PANEER WITH BURST CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Paneer With Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce image

This speedy dinner is loaded with cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and the same spices you'll find in a traditional matar paneer.

Provided by Sohla El-Waylly

Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Tomato Cheese Green Onion/Scallion Ginger Cumin Coriander Sugar Snap Pea Rice Mint Vegetarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Soy Free Quick & Easy

Yield 2-4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (1") piece ginger, scrubbed, cut into matchsticks
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. black mustard seeds
½ tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or ¼ tsp. cayenne powder
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 oz. paneer, sliced into (¼"-thick) planks, patted dry
Kosher salt
12 oz. cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
4 oz. sugar snap peas (about 1 cup), strings removed, halved on a diagonal if large
Pinch of sugar (optional)
½ cup (lightly packed) mint leaves
Cooked rice (for serving)

Steps:

Toss scallions, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a chef's knife, coarsely crush coriander seeds and add to vegetables along with cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, chile powder and turmeric; set aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Arrange paneer in a single layer in pan and cook until golden brown underneath, about 1 minute. (If paneer is sticking, just give cheese a little more time to brown. It will release from pan once it is sufficiently crisped.) Using a slotted spatula or spoon, transfer paneer to a plate, leaving as much oil behind in pan as possible. Turn browned side up and season generously with salt.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet. Cook reserved scallion mixture, stirring often, until scallions are wilted and mustard seeds begin to pop, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and 1 cup water to skillet and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Gently smash each tomato open with a spatula (you just want to break them open a little) and simmer until tomato juices thicken slightly, about 3 minutes (it should still be pretty brothy and light). Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. If your tomatoes aren't super sweet, you may need to add a pinch of sugar at this point to balance their acidity. Add paneer back to pan and simmer until warmed through.
Remove pan from heat and toss in mint. Serve with cooked rice.