On the rare occasion my husband and I eat out an Indian restaurant, we usually order Paneer Butter Masala and garlic naan! This is our favorite North Indian curry and it tastes just absolutely perfect with some garlicky naan or hot Jeera Rice.
It’s not just us. Butter Masala (typically in Butter Chicken or Butter Paneer form) is one of the most popular Indian curries out there! Being vegetarian, we prefer Butter Paneer, of course.
This masala is absolutely delicious, but extremely decadent. Paneer Butter Masala is rich in butter, cream, and paneer. While these may not be the healthiest ingredients, it’s important not to skimp on them. They really make the taste! Cheat day, anyone? 😛
As I mentioned, this is a curry that my husband and I usually order at restaurants. So, I just had to try my hand at it at home. I did some research, followed my instincts, and came up with this recipe. All my efforts were well rewarded as the first time I made this dish, my husband, mom, and dad all absolutely adored it! They just gobbled it up and swore that it was “restaurant style.” Who am I to argue? Hehe.
Since then, I have repeated this recipe many times. It’s always a winner for family dinners. I hope your family loves this dish as well! 🙂
Paneer Butter Masala
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian4
servings15
minutes30
minutes400
kcalPan fried Paneer swimming in a rich butter based North Indian style gravy
Ingredients
- Masala Paste
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic (whole)
1/2 inch ginger
2-4 green chilis (whole)
2 medium yellow onions (roughly chopped)
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup water
- Paneer
2 tbsp butter
1/2 block paneer (200 g – chopped into medium sized cubes)
- Paneer Butter Masala
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed)
1/2 inch ginger (grated)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup cream
Salt to taste
A handful cilantro (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Make the Masala Paste
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a sauté pan at a medium flame.
- Add 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 inch ginger. Sauté till aromatic.
- Add 2-4 green chilis and 2 yellow onions (roughly chopped). Sauté till translucent.
- Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and sauté till the raw smell disappears.
- Add 4 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped) and sauté for a few minutes.
- Then, add 1 tsp cumin powder. (Note: a more popular method is to add cumin seeds to the oil right before the garlic and ginger. I prefer to add cumin powder because it is easier to blend.)
- Cook covered for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to release oil from the sides and become mushy. Take off flame and keep aside. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, soak 1/4 cup cashews in 1/2 cup water for 5 min. Then, blend the cashews plus water into a smooth paste.
- To the same blender, add the cooled tomato and onion mixture. Blend smooth. There should be enough moisture to blend, but add a bit more water if required. Keep blended mixture aside.
- Pan Fry Paneer
- In a separate shallow frying pan, add 2 tbsp butter.
- Once the butter starts to melt, add paneer (chopped into medium sized cubes). All of the paneer cubes should be in the butter but they should be as spread apart as possible.
- Pan fry the paneer cubes in the butter for a few minutes. Then, flip them over. Pan fry the other side. Once the paneer is slightly brown, take off flame. Keep aside.
- Make the final Paneer Butter Masala
- In the same sauté pan that you heated up the tomatoes and onions, add 1 stick of butter. Let melt.
- Once the butter is half melted, add 2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed) and 1/2 inch ginger (grated). Also add 1 bay leaf. Sauté till aromatic. The butter should be completely melted by this time.
- Then, pour in the blended masala paste.
- Add 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, and 1 tsp garam masala. Mix well.
- Next, stir in 1/4 cup of cream.
- Cook for a minute and then add salt to taste.
- Let cook for a few minutes until the gravy starts to bubble.
- Then, slowly lower the pan fried paneer cubes into the gravy.
- Cover all the paneer with the gravy. Take care not to break the paneer.
- Crush 1/2 tsp of kasuri methi with your hands and sprinkle on top.Let cook for another minute.
- Finally, take off flame and garnish with a handful of finely chopped cilantro. Enjoy with Jeera Rice! 🙂
Notes
- A standard block of paneer is 400 g. This recipe is per half a block of paneer (200 g).
- I know that this recipes requires a lot of butter. However, if you desire authentic Paneer Butter Masala, this is not the time to skimp! It’s in the name folks! 🙂
- Not everyone pan fries the paneer. Some add paneer cubes as is to the masala. However, I have found that pan frying the paneer cubes in butter really adds to the taste!
- The combination of spices should yield a reddish orange color. However, if you are not getting the color that you desire, you can add a bit of red food coloring.
- I prefer to crush my garlic via a mortar and pestle. You could finely mince by hand or use a pre-made garlic paste.
- I prefer to grate my ginger. Alternatively, you could use a pre-made ginger paste.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: This is not the most vegan friendly recipe! However, you could use tofu cubes instead of paneer. Also, use Vegan butter and Dairy-Free Cream (such as Coconut Cream.)
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
