Paneer Butter Masala is a creamy, rich paneer based gravy in a luscious onion tomato, butter and cashew sauce. It is a mild tasting gravy with very few spices, onion tomato base, cashew paste, fresh paneer, cooked in butter and topped of with cream and crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek).
This paneer butter masala tastes best with naan, jeera rice or soft rotis/phulkas. Made with minimal ingredients , paneer butter masala is always a hit among everyone.
Let’s check out the recipe shall we?
INGREDIENTS
Serves – 3-4
- Paneer – 250-300gms, cubed
- Onion – 1 large, roughly chopped
- Tomato – 2 large, roughly chopped
- Garlic – 5 cloves
- Ginger – 2 inch piece
- Cinnamon – 3-4 cm piece
- Bayleaf – 2 small
- Cloves – 3
- Cardamom – 2
- Shahi Jeera – 1 tsp
- Whole Cashew – 10-12
- Kashmiri Chilli powder – 2 tsp
- Garam Masala – 1 tsp
- Tomato paste – 1.5 tsp (optional)
- Butter – 1.5 – 2 tbsp
- Ginger – 1 tbsp, thinly sliced into strips
- Kasuri methi – 1-2 tsp
- Fresh double cream – 1-1.5 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- Sugar – ½ tsp
METHOD
1. Heat some oil/butter. Add cardamom, cloves, shahi jeera, cinnamon and bay leaf. Fry till the spices crackle.
2. Add the chopped ginger, garlic and fry for few seconds.
3. Add the onion and fry for additional 20-30 seconds.
4. Add the chopped tomato and cashew. Add water and cook till the onion and cashews soften. Cool down the mixture and grind to a smooth paste.
5. Heat butter in a pan.
6. Add the chilli powder, garam masala and the tomato paste. Fry for a minute.
7. Add the ground cashew-onion-tomato paste and cook till it thickens and leaves out butter on the side.
8. Add the sliced ginger and some water. Check for salt and add sugar.
9. Mix well and let cook for 1 minute. Add the cubed paneer and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
10. Add the cream and mix well. Put off the flame.
11. Garnish with crushed kasuri methi and serve hot with naan /roti or jeera rice.
NOTES
- Do not cook for more than 2 minutes after adding the paneer. Overcooking the paneer will make it hard.
- You can fry the paneer before adding to the gravy.
- Add some extra cream before serving for extra rich taste.
- If you don’t have access to kasuri methi substitute it with finely chopped fresh coriander.
- Adding sugar helps in balancing the flavour of the gravy. So do not eliminate it.
The Greedy Tummy 