Easy Paneer Butter Masala recipe | How to make Paneer Butter masala Restaurant style
2014-01-07- Cuisine: Indian
- Course: Mains, Sides
- Skill Level: Intermediate
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- Prep Time : 10m
- Cook Time : 10m
- Ready In : 20m
Now what more can I say about Paneer Butter Masala. Just the name is enough to make people start feeling hungry. The pride of party food and one that is always ordered at restaurants and takeaways, this dish is really quite straightforward to make.
This recipe is unbelievably easy and within 15-20 minutes you will be amazed to have created a dish fit for a king- absolutely restaurant like in appearance, but without any of the hidden nasties or colouring agents.
Without further ado, I present to you the king of Paneer recipes- Paneer Butter Masala
Ingredients
- Paneer- 250-300 gm
- Onions chopped- 1/2 cup
- Tomato, finely chopped- 1 cup
- Ginger paste- 1 tsp
- Garlic paste- 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
- Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
- Green chilli- 1
- Cashewnuts- 2 tbsp
- Milk- 3 tbsp
- Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- Cream / whole milk- 1/4 cup
- Coriander leaves, finely chopped- 3-4 tbsp
- Salt- to taste
- Sugar- 1/2 tsp
- FOR THE TEMPERING:
- Oil- 2 tsp
- Butter-1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
- Bay leaves- 2
Method
1. Blanch & roughly chop the tomatoes. Alternatively you can add tinned tomatoes or use puree the tomatoes after blanching.
2. Warm the milk and soak the cashew nuts in it for at least 10 minutes. Later, make a paste.
2. In a large wok, add 1 tsp oil.
When hot add in the onions and fry for 1-2 minutes. When the onion is soft, add in the tomatoes. Add salt and sugar and cover for 5-7 minutes till soft. The salt and sugar help the tomatoes and onions break down easily.
3. Puree the onion and tomato cooked mixture.
4. In the same wok, heat 1 tsp oil and butter together in a large wok. Butter tends to burn really quick, so the oil added here prevents it from burning. When it melts, and is hot, add in the bayleaves and the cumin.
5. After 30 seconds, when the cumin is sizzling, add in the ginger & garlic paste. Fry well.
6. Add in the tomato paste. Add in the turmeric and chilli powder and fry for 2-3 minutes until the oil separates.
By now you are thinking You must be thinking, what’s so special, all this sounds like any other recipe.
But let me introduce you to the main star of this recipe.
Kasuri methi- dried fenugreek leaves. They look quite ordinary don’t they? But let me tell you one thing- They can so transform a dish into something extraordinary.
7. Heat the kasuri methi leaves on a skillet/ tawa and powder them with your fingertips when cool. Keep aside.
Now back to our tomato mix. When the oil separates, add in the cashew paste. Fry till oil separates.
An extremely important point to remember is to always fry pastes well. If you do not, you end up with a very bad tasting curry- believe me there is nothing worse than eating a curry with uncooked/ half cooked onion paste. No shortcuts please.
7. Add the cream. Mix well.
Now add in the cubed paneer, toss in the powdered kasuri methi and the chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
Serve with parathas, raita and rice. The best partner if you ask me would be naan- butter naan or garlic naan.
Enjoy!