Matar Paneer, Lighter Gravy
The North Indian favourite, with a tomato-onion gravy thickened by a few cashews instead of cream; the paneer and peas stay the stars.
- Region
- Uttar Pradesh
- Status
- Adaptation — cashew paste replaces cream
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Everyday or guest lunch
- Tags
- Good source · Soy-free · Whey-free · No added sugar · Gluten-free* (curry only)
- Allergens
- Milk, tree nuts (cashew); gluten (rotis)
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 535 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Headline values are for the full plate.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matar paneer only (about 300 g) | 315 | 19 g | 23 g | 16 g | 7 g | 6 g | 13 g | 6.0 g |
| Full plate: curry, 2 whole-wheat rotis | 535 | 26 g | 68 g | 17 g | 7 g | 14 g | 14 g | 5.0 g |
Good source (plate); the dish alone is High protein. A restaurant matar paneer of the same size often has 450–550 kcal from cream and butter. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 200 g full-fat paneer, in 2 cm cubes · 150 g green peas (fresh or frozen)
- Gravy: 150 g onion · 250 g tomato · 10 g cashews, soaked 15 minutes · 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste · 1 green chilli
- 12 g groundnut oil · 1 tsp cumin seeds · 1 bay leaf · ½ tsp turmeric · 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder · 1½ tsp coriander powder · ½ tsp garam masala · 1 tsp kasuri methi · 5 g salt · 200 ml water
- Plate: 210 g whole-wheat atta for 6 rotis
Method
- Blend onion, tomato, cashews, ginger-garlic paste and chilli into a smooth purée.
- Heat oil; add cumin and bay leaf. Add the purée and cook on medium 12–15 minutes, stirring, until it darkens, thickens and oil separates at the edges.
- Add turmeric, chilli and coriander powders; cook 2 minutes.
- Add peas, salt and 200 ml water. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Add paneer and simmer 3 minutes only, so it stays soft.
- Finish with garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Serve with rotis.
Protein optimisation
- Paneer supplies 12 g per serving, peas 3.5 g, gravy 2 g.
- Boost: serve with 100 g curd (+3.5 g protein, +60 kcal).
- Low-fat paneer (check the label) saves about 70 kcal and 8 g fat per serving, with similar protein.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Punjabi dhaba style — add 1 tsp butter at the end (+25 kcal per serving).
- Substitution: firm tofu for paneer (lower fat, similar protein; adds soy).
- Storage: 2 days refrigerated.
- Food safety: refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Meal prep: make the gravy base ahead; add paneer on the day.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com