making onion-tomato masala paste

Cup of Yum
1. In a blender or grinder take ½ cup chopped onions, 1 cup tightly packed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and 1 green chili, chopped.
2. Without adding any water grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. 
3. Meanwhile rinse and chop potatoes to a slightly large size. Also rinse green peas. You can use fresh or frozen green peas. Chop paneer into cubes and keep ready.

making aloo matar paneer

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
2. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter.
3. Keep the flame to a low and then add the ground onion-tomato paste.
4. As soon as you add the paste, quickly stir.
5. The paste splutters a lot, so cover the cooker partly with its lid keeping some open space at one side, so that the steam formed within gets an outlet.
6. Do check in between a couple of times and give a stir.
7. Once the masala paste stops spluttering, then add 2 tablespoons cream or malai.
8. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon fennel powder (optional) and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
9. Mix very well and continue to saute the masala on a low to medium flame.
10. Saute till masala thickens and you see oil releasing from the sides of the paste. Stir often while sautéing.
11. Now add ½ cup green peas and 1 to 1.25 cups diced potatoes.
12. Mix well and saute for a minute.
13. Add 1 cup water. For a thick gravy you can add ⅔ to ¾ cup water. mix again very well.
14. Add ¼ teaspoon sugar. Sugar is optional and can be skipped.
15. Add salt as per taste. cover the cooker and pressure cook for 6 to 7 minutes or for 2 whistles on medium flame.
16. As soon as the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid.
17. Add ¾ to 1 cup paneer cubes.
18. The gravy will be bubbling hot, so the paneer cubes will get cooked in this gravy. Mix well.
19. Then add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ¼ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves).
20. Lastly add 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. Mix again well.
21. Serve aloo matar paneer gravy with chapatis, phulkas or parathas. This delicious curry also goes well with tandoori roti or naan.
22. You can also serve with steamed rice, cumin rice or saffron rice. While serving aloo matar paneer, optionally you can garnish with a bit of cream and a few chopped coriander leaves.