If you have an extra can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, this is the recipe to make!
Pour and cook pumpkin matar paneer calls for a 1 minute cook time in an instant pot, making this a quick and easy recipe to make during this busy/exciting time of year.
Pumpkin matar paneer vs. matar paneer:
Pumpkin matar paneer is just as flavorful as my traditional matar paneer, and it’s lighter too. Pumpkin puree adds creaminess to the sauce, eliminating the need for heavy cream. We’re substituting a vegetable (okay, technically a fruit) for heavy cream, and I promise, you won’t miss it.
My recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice, but if you don’t have that spice blend, you can use garam masala instead. I’ve tried this recipe using both spice blends, and the dish tastes about the same – there’s no need to go out and buy the spice if you don’t have it. I just like knowing there’s pumpkin pie spice in here – it makes the dish feel a bit more festive. 🎃 🍂
This recipe calls for my pre-made onion masala. If you don’t know what that is (you must be new to my site 😂), it the answer to everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but it does help the answer that daily question, “what’s for dinner?”
Make onion masala once, then use it to make one of my many recipes that call for onion masala. Once you have this masala prepared, you can make a meal in minutes. I promise the minimal amount of time it takes to meal prep by making the masala is absolutely worth it.
You cannot beat a pour and cook recipe that calls for a 1 minute cook time. It’s amazing. And it tastes amazing.
Every year I try to share a savory pumpkin recipe on the blog. There’s no rule that says only Pumpkin and Sugar are allowed to be best buds. I personally feel like Pumpkin gets along better with Spice anyway. After all, Pumpkin is such a good vehicle for flavor, it only makes sense to load Pumpkin with Spice.
Pumpkin and Paneer also make a great team. I don’t know if you know this, but Paneer is a bit shahi shy, tends to stick to what’s familiar. I’m trying to get Paneer to meet new friends. Earlier this year, I introduced Paneer to Peach, and they hit it off. I have a feeling Pumpkin and Paneer will be great friends too.
As I’m writing this post (and imaging food friendships – which is, oddly enough, typical for me), I’m suddenly feeling inspired to cook a pumpkin-themed dinner menu (I did something similar with apples a few years back). I think that would be so fun!
Okay, here’s what I’m thinking for my pumpkin menu:
Pumpkin patties, pumpkin matar paneer (of course), pumpkin dal, pumpkin mac and cheese, and my masala chai pumpkin pie. Sounds like a perfect pumpkin plan. 🎃 😋
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce block paneer, cut into chunks
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 16 ounce package frozen green peas
- ¾ cup frozen onion masala 3 frozen cubes
- 1 tablespoon crushed kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne to taste
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 1 minute at high pressure.
- Quick-release pressure.
- Mix well, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Video
Asha says
Another 5-star recipe! The most difficult steps are getting the ingredients from the pantry, freezer and putting them in the instant pot. It’s a very colorful dish.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Asha! Happy to hear that 🙂
Rosie says
Omg this was so good and I hate pumpkin. My 8 year old and 5 year old didn’t even notice. I usually make the paneer makhani recipe with cashews and heavy cream, so thought it would be hard to compete. Awesome recipe!! Love this site!
Never had the guts to make indian food until I stumbled upon this blog. Thank you!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rosie, I’m so glad you and your kiddos liked this! Thank you for letting me know how this turned out and for letting me know how much you like my blog 🙂
Vidya says
I’m excited to try this. Can the paneer be fried and added at the end? Or is it better to add the unfried paneer to the IP?
My Heart Beets says
Vidya, you can definitely fry it and then add it – up to you 🙂 I’m sure fried paneer will be even better (because anything fried is better, lol).
Vidya says
This was FANTASTIC! The flavor was fantastic….traditional matar paneer with a autumn twist! BTW, I air-fried the paneer and then added to the instant pot to cook…..I highly recommend it!
My Heart Beets says
Vidya, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to let me know how it turned out 🙂 Love that you air-fried the paneer – I’ll have to try that some time!
GJA says
Made this tonight (including a batch of the onion masala) – it was YUM!!
I am a first time reviewer but an ardent fan! before discovering your blog/fb page – i basically just made dal/rice and maybe boiled chhole/rajma.. but your recipes have been a game changer!
my husband who is a skeptic – also trusts me now when i say i am gonna make *insert fab dish* because its a recipe from Ashley!
ps- i am not a good cook, i have difficulty following complicated cooking instructions AND i only have basic ingredients in my kitchen! (except this pumpkin puree which i had since the start of lockdown) – but your recipes Ashley have been sooooo simple and they turn out amazing! I don’t have to use my tiny brains anymore! haha
fyi- so far i have made gajar halwa/kheer/kalakand/vegetable biryani
and i have made all of the above multiple times and they turn out to be exactly the same in taste! WONDERFUL!
Question before i stop – can we use store bought pumpkin instead of puree? (i am not a fan of canned food).. if yes, then how? (steam/roast)
My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you liked this recipe and great to hear you’ve made so many others 🙂 To answer your question, I’ve only tried this with canned pumpkin but I’m sure homemade pumpkin puree will work. You can either steam the pumpkin in the IP or roast it, I’m sure either way will be great!
Sheetal says
Does this dish lean towards the sweet side as in does it taste more sweetish in comparison to matar paneer?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sheetal, I don’t think this is sweet at all – just be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not a sweetened pumpkin pie mix. Let me know what you think if you try this 🙂
Maneesha says
Hi Ashley! This recipe looks great! Do you suppose we could swap out the paneer for potato, to make a pumpkin aloo mutter?
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! I bet that would be delicious! You might want to cook the potato beforehand (https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-boiled-potatoes/) or pressure cook the potatoes first then add the paneer at the end and cook until heated through.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Maneesha, I bet that would be delicious! You’ll want to cook the potatoes for 4 minutes, but otherwise, it should work! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Maneesha says
Hi Ashley! The dish turned out beautifully with potatoes, 4 mins! What a nice seasonal dish! Loved it!
My Heart Beets says
Maneesha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
JS says
That would be a great vegan option!
JS says
I made it with potatoes and cannot believe how rich the gravy is, despite no added oil! Nobody could guess it was pumpkin, so it’s a great way to sneak vegetables in.
My Heart Beets says
That’s great to hear! Glad you liked it 🙂
Sharon says
Hello
Do you have a recipe for paneer? Or recommend any? I love paneer.
Thank you so much for all the yummy recipes.
My Heart Beets says
I hope to get one on the blog soon! Thanks for asking 🙂
Judy says
Sounds delicious! I don’t have an Instant pot, have all ingredients. I’m thinking defrost onion masala, saute with fenegrek and garam masala, cayenne, S&P. Then add pumkin,peas, water, cook 10 min, add paneer heat through. Check salt and pepper and cayenne. Add cilantro.
Do you think water amount would be less? Thank you for any suggestions!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Judy! Yes, you can make this on the stovetop – the process will be similar to my matar paneer recipe. I think I’d leave the amount of water the same – you’ll need it to thin out the pumpkin puree, and also, some of it will boil off as you cook the sauce. You can always start with less and add more water as needed. I’ll be sure to update this post once I test this recipe on the stovetop, but if you try today, please let me know how it goes!