paneer butter masala is one of the most famous paneer dish along with palak paneer, kadai paneer, chilli paneer and matar paneer. paneer butter masala is served in almost all indian restaurants and is loved by many people. no wonder, this recipe is one of most popular recipe in the blog and made by many readers. you can read the comments below which has lot of tips from readers as well as myself.
this recipe of paneer butter masala is similar to the way i would make butter chicken many years back. for the first time i had learnt how to make butter chicken during my home science days. later i used to use the same recipe for making paneer butter masala. some adaptations and improvisations have happened throughout the years.
the paneer butter masala gravy is made of tomato puree and the regular indian herbs-spices. it has a slight sweet taste and very mildly spiced. thus making it an excellent gravy with chapatis for kids.
generally in butter chicken or butter paneer, cream is added. in this paneer butter masala recipe to give a creamy consistency and a sweet tinge, i have added cashew paste.
i never use any coloring agents in the food i make at home. what you see in the pics, is the way the paneer butter masala gravy actually looked. the organic tomatoes had such a beautiful red color and the final curry had beautiful tones of orangish red.
so when making paneer butter masala, make sure to use ripe, red and firm tomatoes. also use good quality fresh paneer or make your own homemade paneer. making paneer at home is easy and i always use homemade paneer for my dishes. vegans can make the same recipe with tofu and vegan butter as substitutes for paneer and butter respectively.
there are some variations in the genre of gravy recipes made with paneer and butter. below are some of the paneer recipes posted which come in this category:
paneer makhanwala recipe made with onions, tomatoes, cashews, cream and spices.
paneer makhani recipe made with tomato puree and cream. no cashews and onions added.
paneer lababdar recipe made with onions, tomatoes, cashew paste and cream.
paneer butter masala recipe made without onion and garlic.
restaurant style paneer butter masala recipe below:
cook time
30 mins
total time
40 mins
recipe type: main
cuisine: north indian
serves: 4 servings
2 tbsp cashew or 18 to 20 cashews- soaked if you have time and then ground with some water to a smooth paste. if less time, then just grind the cashews to a smooth paste.
4-5 medium size tomatoes/tamatar or 300 grams or 2 cups of diced tomatoes - pureed
1 or 2 green chili/hari mirch, slit (reserve a few for garnishing)
1 inch ginger/adrak and 3-4 garlic/lahsun - crushed or ground in a mortar & pestle
1 inch ginger/adrak - julienned (reserve a few for garnishing)
1 tej patta/indian bay leaf
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry methi leaves
1 tsp garam masala or tandoori masala
½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder or deghi mirch or kashmiri mirch powder
1 tbsp oil + 1 or 2 tbsp butter
1.5 cups water
a few coriander/cilantro/dhania leaves for garnishing (optional)
salt and sugar as required - check notes below for adding sugar
how to make the recipe:
heat oil and butter in a pan. add bay leaf and saute for some 10-15 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.
add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw aroma disappears.
add the tomato puree and stir well. add red chili powder after 2-3 mins and stir again. saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste.
add cashew paste and stir well. saute the cashew paste till the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala paste.
add water and stir. simmer on a low flame.
add julienned ginger and green chilies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.
add the paneer cubes and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes till they become soft.
don't cook for a long time as the paneer will become dense.
lastly add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves & garam masala. stir.
garnish paneer butter masala with coriander leaves. serve paneer butter masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, rotis or steamed basmati or jeera rice. side accompaniments can be onion-lemon salad or some pickle.
notes
1. addition of sugar depends upon your taste as well as the tanginess present in the tomatoes. if you add cream in the recipe then you might have to add less sugar.
2. for this recipe, its best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes.
3. best to use homemade soft paneer.
4. the amount of cream can be adjusted as per your taste.
1: soak 18 to 20 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.
cashews soaking for paneer butter masala
2: then drain and add the soaked cashews in a blender or grinder.
cashews to be ground for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
3: add 2 to 3 tbsp water and grind to a smooth paste without any tiny bits or pieces of cashews.
ground cashew paste for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
4. remove the cashew paste in a bowl and keep aside.
cashew paste for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
5. in the same blender add 2 cups of diced or roughly chopped tomatoes. no need to blanch the tomatoes before blending.
chopped tomatoes for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
6. blend to a smooth tomato puree. keep aside. don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
tomato puree for paneer butter masala
7. add 1 tbsp oil and 1 or 2 tbsp butter in a pan. adding oil prevents the butter from browning too quickly.
adding butter in pan for paneer butter masala dish
8: add tej patta and fry for some seconds till the oil becomes fragrant.
add bay leaf for paneer masala
9: add ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic (1 inch ginger + 3-4 garlic crushed to a paste in a mortar pestle). fry till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.
add ginger garlic paste to paneer masala
10: pour the tomato puree.
tomato puree for paneer butter masala
11: when the puree begins to cook, after 5 to 6 minutes, add ½ tsp red chili powder.
red chilli powder for paneer masala
12: stir and continue to saute till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan. the whole sauteing takes about 12-13 minutes on a low flame.
preparing tomato puree for paneer butter masala
13: add the cashew paste.
cashew paste for paneer masala
14: saute till the cashew paste is cooked and again the oil will start to leave the sides of the masala. the cashew will begin to cook fast. approx 3-4 minutes on a low flame. keep on stirring.
sauting cashew paste for paneer butter masala dish
15: add 1.5 cups water.
making cashew paste for paneer butter masala recipe
16: let the curry simmer and come to a boil. after 2-3 mins, add ginger julienne (about 1 inch ginger – julienne). reserve a few for garnishing. the curry will begin to thicken.
preparing paneer butter masala curry
17: after 3 to 4 minutes, add the 1 or 2 slit green chilies, salt and sugar (optional) and stir. you can add sugar from ¼ tsp to 1 tsp depending on the sourness of the tomatoes. sugar is optional and you can skip it too. if you add cream, then you will need to add less sugar.
18: after a minute, add the diced or cubed paneer (200 or 250 grams). keep in mind the consistency you want before you add paneer as you will be cooking the paneer for a few minutes. you can also fry the paneer and then add the paneer once the gravy has become creamy.
adding paneer cubes in paneer butter masala
19: stir gently and let the paneer cook in the gravy for 2-3 minutes or till they become soft and cooked. lastly add 1 tsp kasuri methi leaves, crushed. also add 1 tsp garam masala. stir very well and switch off the flame. you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp of low fat cream or 1 to 2 tbsp of whipping cream at this stage. addition of crushed kasuri methi gives a restaurant flavor and i add them in most of my restaurant style recipes like rajma masala, dal tadka and bhindi masala.
paneer butter masala gravy
20: stir and serve paneer butter masala hot garnished with 1 to 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves, the remaining ginger julienne and dotted with butter or cream. good combo for paneer butter masala is garlic naan or butter naan.
paneer butter masala also goes well with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. i served with whole wheat rotis accompanied with onion-lemon salad and pickled carrot-beetroot from the kanji drink.
.
| paneer butter masala |
this recipe of paneer butter masala is similar to the way i would make butter chicken many years back. for the first time i had learnt how to make butter chicken during my home science days. later i used to use the same recipe for making paneer butter masala. some adaptations and improvisations have happened throughout the years.
the paneer butter masala gravy is made of tomato puree and the regular indian herbs-spices. it has a slight sweet taste and very mildly spiced. thus making it an excellent gravy with chapatis for kids.
generally in butter chicken or butter paneer, cream is added. in this paneer butter masala recipe to give a creamy consistency and a sweet tinge, i have added cashew paste.
i never use any coloring agents in the food i make at home. what you see in the pics, is the way the paneer butter masala gravy actually looked. the organic tomatoes had such a beautiful red color and the final curry had beautiful tones of orangish red.
so when making paneer butter masala, make sure to use ripe, red and firm tomatoes. also use good quality fresh paneer or make your own homemade paneer. making paneer at home is easy and i always use homemade paneer for my dishes. vegans can make the same recipe with tofu and vegan butter as substitutes for paneer and butter respectively.
there are some variations in the genre of gravy recipes made with paneer and butter. below are some of the paneer recipes posted which come in this category:
paneer makhanwala recipe made with onions, tomatoes, cashews, cream and spices.
paneer makhani recipe made with tomato puree and cream. no cashews and onions added.
paneer lababdar recipe made with onions, tomatoes, cashew paste and cream.
paneer butter masala recipe made without onion and garlic.
restaurant style paneer butter masala recipe below:
paneer butter masala recipe | how to make paneer butter masala recipe
prep time
10 minscook time
30 mins
total time
40 mins
paneer butter masala recipe - soft succulent cottage cheese cubes in a creamy tomato based gravy.
author: kusumarecipe type: main
cuisine: north indian
serves: 4 servings
ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)
200 or 250 gms paneer/cottage cheese, cubed or diced2 tbsp cashew or 18 to 20 cashews- soaked if you have time and then ground with some water to a smooth paste. if less time, then just grind the cashews to a smooth paste.
4-5 medium size tomatoes/tamatar or 300 grams or 2 cups of diced tomatoes - pureed
1 or 2 green chili/hari mirch, slit (reserve a few for garnishing)
1 inch ginger/adrak and 3-4 garlic/lahsun - crushed or ground in a mortar & pestle
1 inch ginger/adrak - julienned (reserve a few for garnishing)
1 tej patta/indian bay leaf
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry methi leaves
1 tsp garam masala or tandoori masala
½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder or deghi mirch or kashmiri mirch powder
1 tbsp oil + 1 or 2 tbsp butter
1.5 cups water
a few coriander/cilantro/dhania leaves for garnishing (optional)
salt and sugar as required - check notes below for adding sugar
how to make the recipe:
heat oil and butter in a pan. add bay leaf and saute for some 10-15 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.
add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw aroma disappears.
add the tomato puree and stir well. add red chili powder after 2-3 mins and stir again. saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste.
add cashew paste and stir well. saute the cashew paste till the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala paste.
add water and stir. simmer on a low flame.
add julienned ginger and green chilies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.
add the paneer cubes and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes till they become soft.
don't cook for a long time as the paneer will become dense.
lastly add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves & garam masala. stir.
garnish paneer butter masala with coriander leaves. serve paneer butter masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, rotis or steamed basmati or jeera rice. side accompaniments can be onion-lemon salad or some pickle.
notes
tips for making paneer butter masala recipe:
1. addition of sugar depends upon your taste as well as the tanginess present in the tomatoes. if you add cream in the recipe then you might have to add less sugar.2. for this recipe, its best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes.
3. best to use homemade soft paneer.
4. the amount of cream can be adjusted as per your taste.
how to make paneer butter masala recipe:
1: soak 18 to 20 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.
cashews soaking for paneer butter masala
2: then drain and add the soaked cashews in a blender or grinder.
cashews to be ground for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
3: add 2 to 3 tbsp water and grind to a smooth paste without any tiny bits or pieces of cashews.
ground cashew paste for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
4. remove the cashew paste in a bowl and keep aside.
cashew paste for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
5. in the same blender add 2 cups of diced or roughly chopped tomatoes. no need to blanch the tomatoes before blending.
chopped tomatoes for tomato puree for paneer butter masala
6. blend to a smooth tomato puree. keep aside. don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
tomato puree for paneer butter masala
7. add 1 tbsp oil and 1 or 2 tbsp butter in a pan. adding oil prevents the butter from browning too quickly.
adding butter in pan for paneer butter masala dish
8: add tej patta and fry for some seconds till the oil becomes fragrant.
add bay leaf for paneer masala
9: add ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic (1 inch ginger + 3-4 garlic crushed to a paste in a mortar pestle). fry till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.
add ginger garlic paste to paneer masala
10: pour the tomato puree.
tomato puree for paneer butter masala
11: when the puree begins to cook, after 5 to 6 minutes, add ½ tsp red chili powder.
red chilli powder for paneer masala
12: stir and continue to saute till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan. the whole sauteing takes about 12-13 minutes on a low flame.
preparing tomato puree for paneer butter masala
13: add the cashew paste.
cashew paste for paneer masala
14: saute till the cashew paste is cooked and again the oil will start to leave the sides of the masala. the cashew will begin to cook fast. approx 3-4 minutes on a low flame. keep on stirring.
sauting cashew paste for paneer butter masala dish
15: add 1.5 cups water.
making cashew paste for paneer butter masala recipe
16: let the curry simmer and come to a boil. after 2-3 mins, add ginger julienne (about 1 inch ginger – julienne). reserve a few for garnishing. the curry will begin to thicken.
preparing paneer butter masala curry
17: after 3 to 4 minutes, add the 1 or 2 slit green chilies, salt and sugar (optional) and stir. you can add sugar from ¼ tsp to 1 tsp depending on the sourness of the tomatoes. sugar is optional and you can skip it too. if you add cream, then you will need to add less sugar.
paneer butter masala preparation
18: after a minute, add the diced or cubed paneer (200 or 250 grams). keep in mind the consistency you want before you add paneer as you will be cooking the paneer for a few minutes. you can also fry the paneer and then add the paneer once the gravy has become creamy.
adding paneer cubes in paneer butter masala
19: stir gently and let the paneer cook in the gravy for 2-3 minutes or till they become soft and cooked. lastly add 1 tsp kasuri methi leaves, crushed. also add 1 tsp garam masala. stir very well and switch off the flame. you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp of low fat cream or 1 to 2 tbsp of whipping cream at this stage. addition of crushed kasuri methi gives a restaurant flavor and i add them in most of my restaurant style recipes like rajma masala, dal tadka and bhindi masala.
paneer butter masala gravy
20: stir and serve paneer butter masala hot garnished with 1 to 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves, the remaining ginger julienne and dotted with butter or cream. good combo for paneer butter masala is garlic naan or butter naan.
paneer butter masala also goes well with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. i served with whole wheat rotis accompanied with onion-lemon salad and pickled carrot-beetroot from the kanji drink.
.
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