Recipes, Vegetarian

Paneer Butter Masala

So, there was this place where I tried chicken butter masala which was really amazing and I was craving it but as it is Shravan and I can’t have it so thought why not try Paneer Butter Masala at home? That led me to this dish.

Ingredients

  • 5-6 Big Red Tomatoes (pureed)
  • 4 Tbsp Butter (unsalted)
  • 2 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic (paste)
  • 1 Tsp Shai Jeera/Black Cumin
  • 2 Onions
  • 2 Red Chillies
  • 2 Tsp Kashmiri Lal Masala Powder
  • 1/4 Tsp Sugar
  • 3-4 Green Chillies (slit)
  • 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 Tbsp Kasoori Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (hand crushed)
  • 2 Tbsp Curd Thick
  • 3-4 Tbsp Fresh Cream
  • 200 Gms Paneer/Cottage Cheese (cut into triangles or cubes and soaked in room temperature water)
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes

  1. In a small jar grind ginger, garlic, 2 green chillies, 2 red chillies and make a paste.
  2. In a small bowl, mix red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ground paste, salt as per taste and curd, mix well with the help of a fork or spoon till everything becomes a smooth paste.
  3. Heat a pan, add 2 tbsp of butter and shahi jeera. Let it crackle.
  4. Add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn pink.
  5. Add chilli paste to the pan and fry this masala on medium flame till the raw smell of the masala goes away and oil leaves the sides of the masala.
  6. Next, add the tomato puree and ¼ th tsp of sugar to balance the tartness of the tomatoes and give everything a good mix.
  7. Cover the pan and cook the tomatoes and masalas on medium flame. Frequently keep stirring it so that the masala doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
  8. After cooking the gravy for 10 to 15 minutes, you will see that the gravy is thickening; at this point add some slit green chillies and 1 tbsp more butter. Give it a good mix, cover and cook for some more time on medium to low flame. When you see that the butter is leaving the sides of the gravy and the raw smell of masalas and tomatoes are gone, add the paneer chunks and give a stir, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes more on medium flame.
  9. At last, add the fresh cream and crushed kasoori methi. Let it cook for 5 more minutes; taste for the seasonings and adjust accordingly, switch off the flame.
  10. Put some cream from the top. Your paneer butter masala is ready. Have it with hot rotis or rice.

Watch
Prachi Shinde

Well, as a kid, eating was my hobby but when I was allowed to step into the kitchen and cook, I realised that cooking is also my hobby. Often wondering why don't I cook something delicious at home as it's not always feasible to go out when you get that craving, I began experimenting with new dishes. In the past few years, cooking has become my passion and my friends pointed that out to me. Cooking new and different food and feeding it to my family and friends gives me immense happiness. I also love gardening. especially growing some veggies or herbs.