Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
The Paneer Butter Masala Recipe stands as one of India's most beloved paneer dishes. This rendition, reminiscent of restaurant quality, presents tender paneer cubes immersed in a velvety, mildly seasoned tomato sauce. It's a cherished recipe I've upheld over an extended period. This indulgent dish pairs perfectly with roti, chapati, paratha, naan, or rumali roti.
Ingredients
For Cashew Paste
- 18 to 20 cashews – whole
- ⅓ cup hot water – for soaking cashews
For Tomato Puree
- 2 cups tomatoes – diced, or 300 grams tomatoes or 4 to 5 medium sized, pureed
For Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves – small to medium-sized, peeled
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter or 1 tablespoon oil + 1 or 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch or ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1.5 cups water or add as required
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and julienned, reserve a few for garnish
- 1 or 2 green chili – slit, reserve a few for garnish
- 200 to 250 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – cubed or diced
- 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or tandoori masala
- 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream or half & half or 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream – optional
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon sugar – optional, add as required depending on the sourness of the tomatoes
- salt as required
For Garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped, (cilantro) – optional
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and julienned
- 1 tablespoon light cream or 1 tablespoon heavy cream – optional
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Butter – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak cashews in a hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. When the cashews are soaking, you can prep the other ingredients like chopping tomatoes, preparing ginger-garlic paste, slicing paneer etc.
- Then drain and add the soaked cashews in a blender or mixer-grinder.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and blend to a smooth and fine paste without any tiny bits or chunks of cashews.
- In the same blender add the roughly chopped tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes before blending.
- Blend to a smooth tomato puree. Set aside. Don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
Making Tomato Gravy
- Melt butter in a pan on a low heat. Add tej patta and fry for 2 to 3 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for about 10 to 12 seconds till the raw aroma disappears.
- Add the tomato puree and stir well. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring a few times.
- Next add kashmiri red chili powder and stir again. Continue to sauté till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste.
- Then add cashew paste and stir well. Sauté the cashew paste for a few minutes till the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala paste.
- The cashew paste will begin to cook fast. Approx 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat. So keep stirring non-stop.
Making Paneer Butter Masala
- Add water and mix very well. Simmer on a low to medium-low heat.
- The curry will come to a boil.
- After 2 to 3 minutes of boiling, add ginger julienne. Reserve a few for garnishing. The curry will also begin to thicken.
- Add julienned ginger and green chillies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.
- After 3 to 4 minutes, add slit green chillies. also add salt as per taste and ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional).
- You can vary the sugar quantity from ¼ tsp to 1 teaspoon or more depending on the sourness of the tomatoes.
- Mix very well and simmer for a minute.
- After the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, then add the paneer cubes and stir gently. I keep the gravy to a medium consistency.
- After that add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), garam masala and cream. Gently mix and then switch off the heat.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish the curry with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
- You can even dot the gravy with some butter or drizzle some cream.
- Serve Paneer Butter Masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, roti, paratha or steamed basmati or jeera rice or even peas pulao.
- Side accompaniments can be an onion-cucumber salad or some pickle. Also serve some lemon wedges by the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 9gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 493mgPotassium: 221mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gCalcium: 255mgIron: 1mg
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