Heat one tbsp oil in a kadhai or frying pan at medium heat. Once it’s hot, add bay leaves, black and green cardamom, mace, cloves, cinnamon sticks and whole red chili. Saute it for few sec. Add tomatoes, beetroot and 1 tsp salt.
Saute and cook till the tomato gets mushy. Once it’s done, transfer it into a grinder jar. Add 5-6 ice cubes and let it cool down.
Grind the gravy mix and bring it to a puree consistency. Strain it using a big strainer. Keep aside.
Meanwhile, in the same kadhai or frying pan, heat 3 tbsp oil at medium heat. Once it’s hot, add cumin seeds and 2 bay leaves. Wait till cumin seeds turn brown in color. Add onion, ginger-garlic paste and 2 tsp salt and stir.
Saute the onion till it turns golden in color. Stir occasionally to avoid it getting burnt. Add coriander and cumin powder, paneer butter masala powder and turmeric powder. Saute for 30 sec. Add strained tomato puree which we made earlier in step 4. Cook it while stirring for about 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water, peas (mutter) and crushed kasoori methi into it. Stir, cover it and let it cook for 1 more minute.
Meanwhile, cut the paneer into 1/2″ cubes. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a nonstick pan at medium heat. Add cut paneer and roast it from all sides till it has a light golden color. (Drop the roasted paneer immediately into warm water to avoid it getting dried in case your gravy is not ready.)
Add the roasted paneer to the curry and stir. Add garam masala powder and honey. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Adjust the curry consistency and salt as per your taste.
Finish with cream or cashew nut paste. Keep covered after done cooking for 20 minutes before serving.
Delicious paneer mutter masala is ready to serve.
Serve it with rice, roti , naan , poori or paratha.
Recipe Notes
To avoid paneer getting dry, drop it immediately into warm water in case gravy is not ready and you want to use it later.
If you are using fresh mutter, boil it till it gets slightly soft along with a little salt before using it in the curry.
You can replace paneer with tofu if you don’t like paneer.