Mattar Paneer--a North Indian cheese-tomatoes-and-peas dish

[The key ingredient here is paneer, a type of cheese similar to the American "cottage" cheese. Pick some up at your local Indian grocery, or try a Mexican grocery's "queso fresco," or just make your own using our recipe]

  • Paneer
  • can tomoato juice
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp hing
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp corriander
  • salt to taste
  • 2 lbs peas Start with one standard-size can tomato juice. Pour into a saucepan at medium heat. Add 1/2 tsp chili powder (or equivalent fresh peppers), 1/8 tsp hing/asafoetida, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, and salt to taste (2-4 teaspoons?). Stir well.
    Slowly add 2 lbs peas. Stir while bringing to a boil. Simmer about 10 min., or long enough to boil off excess liquid and kill the canned taste of the tomato juice.
    Stir in paneer cubes (quantity depends on desired cheese/peas ratio--1 lb?). Chow down. Vegans can also enjoy the pea-tomato substance alone.