Paneer Butter Masala/Paneer Makhani

Paneer Butter Masala is a delicious Punjabi dish, a speciality from Indian cuisine. Paneer cubes are cooked in a rich creamy tomato gravy which is slightly sweet also. This is the first choice for most of the Veggies to order in a restaurant as a side dish for Roti, Nan, Chappathi etc. Here,I am sharing with you a simple recipe which gives you exactly the same look and feel ( and of course taste) of a Restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala. Enjoy!!!

Chopped Onions                              - 2

Ginger                                               - 1 inch piece

Garlic                                                -  8 pods

Tomato                                              - 3

Paneer, cut into cubes                   - 250 gms

Cashew nut                                        - 1 tbsp

Cumin                                                   - 1 tsp

Milk                                                       - 100 ml

Fenugreek seeds                             - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder                            - 1tsp

Garam Masala                                   - ½ tsp

Sugar                                                     - ½ tsp

Orange Colour                                   - A few drops

Onion, cut into rings                       - 1

Green chilly, slit                             - 1

Capsicum, finely chopped              - 1

Butter                                                   - 3 tbsp

Oil                                                           - 5 tbsp

Salt                                                         - to taste

Preparations:-

Keep the paneer pieces in a bowl of warm water for at least 15 min, before cooking.

Soak cashew nuts in water.

Grind onions, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

Keep the tomatoes in a bowl of hot water for at least 20 min. This is to prepare the tomato puree.

When it is cool, remove the skin of tomatoes and grind along with cashew nuts (soaked in water) and cumin seeds.

I am minimizing 3 steps (making tomato puree, grinding cashew nuts and preparing cumin powder) into a single step of grinding them together.

Method:-

Now we can start cooking. Switch on the flame...

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a non stick pan and fry paneer pieces slightly.

Remove the paneer pieces when they are light golden colour.

In the same pan add oil and sauté the onion-ginger-garlic paste and stir well for 5 min.

Add red chilli powder. After 2-3 minutes, add milk and stir meanwhile.

Once it starts to boil, add tomato-cashew paste and mix together.

Add garam masala, sugar and salt to taste.

Add fenugreek seeds.

Add fried paneer pieces and cook for another 10 minutes in a low flame.

Switch off the flame when the oil starts to separate.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp butter and sauté onion rings, finely chopped capsicum and slit green chilli just for 2 min and add to the top of the paneer butter masala .

Serve hot with Nan, Chappathi etc...