Creamy Paneer and Pea Curry

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A gentle, buttery tomato curry with soft cubes of paneer and sweet green peas. There's no chilli at all, just a whisper of warm garam masala, and the cream rounds everything into a smooth, mellow sauce kids happily spoon over rice. It comes together in one skillet in about half an hour with ten everyday ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 14 oz paneer, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes, until soft, golden at the edges and no longer crunchy.
2. Stir in the grated garlic and garam masala and cook for 45 seconds, just until fragrant — do not let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter.
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with the sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce darkens slightly and thickens enough to coat a spoon.
4. Stir in the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until the sauce turns glossy and pale orange, about 1 minute. For an extra-smooth sauce that fussy eaters prefer, blitz it briefly with a hand blender at this point.
5. Add the paneer cubes and frozen peas. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice, until the paneer is heated through and softened and the peas are bright and tender.
6. Taste and add a pinch more salt or sugar if needed, then serve hot over rice or with warm naan for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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