Homemade mutter paneer!

I finally tried making my own masala sauce... and it turned out to be almost identical to the flavor of the same thing at India Garden, my favorite Indian restaurant in Indianapolis!

I started it the same way I start my Italian pasta sauces, by sautéing onions and garlic in oil... except instead of olive oil I used a garlic-flavored coconut oil I got on clearance at Kroger.  I'm glad I did, because it worked out well... it did not splatter quite as much as olive oil usually does, and the coconut flavor and aroma went well in the dish.  Then I added crushed tomatoes, a little bit of sugar, some dried cilantro, and a generous amount of Madras curry powder.

 Once the powder dissolved in I added peas, paneer cheese, and enough heavy cream to get it to just the right orange color.

After letting that simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat, I served it with some fragrant basmati rice and garlic naan... and it was absolutely perfect!  I don't typically like much heat, but if you want it spicy, just add crushed red pepper and there you go!  This is pretty easy to make and it's just as good as what you get in a restaurant.