Restaurant-Style Paneer Butter Masala
Creamy tomato and cashew gravy with soft paneer cheese and aromatic spices. Blanched tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste form the base, balanced with garam masala and finished with fresh cream and dried fenugreek for depth. The gravy develops a rich orange hue as milk and spices meld together.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ oz paneer, cubed and soaked in hot water
- 1 no onion, large, chopped roughly
- 2 nos tomatoes, medium, whole
- 1 tbsp cooking oil or butter, for sautéing
- 1 tbsp cooking oil or butter, for sautéing paste
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, or 1 inch ginger and 5 cloves garlic, ground
- 1 ½ tsp coriander powder, dhania powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tsp tomato ketchup
- salt, to taste(optional)
- ½ cup to 1 cup, boiled milk
- 1 tbsp fresh cream, or milk skin
- 5 nos cashews, raw, for grinding
- 1 tsp kasoori methi, dried fenugreek, crushedfresh coriander2:1herbs
different flavour profile
Instructions
- 1
Chop onion roughly and cut paneer into cubes.
- 2
Boil water with tomatoes until skins crack, then remove tomatoes and set aside. Soak paneer cubes in the hot water until needed.
- 3
Heat oil in a kadai and sauté onion until transparent.
- 4
Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until raw smell dissipates.
- 5
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala on low flame, stirring carefully to avoid burning.
- 6
Let mixture cool completely.
- 7
Add blanched tomatoes and raw cashews to the cooled mixture, then grind to a smooth paste with water.
- 8
Heat oil in kadai and sauté the ground paste until thickened.
- 9
Stir in tomato ketchup and salt, then boil until oil floats on top.
- 10
Add boiled milk and simmer for a few minutes until gravy turns orange.
- 11
Add crushed kasoori methi and paneer cubes, stirring well.
- 12
Adjust consistency with more milk if needed.
- 13
Pour fresh cream and turn off heat.
- 14
Check seasoning and adjust spice or salt as needed.
Tips
Soaking paneer in hot water keeps it soft without frying.
Cool the sautéed spice mixture before grinding to prevent bitterness.
Sauté ground paste on low flame to develop flavour without burning.
Gravy reaching orange shade indicates proper reduction and oil incorporation.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with additional milk to restore consistency.
Prepare ground paste and sauté it the day before. Store separately and combine with milk and paneer when serving.
Serve hot with roti, naan, or steamed rice. Garnish with fresh coriander and whole cashews if desired.
Common Mistakes
Burn spice powders by sautéing on high heat; use low flame and stir constantly.
Skip cooling the spice mixture before grinding; hot mixture burns hands and blender.
Add fresh cream while gravy boils; turn off heat first to prevent curdling.
Use fried paneer; soaking in hot water maintains softness.