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Paneer butter masala, Paneer makhani

Restaurant-style Paneer butter masala/Paneer Makhani

Print Recipe
This North-Indian dish is made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) immersed in a velvety tomato-based curry with aromatic spices and a touch of butter.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 people
Author sumisculinarynotes

Ingredients

  • 250 gms paneer cubed
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • ½ inch size ginger
  • 15 -20 cashews
  • 6 tbsps butter
  • Salt
  • Water as needed
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • coriander leaves for garnish
  • Fresh cream

Instructions

  • Soak about 15 to 20 cashews in hot water for about 20 minutes. Grind it to a fine paste.
  • Heat butter/oil in a pan or kadai over medium heat, add the finely sliced onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.
  • Cool completely and grind it to a fine paste.
  • Heat butter/oil in a pan or kadai add the finely chopped onions, salt and saute until the onions turn translucent.
  • Add all the spice powders, (turmeric powder, kashmiri chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder).
  • Add a few tablespoons of water and saute well till the raw smell of the masala disappears.
  • Add the ground cashew paste and cook well for another 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground onion and tomato paste and combine everything well.
  • Add water to the desired consistency and simmer for about 5 minutes with the lid on. It is semi-gravy, so don´t make it too thin as this can affect the taste. Make sure to put the lid on as it splutters a lot at this stage.
  • Add a tsp of sugar to balance all the flavours.
  • Add the cubed paneer, combine everything well, cook for another 1 minute and add crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
  • Finally, add a blob of butter and chopped coriander leaves. Stir until the butter melts and is well incorporated.
  • Paneer butter masala is ready to be served. Garnish with a little cream and more fresh coriander leaves if desired.
  • Serve this delicious paneer butter masala with naan, roti, or steamed rice for a scrumptious meal. Enjoy!

Notes

You can replace the Kashmiri chilly with normal chilly powder. However, Kashmiri chilly gives a nice colour to the dish. If you are using normal chilly powder add according to the spice preference.
Add a little water and cook the masala, this will prevent the masala from getting burned.
If you are using store-bought paneer soak the paneer in hot water for 5 minutes to soften before adding it to the gravy.
Don´t cook for long after adding the paneer to the gravy.
You can also shallow fry the paneer before adding it to the gravy to hold its shape.