Ella Walter
Paneer butter masala is a popular North Indian dish, often served in restaurants and enjoyed at home. It is a mildly spiced, creamy curry made with paneer, butter, tomatoes, onions, cashews, and spices. The dish is known for its sweet and tangy flavour, with a hint of smokiness. While it can be made in several ways, the key ingredients remain the same, resulting in a delicious and indulgent meal. Making paneer butter masala at home is a simple process, yielding a restaurant-style dish in under an hour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Paneer, cream, cashew paste, tomatoes, onions, butter, spices |
| Preparation | Saute onions, tomatoes, and cashews with spices, blend into a puree, simmer with butter and spices, add cubed paneer and cream |
| Taste | Creamy, mildly sweet, slightly tangy, buttery |
| Spices | Garam masala, cardamom powder, chili powder, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder |
| Accompaniments | Naan, roti, chapati, paratha, rice, onion-cucumber salad, pickle, lemon wedges |
| Variations | Chicken, tofu, vegan (use oil instead of butter and skip the cream) |
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients: paneer, cream, cashews, tomatoes, onions, butter, and spices
Paneer butter masala is a rich and creamy curry made with paneer, cream, cashews, tomatoes, onions, butter, and spices. It is one of the most popular Indian dishes and can be easily made at home. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this delicious dish:
Ingredients
The key ingredients in paneer butter masala are paneer, cream, cashews, tomatoes, onions, butter, and spices. For the spices, you will need whole spices like cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom, as well as ground spices like Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, and salt. Fresh, moist, and soft homemade paneer is best for an authentic and tasty gravy, but store-bought paneer can be used as well. If you are using store-bought paneer, you can soak it in warm water to soften it. For the cashews, use raw, unsalted cashews and soak them in hot water for about 15-20 minutes to soften them before blending them into a fine paste.
Preparation
The preparation of paneer butter masala involves two main steps: preparing the gravy base and cooking the paneer. Start by heating oil in a pan and adding the whole spices, followed by onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent or golden brown. Then, add tomatoes and cashews, and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Remove the whole spices and let the mixture cool down before blending it into a smooth paste.
Cooking the Gravy
In a separate pan, heat butter and add the chilli powder, followed by the prepared onion-tomato paste. Cook until the oil separates from the paste, then add water to adjust the consistency. Now, add the cream and mix well. You can also add milk or cashew paste for extra creaminess. Finally, add the paneer cubes and simmer until heated through.
Serving
Paneer butter masala is ready to be served! This creamy and mildly spiced dish goes well with naan, roti, paratha, chapati, or rice. For a festive touch, serve it with saffron rice or pair it with whole wheat roti, chapatti, or tandoori roti. Enjoy the delicious flavours of this popular Indian dish!
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Preparing the paneer
Paneer is the star ingredient in Paneer Butter Masala, so it's essential to use fresh, moist, and soft paneer for the best results. Homemade paneer is highly recommended, as it tastes superior to store-bought paneer and can be easily made in just 15 minutes. However, if you opt for store-bought paneer, choose good-quality fresh paneer from the cold section of an Indian grocery store.
Before using homemade paneer, ensure that it is well-pressed to remove excess moisture, as too much moisture can cause the paneer to crumble in the curry. If you are using store-bought paneer and find that it becomes hard after cooking, there is an optional step you can follow: soak the paneer cubes in warm water (not boiling hot) for about 10 minutes, then drain the water and set them aside.
Once your paneer is ready, you can choose to add it raw to the masala, giving it a softer texture. Alternatively, you can fry the paneer cubes first. To fry the paneer, heat oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the cubes until they turn golden. Then, transfer the fried paneer to a bowl of water. The paneer will absorb the water and remain soft.
Remember, the key to delicious paneer butter masala is generous amounts of fresh butter and cream, so don't hold back on these indulgent ingredients!
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Making the gravy
To thicken the gravy and enhance its creaminess, cashew paste or raw, unsalted cashews are added. If cashews are not available, almonds can be used as a substitute, but they should be blanched first. This step also adds a subtle sweetness to the dish, balancing the tanginess of the tomatoes. Spices such as cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, garam masala, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cardamom, and turmeric are commonly used for flavour and aroma. It is important to note that this dish does not require a large amount of spices, and minimal spices can be used to achieve the desired flavour.
The next step is to add butter and cream, which give the dish its characteristic richness and balance the flavours. A generous amount of fresh, nice-smelling butter is recommended, and both salted and unsalted butter can be used. If desired, ghee can be used as a substitute for butter. The gravy should be cooked well after adding the spices, as this enhances the flavour. Finally, paneer cubes are added to the gravy, along with additional cream or butter, if desired.
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Adding the paneer to the gravy
Paneer Butter Masala is a mildly spiced and slightly sweet North Indian dish. It is made with tender paneer cubes cooked in a creamy tomato-cashew-based gravy enriched with butter, cream, and spices.
Paneer is added to the gravy in its cubed form. It is usually added raw while making paneer butter masala. However, you can also fry the paneer cubes before adding them to the gravy. To fry the paneer, heat oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the paneer cubes until they turn golden. Then, transfer the fried paneer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.
If you want to avoid frying the paneer, you can simply add the cubed paneer directly to the gravy. It is important to note that the paneer should be fresh, moist, and soft to ensure a tasty and authentic gravy. Homemade paneer is recommended for the best results, but if you opt for store-bought paneer, look for malai paneer or fresh paneer from the cold section of an Indian grocery store.
Before adding the paneer to the gravy, ensure that the gravy is well-cooked and has a silky smooth texture. The cooked onion-tomato mixture should be blended into a smooth puree, and you can pass it through a strainer if needed. Additionally, smoking the gravy before adding the paneer can impart a mild underlying smokiness to the dish. To smoke the gravy, heat a piece of lump coal with tongs until it turns red hot. Place the hot coal in a steel bowl and position the bowl in the pan without submerging it. Pour a teaspoon of oil onto the coal, cover the gravy, and allow it to smoke for about 2 minutes.
Finally, add the paneer cubes to the gravy and simmer for a few minutes. You can also add a generous amount of cream or butter on top before serving the dish hot.
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Paneer butter masala is a delicious, creamy, mildly spiced, and slightly sweet vegetarian curry. It is one of the most popular paneer dishes in India and is often enjoyed with butter naan, roti, chapati, or rice.
To make paneer butter masala at home, you will need the following ingredients:
- Paneer: fresh, moist, and soft homemade paneer is recommended for the best taste and texture. However, you can also use store-bought paneer or substitute it with chicken, tofu, or mushrooms for a vegan option.
- Butter: use good quality, fresh butter for the best flavour. You can use either unsalted or salted butter, depending on your preference.
- Cream: be generous with the cream to achieve the indulgent, creamy texture characteristic of this dish. You can use fresh cream, whipping cream, heavy cream, cooking cream, or sterilized cream.
- Tomatoes: ripe, red, and slightly sweet tomatoes form the base of the gravy. Canned whole tomatoes or tomato puree can also be used as a substitute.
- Onions: white or sweet onions are preferred over red onions, as they have a more subtle flavour that balances the tanginess of the gravy.
- Cashews: these add creaminess and thickness to the gravy. Raw, unsalted cashews are typically used, but you can substitute them with almonds if needed.
- Spices: the key spices used are garam masala, cardamom powder, chilli powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour). Whole spices like cinnamon, bay leaf, and cloves can also be added for extra flavour and aroma.
- Saute onions, tomatoes, and cashews with spices until softened.
- Blend the mixture into a smooth puree, which will form the curry base.
- Simmer the puree with butter and spices to make the butter masala gravy.
- Fry the paneer cubes until golden, and then soak them in warm water to keep them soft.
- Add the paneer cubes to the gravy, along with the cream. Avoid cooking the dish further after adding the cream.
- Serve hot with your choice of naan, roti, rice, or any desired sides.
Enjoy your homemade paneer butter masala!
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