That one dish from childhood, which was everyone's favorite and stays in our memories,For which we would do anything.For me, that dish was my mom's mutter paneer.Because paneer was made with a lot of effort at home from milk.It was made by curdling the milk and going through the whole process.That's why mutter paneer was prepared only when my uncle came over.Hello, I'm dimpi cook!And today, I'll make that same dish my mom used to cook for my uncle – Mutter Paneer!Today, there's no need to curdle the milk to make paneer because,Now I just buy it from the dairy.I've even taught how to curdle milk and make paneer,And I've also made a masterclass video on how to make paneer.You can search for it on YouTube.
Normally, when you make mutter paneer, all you need is Peas and Cottage cheese.But when I make mutter paneer, for that you need,Peas,And Cottage cheese.Now, I'm not going to ask you to add gold ash or diamond dust!For a minute, I had fooled everyone!These are the little joys that bring me happiness.I've cut the paneer now.Now frying the paneer is totally optional.My mom didn't fry the paneer,She used to say that frying it takes a lot of effort.So, I won't fry the paneer either.You can choose to fry or air fry it.After that, you can add it to hot water, it'll make the paneer soft.Actually, the recipe is very simple, I'll explain it as we go along.Take Ginger, Garlic,And some Green chillies.I'll show you the remaining spices later.Cumin seeds, Coriander seeds, Green cardamom, and Black pepper.
Set them aside.Now, roughly start chopping everything like this.Let's move forward.Now take 2 Onions and slice them roughly like this.Beautiful.Now take some Oil.Normally, you have to use pure mustard oil, but I've added a little refined oil too,Because many people don't like the strong taste of mustard oil.I really like it, but I've mixed in a little bit of Refined oil.It's very pungent!It hits you right in the nose!Done.Now put Onions.Now, you need to soften the onions in the oil,But the onions shouldn't be browned.We just want to take the rawness out of the onions.Now add some Salt.Salt draws out the moisture from the onions, this process is known as osmosis.Once the salt draws out the moisture, it will cook the onions nicely.
This step isn't essential, you get used to the intense flavor of mustard oil.After this, add all the ingredients that you've roughly chopped.Beautiful.Now add some Turmeric powder.Degi red chili powder,A pinch of Asafoetida, it's totally optional.I forgot to add one thing, and that's Coriander powder.Here it goes.Just a little while, and I'll give this to you to grind,So be ready.Before that, add a little Curd to prevent the spices from burning.Now, go ahead and blend this into a paste.Make a very fine paste.Now let's prepare the dry spice mix.It's very simple.Everyone knows that Indian cuisine is based on spices,But sometimes we think that if someone understands these powdered spices, they understand Indian cooking!However 'masala' isn't just about powdered spices.It includes both dry powders and pastes.In pastes, you have cooked pastes and raw pastes.
In South India, a lot of raw pastes are used, which are made with coconut,And many bases are made with it.In North India, many cooked pastes are made, which are used to create gravies.So understanding those is just as important as understanding dry spices.So just understanding dry spices and thinking that you've grasped all of Indian cuisine is incorrect.It's important to understand the essentials.Whenever you observe Indian recipes,These are the cues,Which paste was made, which marination was prepared,Which masala was ground, and which dry spice powder was used.All these are cues.These cues make you a good chef.*Chef singing!*Now, there's nothing else to do.While you're grinding the dry spices, I'll just sit back and listen to some music.Hurry up and bring it after grinding!Thank you very much!The help you're giving right now is something I used to do when I was a kid.
Back then, we didn't even have a mixer;I had to grind everything on a traditional stone grinder.So if you think I'm making you work hard,Remember you're using a mixer, while I had to do it manually on the stone grinderYou won't be able to defeat me so easily!If you want to add a royal touch to it,You can add a few cashews to the paste you made.Only if you want to add a royal touch.It's totally optional.As a basic rule,No matter how much you've cooked something,If you've ground it, it's essential to cook it again afterward.Grinding alters the texture and flavor combination,Whatever you have done doesn't matter anymore.That's why it's crucial to sauté it well again.Another thing is that we roughly chopped the ginger and garlic,So we need to cook out their rawness as well.
So, it’s important to cook this as well.Beautiful.Almost done.We are almost there.Let's move forwardThe oil has separated from the spices, which means the first sautéing is complete.Now add fresh Tomato puree.If you add the tomato puree too early, the paste won't sauté properly afterward.So make sure to sauté well first, and then add the tomato puree.Alright. I've told you everything.Now you can't say that, "dimpi you didn't tell us!"But I've told you, whenever you add tomatoes, the base paste should be properly sautéed beforehand.You don't have to do anything until this is sautéed well.Let's do some chopping as well.Finely chopped Coriander stems.Now it’s done.There’s no raw smell from the tomatoes,And the oil has started to release.
If you feel that the oil isn’t releasing, you can add 2-4 spoons of clarified butter,It will elevate the spices and help the oil start separating.Nobody will tell you about this trick.Basically, if the oil doesn't release, the spices won't sauté properly,Otherwise, the paste will just keep boiling.Now that it's cooked,Add Water.The color is now similar to the way my mother's dish used to look.The rest will come together once I add the dry spice mix.The base gravy I've made here is just amazing,And the paste we've prepared with onions, ginger, garlic, etc.,Can be stored in the fridge for one week and in the freezer for up to two months.And then, whenever you use it, just temper it a bit,Add water or tomato puree, and you can make this gravy anytime!Not just matar paneer,But you can also add marinated chicken with this gravy,Mixed vegetables as well,Or even make an egg curry by adding eggs.
So, this shortcut gravy has no shortcuts when it comes to taste.And actually, it wasn’t a shortcut when I used to grind it with a stone grinder,Now it feels like a shortcut.Back then, electricity wasn't as reliable.And even if there was a mixer, we wouldn’t use it.80% of the time, when food was being cooked, the electricity would go out.So how could I use a mixer?But that time was beautiful.Now add Green peas.Now it's time to add the Cottage cheese.I'll add it, but you still haven't brought the dry spice mix.The benefit of adding raw cottage cheese is that it absorbs all the flavors.
Since it’s still soft, it will easily soak up the flavors.You haven't brought the dry spice mix yet!Let me check the seasoning.It's absolutely amazing!Beautiful.Cover it with a lid and reduce the heat.Have you not brought the spices yet?Oh, you finally brought the spice mix! I thought you wouldn't bring it.Thank you very much.Let’s move ahead and complete the recipe!This recipe can be edited in less than 10 minutes.It’s such an easy recipe, how could it take any longer?At this point, the color of the gravy will change,And the flavor will also deepen significantly.
One advantage of adding salt to the dry spice mix is that after grinding,When you sprinkle it, it prevents lumps from forming.Otherwise, if you just add regular spices directly into the water, lumps can develop.Salt prevents lumps from forming.Beautiful.Now, let's do the plating.Handle the plating very carefully, otherwise, the cottage cheese might break,Especially since it hasn’t been fried.Looks amazing.Just look at the textureThe flavor of the dried fenugreek leaves is truly distinct and adds a unique essence to the dish.I'm feeling like eating the whole dish, but I also need to click a photo!It's the reality of the world,"What you showcase tends to sell."