Teased with Turmeric

I have new neighbors. I think they cook constantly. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner I go outside or open the windows to the smell of Indian spices wafting up toward my nose. I find it terribly unfair that they haven't invited me over for dinner. Little do they know my love hate relationship with Indian food. I love to eat it but hate to cook it because I can never make it nearly as well as my favorite restaurants.

The mouth-watering temptation day in and day out has taken its toll. With no decent take-out place or buffet within a 100 mile radius, I decided to give it yet another try. I admit, things are going well. P has to agree that I'm getting much closer at creating above average Indian dishes.


Mattar paneer is always my go-to dish. Its not the most exciting thing out there but in my mind its a good test of a restaurant's quality. It is quite easy to put together in this version, but my only complaint was the level of spiciness. I need a little heat (or a lot) in a dish like this and I was a little clueless on what to add to achieve that. Cayenne? Red chili powder? A small, hot pepper?

Mattar Paneer
adapted from Cuisine Cuisine

2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam marsala

1 lb paneer, cut into cubes
2 cups frozen peas
3 tblsp tomato paste
4 tblsp plain yogurt
1 tblsp grated ginger
1 tblsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro

Ahead of time, lightly fry the paneer cubes in ghee or oil until browned on each side. Set aside.
Heat some ghee or oil in a large dutchoven and fry the onions until nicely browned and charred a bit. Add the spices and stir for a few seconds. Add more oil if it becomes too dry. Remove the contents of the pot to a food processor and puree with the garlic and ginger. Return the paste to the pot and add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. Pour in a scant 1/2 cup of water to deglaze the bottom and scrape up any bits. Stir constantly until it smooths out and then add the yogurt. Let it simmer for a few minutes then add the peas and paneer. Bring to a simmer and put a lid on it to steam the peas for a couples minutes. You may need to add more water if the heat is too high and its not coming together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in some chopped cilantro and serve with basmati rice or naan.