Chits Kitchen

Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular Punjabi North Indian recipes made with aromatic spices, butter, cream, cashew paste and onion tomato gravy with paneer cubes simmered into it. The gravy is rich and creamy due to the addition of cream (malai). You can use Amul cream or cream that is directly taken out from milk at home. Here I have used homemade cream. Paneer can be directly added to the mixture or it can be fried and then added. Here cream is used, but if you wish you can replace it with milk. I have been making this recipe for quite a long time but make it occasionally. Whenever I prepare Paneer Butter Masala and take it to my office, my friends never stop praising it. They really just love it and keep asking me to prepare again and again. I prefer to cook my dishes in low flame so it takes a little more time. But you can cook in medium flame also. I generally do it so that the spices get cooked properly and give a better texture and taste to it.

Homemade Paneer Butter Masala is very easy and simple to prepare. It is similar to Restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala and is the most ordered paneer recipes in various North Indian restaurants. It is prepared by frying the onions and tomatoes along with other ingredients and then grinding it to prepare a smooth paste. The Tomato Onion paste makes the gravy thick. The paste can be prepared in other way also. The paste is prepared by grinding the raw tomato and onion first and then frying it. The first option is best since it gives better taste and aroma to the Paneer Masala. Here I have prepared Paneer Butter Masala by first frying all the ingredients and then making smooth paste of it. Punjabi Paneer Butter Masala can also be prepared without cream and cashew paste.

You can serve it with naan, tandoori roti, parantha, steamed rice, jeera rice or pulao.

Also see other Paneer recipes,

Kadai Paneer

Spicy Matar Paneer

Aalo Paneer Masala

Punjabi Shahi Paneer

Palak Paneer

Let’s begin to prepare Paneer Butter Masala step by step.

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Paneer Butter Masala

The traditional Punjabi Paneer Butter Masala is prepared by simmering the Paneer cubes in spicy and creamy Tomato Onion paste. The name suggests that the main part of the recipe is Paneer along with butter and cream. It is served by garnishing it with Chopped Coriander Leaves and Cream.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, North Indian, Punjabi

Preparation Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories

Author Recipe by Chits

Ingredients:

• 200 gm Paneer Cubes
• 2 medium Chopped Onion
• 4 medium Chopped Tomato
• 2 pieces Chopped Green Chillies
• 10 pieces Cashew (Soaked in water)
• 2 piece Cloves (Laung)
• 10-12 small piece Garlic Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Chopped Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 1 small piece Cinnamon (Dalchini)
• 3 tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Lal Mirch
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon Kasoori Methi
• 2 tablespoon Fresh Cream
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
• Salt to Taste

Instructions:

• Heat 2 tablespoon butter in a fry pan/Kadhai. Add Cumin seeds into it and let it fry till the crackling stops.
• Now add Dalchini and Laung. Fry it for 30 seconds.
• Add chopped ginger, chopped green chilli and garlic to it. Cook for a minute.
• Add chopped onion and cook till the onion becomes translucent.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and little salt to it. Fry it till the tomatoes become soft and tinder.
• When the tomatoes become soft add the soaked cashew and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• After cooking the mixture of Tomato Onion and Cashews for 2-3 minutes, switch off the flame and allow it to cool down.
• Till the time the mixture cools down, you can fry the paneer if you want so. Here I have preferred not to fry the paneer.
• Now transfer the mixture to a mixer grinder to make a smooth paste of it. After grinding the mixture, take out the paste in a bowl and keep it aside.
• If required you can add water to it. Remember not to add too much water because it will make the paste thin. The paste should be thick.
• Again heat 1 tablespoon of butter in the same fry pan/Kadhai.
• Add Kashmiri Lal Mirch into it and sauté it. Kashmiri Lal Mirch is used to give a good colour to it.
• Then add the prepared onion tomato paste to the red chilli powder in the butter. Cook it for 2 minutes.
• Add Turmeric powder, coriander powder and Garam masala to it and sauté it for 5 minutes.
• Now add fresh cream to it and mix it well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Then sprinkle the fenugreek seeds (Kasoori Methi) and add the paneer cubes in it. Let it boil for some time.
• Add salt as per taste and sprinkle some chopped coriander over it. We had already added some salt previously, so be careful how much to add again. Stir it for some time.
• After getting the desired colour and texture, switch off the flame.
  
• Paneer Butter Masala is prepared and ready to be served.
  
• For giving a good look, put some cream all around it, put a teaspoon of butter from above and garnish it with some chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Steamed Rice, Pulao, Naan, Jeera Rice or Tandoori Roti.
  

Notes:

1. Some people like to add sweetness to Paneer Butter Masala, so you can add one teaspoon of sugar or 1 teaspoon of tomato ketchup.

2. The paste prepared should be grinded properly so that the mixture doesn’t get separated from the water.

3. If you wish you can use milk instead of cream. But remember to keep the consistency of the curry.

4. To make a more creamy Paneer Butter Masala, add more cashews to it. It gives a feel of royal Paneer dish.