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Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the tomato-cashew base:
  • 4 large ripe tomatoes about 500 g, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 10 cashews
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 1 small bay leaf
For the gravy:
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon oil stops the butter burning
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 250 g paneer cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup fresh cream plus a little extra to swirl on top
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between the palms
  • 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method
 

  1. Add the tomatoes, onion, cashews, ginger-garlic paste, cardamom, bay leaf and 1 cup of water to a pan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely soft and pulpy.
  2. Remove the bay leaf, let the mixture cool a little, then blend it to a very smooth paste. Strain it back into the pan through a sieve, pressing well with a spoon — straining is what gives the gravy its restaurant silkiness.
  3. Heat the butter and oil in a wide pan on low-medium heat. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander powder and stir for a few seconds so they bloom in the butter without burning.
  4. Pour in the strained tomato paste. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the gravy thickens and the butter starts to shine at the edges.
  5. Add the garam masala, sugar and salt. Mix well and taste — the gravy should be balanced: tangy, gently sweet and warm, not sharp.
  6. Add about 1/2 cup of hot water if the gravy is too thick, then slide in the paneer cubes. Simmer gently for just 2 to 3 minutes so the paneer stays soft.
  7. Lower the heat, stir in the cream and the crushed kasuri methi. Warm through for a minute — do not let it boil hard after the cream goes in.
  8. Garnish with a swirl of cream and fresh coriander. Serve hot with naan, roti or jeera rice.

Notes

  • Soft, fresh paneer makes all the difference. If your paneer is firm or fridge-hard, soak the cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Blend and strain properly — a grainy base can never become a silky gravy later.
  • Never boil the curry hard after adding cream; it can split and turns the gravy oily.
  • For a lighter weekday version, swap half the cream for milk and skip the final butter, but keep the kasuri methi — that is the signature flavour.