Akshay's Matar Paneer

Akshay's Matar Paneer

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, ground or grated
• 3 large tomatoes, pureed (+ optional: 2 tbsp of concentrated puree from a tube)
• 250 gm paneer or feta cheese, cubed
• 1 - 1.5 cup peas
• Fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp oil
• A pinch of asafoetida
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder*
• 1 tbsp coriander powder*

*Making this is relatively easy - dry roast cumin / coriander seeds over a low or medium heat until fragrant and darker in colour. Then grind the roasted seeds down in a mortar and pestle until they’re a fine powder. For larger quantities use a spice blender.

Method

1. Add the oil to a hot pan.Ideally, use a pan with a lid.
   Once close to the smoking point, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and onions.
2. Saute till the onion turns translucent or pinkish, then add the ginger garlic paste, being careful not to burn it.
3. Once the raw scent of garlic subsides, add the tomato puree (and tube concentrate if available)
4. Stir, and add all the spices: ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tbsp coriander powder. Mix, continue to occasionally stir until the oil begins to separate.
5. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add peas (aka matar). If using paneer, add it in at this stage. If using feta, hold off until the very end.
6. Mix gently, add a bit of water and taste test for salt and spices.
7. Turn down the heat, lid the pan and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
   Punjabi households often use a pressure cooker instead of a pan, and they’d typically lid it at this stage and cook it for two whistles.
8. Chop coriander leaves and add as a garnish once the sauce has thickened.
9. If using feta, wait until the very end to add it as it tends to crumble. It’ll taste good either way, but I personally prefer chunkier bits of feta!
   

Rice

1. Watching some people cook rice in the UK often leaves me aghast, as I find the usage of sieves to be abhorrent. Rice, cooked properly, will absorb all the water you use. If you’ve got water left over, you’re just using too much water. The recipe below always works.
2. A good rule of thumb for long-grained rice like basmati (the most popular export from the subcontinent) is 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice. If you want it a little starchier with stickier grains, use 1.5 cups.
3. Measure 1 cup of rice and put the kettle on!
4. In a (tight-fitting) lidded pan, add in a dash of oil of your choice - olive oil, sunflower, or even ghee (clarified butter).
5. Add the rice, immediately afterwards adding the same volume of water into the pan. Add salt to taste. Typically ½ a teaspoon to 1 cup of rice is sufficient, but to each their own.
6. Put the lid on the pan and keep the heat on low or medium low. Keep lidded for 12 minutes.
7. 12 minutes afterwards, your rice should be perfectly cooked!