Matar Paneer - Peas with Indian Cottage Cheese

This is a recipe totally "flicked" from Jugalbandi cuz this month they are featured on Zlamushka's Taste & Create.
I had been meaning to make this dish for a while and had some left over paneer after making palak paneer. I always have frozen peas in the fridge, though my mom keeps telling me I should get fresh ones. Well, I will if I find them around, but till then, frozen ones will do. They are just so convenient!

I have also been planning to make paneer at home one of these days. But my lazy self found that Mustafa Stores in Singapore stores paneer (among everything else under the sun!) so I am happily buying and stocking up on frozen Amul Paneer cubes.

Anyway, I have the recipe below, the way I modified it but I have stuck to it pretty much entirely.

What I Used:

Serves 2-3

Inspired by Recipe from Jugalbandi

Cubed cottage cheese - 2 cups, fried a light brown.
Green peas - 1 cup
Chopped onions - 1 cup
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Chopped garlic - 2 tsp
Tomatoes, pureed - 2 cups
Capsicum/green bell pepper - 1/4 cup, diced (optional - changes flavour of the dish)
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
All-purpose curry masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Milk cream - 2 tbsp
Chopped cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Butter/ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

How I Made It:

1. Dunk the onions in boiling water and cook for a minute. Make a paste of this with ginger, garlic and cashews without adding water.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a deep pan. Add the onion puree and a pinch of salt. Fry it on a medium flame until the paste turns light brown and starts drying out a bit (7 minutes or so).

4. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and tomato puree. Cook for five minutes on medium.

5. Add the peas. (If using frozen peas, microwave on HIGH for a minute, just to thaw and add them at the very end). This is what I did.

6. Add the cumin and curry masala powders. Add salt to taste and cook until the mixture becomes a little thicker than the consistency you desire in the final dish.

7. Add the cream and sugar. Stir, taste for salt and seasonings, then add the paneer cubes (save a few for garnish).

8. Heat it through, turn off the flame.

9. Keep it covered for 15 minutes for the flavours to blend together.

Thank you guys, for a lovely recipe. Its not one of my simple recipes but definitely worth the time and effort.

I served the matar paneer with chapatis.

This goes off to Zlamushka's event - Taste and Create.