PREP TIME10 mins
COOK TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
40 mins
this paneer butter masala recipe is easy and quick to make. within minutes you will have a restaurant style paneer butter masala ready.
paneer butter masala is one of the most famous paneer dish along with palak paneer, kadai paneer, paneer makhani, paneer makhanwala 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 tried and tested by many readers. you can read the comments below which has lot of tips from readers as well as myself. you can also check restaurant style kaju butter masala recipe.
paneer butter masala recipe - soft succulent paneer - cottage cheese cubes in a creamy tomato based gravy.
RECIPE 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 diced
2 tbsp cashew - 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 - 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 bay leaf/tej patta
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
INSTRUCTIONS
heat oil and butter in a pan. add bay leaf and fry for some 10-15 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.
add ginger-garlic paste and fry 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 2-3 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.
STEP by Step
1: 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
2: add bay leaf and fry for some seconds till the oil becomes fragrant.
3: 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
4: pour the tomato puree. 4-5 medium size tomatoes, blended to a smooth puree without water. stir.
5: when the puree begins to cook. after 5-6 minutes, add ½ tsp red chili powder.
6: stir and continue to saute till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan. the whole sauting takes about 12-13 minutes on a low flame.
7: add the cashew paste. 2 tbsp cashews or 18-20 cashews soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then ground to a paste in grinder or blender adding 2-3 tbsp water.
cashew paste for paneer masala
8: 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.
9: add water. you see whitish colored water. the jar i used to make cashew paste. in the same jar i added water and blended so that the remaining cashew paste stuck to the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water. thus you don’t need to scrape the sides and bottom of the jar.
making cashew paste for paneer butter masala recipe
10: let the curry simmer. after 2-3 mins, add ginger julienne. about 1 inch ginger – julienne. reserve a few for garnishing. the curry will begin to thicken.
11: add the 1 or 2 slit green chilies, salt and sugar (optional) after 3-4 minutes and stir.
paneer butter masala preparation
12: 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
13: 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. 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, gobi masala and bhindi masala.
paneer butter masala gravy
14: stir and serve paneer butter masala hot garnished with coriander leaves, julienned ginger and dotted with butter or cream. good combo for paneer butter masala is garlic naan or butter naan. you can also check these naan recipes to go along with this delicious paneer recipe – butter naan, naan recipe with yeast, naan without yeast and whole wheat naan.
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