base.

    1 min
11. 11

    Build the curry

    Pour the Water into the large skillet and stir with the wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits so they dissolve into the sauce, then add the Green Peas and let everything simmer over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes until the sauce loosens, bubbles gently, and turns a glossy orange-red. If the sauce looks too thick before the peas are tender, add another splash of Water and keep it moving so the bottom does not scorch.

    4 min
12. 12

    Finish with paneer

    Slide the Paneer back into the large skillet and fold it through the sauce gently for about 2 minutes over low heat until the cubes are hot all the way through and the gravy clings to their sides in a thin glossy coat. Stir lightly rather than aggressively so the cubes stay intact; if the sauce tightens too much, loosen it with a splash of Water before it starts to stick.

    2 min
13. 13

    Fluff and finish rice

    Take the lid off the medium saucepan, scatter the Lemon Juice over the rice, and fluff it with a fork for about 30 seconds so the grains lift apart and the citrus scent rises. If the rice still feels damp, leave it uncovered for a minute before fluffing again so the steam can escape instead of making it gummy.

    1 min
14. 14

    Serve the dinner

    Divide the jeera rice between warm bowls, spoon the matar paneer alongside it, and scatter the Curly Parsley over the curry so the green stays fresh and bright. Serve immediately while the sauce is hot and glossy, with the rice fluffy and the paneer still soft at the centre.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving