Paneer Butter Masala is one of India’s most popular paneer gravy recipes, and with good reason! Indian cottage cheese cubes are smothered in a creamy, lightly spiced tomato sauce that is downright delicious. With my video and step-by-step guide you can easily make this restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala recipe at home!
About Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
This Paneer Butter Masala recipe is a rich and creamy dish of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) in a tomato, butter and cashew sauce that is known here as “makhani gravy.” The acidity of the tomatoes and the sweetness of the cream make for a velvety, nearly addictive sauce.
Also known as “Butter Paneer,” this yummy and popular vegetarian dish is derived from the recipe for Butter Chicken, a.k.a. Chicken Makhani, that I learned to make during my cooking school days. I know, I know, the thought of me cooking with meat sounds insane. It seems nearly a lifetime ago!
With my easy, quick and delicious recipe you can prepare this Restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala at home. In fact, it’s so easy that you can make it on even busy weeknights! This simple dinner takes just 10 minutes of prep work and 30 minutes on the stove.
My delicious Paneer Butter Masala recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. It has been made and loved by hundreds of readers.
Don’t just take my word for it, either. You can read the comments at the end of the post, which has a lot of positive feedback and reviews from our readers and fans.
Ingredients You Need
1. Ripe, red & juicy tomatoes: Tomatoes are a key ingredient here and form the base of the makhani sauce. As such, it is important to choose good, ripe tomatoes that are sweet.
If ripe tomatoes are not in season where you live, I suggest opting for using canned whole tomatoes that you blend instead.
These canned tomatoes are picked at peak ripeness, and for whatever reason, the whole variety is generally much more flavorful than tomato purée.
2. Raw Cashews: Yet another important ingredient for the gravy is cashews. The nuts impart a lovely creaminess and sheen in the dish, and the sweetness of the cashews help to balance the tanginess of the tomatoes.
If you are nut free, please see my recipe for Paneer Makhani, which tastes quite similar but is made with just cream and no cashews.
3. Cream: In addition to using cashew paste, this Butter Paneer recipe calls for cream to help thicken the sauce and add richness.
If you are vegan, you can opt to use coconut cream instead, though you should note that the final flavor of the dish will be impacted a bit. You can also opt to omit the cream for a less rich gravy, too.
4. Butter: The amount of butter that is added is just right in this paneer butter masala recipe. Butter makes the curry luxurious and, well… buttery.
I don’t add a ton of butter here, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about it. Also note that you can go overboard by adding too much butter, so I recommend that you stick to the recipe.
5. Paneer: The quality of your paneer can make or break your dish. What you want are succulent, soft paneer cubes gently coated with a smooth, buttery tomato sauce.
Make sure to use either Homemade Paneer (which I believe is always the best option) or good quality store bought paneer. If you opt to use store bought, be sure to follow the instructions on the package before using.
How to Make Paneer Butter Masala
- 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.
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 cashews whole
- ⅓ cup hot water for soaking cashews
For Tomato Puree
- 2 cup 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Butter: Use good quality butter. You can add both unsalted or salted butter. Also both yellow butter or white butter can be added.
- Tomatoes: It is best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes. Add tomatoes which have sweet-tangy taste. Do not add tomatoes which are too sour or tart.
- Tomato puree: Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. If you want you can strain the tomato puree also.
- Cashew paste: To blend cashews to a fine consistency, it is better to soak them in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a good blender to get a smooth creamy cashew paste.
- Replacing cashews: If you don’t have cashews then add almonds. Blanch the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Then peel and blend them till smooth with some water.
- Sugar: Addition of sugar depends upon your taste as well as the tanginess present in the tomatoes. So add as per taste. If you add cream then you might have to add less sugar.
- Taste and flavor: If the butter paneer masala gravy tastes tangy or sour, then to balance the sour taste you can add a bit of sugar or cream. But do not add too much sugar as then the gravy becomes too sweet. Also, do note if you add cream then you might have to add less sugar in the sauce or gravy.
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 cashews whole
- ⅓ cup hot water for soaking cashews
For Tomato Puree
- 2 cup 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Butter: Use good quality butter. You can add both unsalted or salted butter. Also both yellow butter or white butter can be added.
- Tomatoes: It is best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes. Add tomatoes which have sweet-tangy taste. Do not add tomatoes which are too sour or tart.
- Tomato puree: Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. If you want you can strain the tomato puree also.
- Cashew paste: To blend cashews to a fine consistency, it is better to soak them in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a good blender to get a smooth creamy cashew paste.
- Replacing cashews: If you don’t have cashews then add almonds. Blanch the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Then peel and blend them till smooth with some water.
- Sugar: Addition of sugar depends upon your taste as well as the tanginess present in the tomatoes. So add as per taste. If you add cream then you might have to add less sugar.
- Taste and flavor: If the butter paneer masala gravy tastes tangy or sour, then to balance the sour taste you can add a bit of sugar or cream. But do not add too much sugar as then the gravy becomes too sweet. Also, do note if you add cream then you might have to add less sugar in the sauce or gravy.
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