Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Paneer Butter Masala
One of the most popular paneer dishes globally, featuring soft cottage cheese cubes in a mildly spiced, sweet, and tangy buttery tomato gravy.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- paneer
- tomatoes
- onions
- cashews
- butter
- cream
- ginger-garlic
- kashmiri red chili powder
- garam masala
- kasuri methi (dry fenugreek)
Equipment
- Blender
- Pan or wok (kadai)
Instructions
- 1
Boil the Base
In a pot, boil roughly chopped tomatoes, a small piece of onion, cashews, ginger, garlic, and 2 dried Kashmiri chilies in a little water for 15 minutes.
- 2
Blend the Puree
Let the mixture cool down completely. Transfer to a blender and grind into an extremely fine, smooth paste.
- 3
Strain for Silkiness
For that authentic restaurant texture, pass the blended puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the tomato skins and seeds.
- 4
Heat Butter
In a kadai, melt a generous block of butter along with a splash of oil (so the butter doesn't burn).
- 5
Add Whole Spices
Add a bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and a couple of green cardamoms. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- 6
Cook the Puree
Pour the strained, silky tomato-cashew puree into the pan. Stir well.
- 7
Add Spices
Add Kashmiri red chili powder (for color), a pinch of coriander powder, and salt. Cook on medium heat until the butter starts to leave the sides.
- 8
Balance the Flavors
Add a teaspoon of sugar or honey. This perfectly balances the tanginess of the tomatoes.
- 9
Simmer
Add half a cup of water to adjust the consistency. Let it simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- 10
Add Paneer
Cut paneer into cubes. If store-bought, soak in warm water first. Gently drop the cubes into the bubbling gravy.
- 11
Add Herbs
Crush a tablespoon of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) between your palms and sprinkle it into the gravy along with garam masala.
- 12
Finish with Cream
Turn off the heat. Swirl in heavy cream. Serve hot with butter naan, paratha, or jeera rice.
Cooking Tips
- Straining the tomato-cashew paste is the single most important step for achieving that luxurious, velvety 'Makhani' texture.
- Kashmiri red chili powder gives it the vibrant orange-red color without making it too spicy.
Variations
- Paneer Makhani: Skips the onions entirely and relies purely on a butter, tomato, and cashew base.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Often confused with Shahi Paneer, but Paneer Butter Masala is tangier and relies heavily on tomatoes, whereas Shahi Paneer is sweeter and cream-heavy.
Nutrition Estimate
420 calories · 16g protein · 18g carbs · 34g fat · 3g fiber per serving
