Paneer butter masala- restaurant style recipe is a very creamy, sweet, and buttery side dish. It is absolutely everyones favorite in my family. We love to pair it with any of the following: naan, chapathis, rotis, phulkas, and even fried rice!
What is Paneer?
Paneer is basically cottage cheese, available in all Indian grocery stores. Whole milk is used to make Paneer at home. Whole milk is boiled; lemon or vinegar or curd is added to curdle the milk to separate the greenish whey; cheese cloth is used to strain the whey from the coagulated milk mixture/ paneer. The home-made paneer can be used immediately or can be refrigerated (upto 3 days) to be used later. I make paneer at home when I have a lot of time, otherwise use store bought paneer.
How to make Paneer Butter Masala- Restaurant Style?
Paneer Butter Masala is a famous restaurant style dish that is made using a lot of butter. It a very fragrant, sweet and creamy dish. The main ingredients include: onions, tomatoes, cashews, kasthuri methi, paneer, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric and whole spices. Whole spices such as bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin are tempered in butter. I use finely chopped onions for this recipe, but you can also use pureed onions. The tomatoes are blanched in hot water and then pureed. Cashew nuts are soaked in water and ground to a fine paste. The cashew nut paste helps thicken the paneer butter masala base and also adds to the creaminess of the masala.
I use both whole milk and warm water to make the masala. Red food coloring is added to achieve the signature color of the paneer butter masala available in most restaurants. This is an optional step. The onion-tomato masala base is first prepared, and then the paneer is added. I also add a tablespoon of sugar to balance out the spices in the masala.
Paneer butter masala is very easy to prepare. I have provided very detailed instructions to prepare this dish. Try it out in your kitchen and let me know how it turned out. Happy cooking!!
Paneer Butter Masala- Restaurant style
Ingredients
- 400g Paneer cubed
- 2 onions, medium sized pureed or diced
- 2 tomatoes, medium sized boiled and pureed
- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 10 cashew nuts soaked in water for half an hour and ground to a paste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 5 cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 & 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 & 1/2 cup warm milk
- red food coloring optional
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- salt as required
- sugar optional
- 1 tbsp kasthuri methi
Instructions
- Dice the onions finely or it can also be pureed
- Boil the tomatoes in water and once they have cooled down, remove the skin and puree the tomatoes
- Cut the paneer into cubes
- Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a kadai/ pot
- Once the butter has melted, add cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves
- Now add the onions. Sauté the onions until they turn golden
- Add the ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring until the raw smell goes away
- Now add chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Stir everything thoroughly
- Add the cashew nut paste. Stir and bring everything together
- Add the pureed tomatoes. Stir
- Keep stirring occasionally until the contents of the pot has thickened in consistency
- Now add 1 & 1/2 cups of warm milk and 1 & 1/2 cups of warm water. Add the red food coloring to warm water (Optional)
- Add salt and stir. Give the masala a taste
- Stir everything and bring it to a boil. Once the masala base starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes
- After 10 to 15 minutes, add the cubed paneer to the masala base
- Let the paneer cook for 5 to 10 minutes
- Add sugar to the paneer masala and stir. Give it a taste and add more if required
- Garnish with kasthuri methi and transfer the masala to a serving dish and add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter.
- Serve immediately with hot rotis/parathas or jeera rice.
Directions with pictures
1.Dice the onions finely or it can also be pureed
2. Boil the tomatoes in water and once they have cooled down, remove the skin and puree the tomatoes
3. Cut the paneer into cubes
4. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a kadai/ pot
5. Once the butter has melted, add cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves
6. Now add the onions. Sauté the onions until they turn golden
7. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring until the raw smell goes away
8. Now add chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Stir
9. Add the cashew nut paste. Stir and bring everything together
10. Add the pureed tomatoes. Stir
11. Keep stirring occasionally until the contents of the pot has thickened in consistency
12. Now add 1 & 1/2 cups of warm milk and 1 & 1/2 cups of warm water. Add the red food coloring to warm water (Optional)
13. Add salt and stir. Give the masala a taste
14. Stir everything and bring it to a boil. Once the masala base starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes
15. After 10 to 15 minutes, add the cubed paneer to the masala base
16. Let the paneer cook for 5 to 10 minutes
17. Add sugar to the paneer masala and stir. Give it a taste and add more if required
18. Garnish with kasthuri methi and transfer the masala to a serving dish and add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter.
19. Serve immediately with hot rotis/parathas or jeera rice.
For more yummy recipes click here!
Omg I LOVE your step by step instructions! Thank you! I’ve been wanting a great Marsala dish and I’ve found it!!
OMG this sounds so delicious!!! How much lemon juice or vinegar do you add to the milk to make the paneer cheese? How long do you allow it to sit? Thanks for sharing!!
For 6 cups of full fat milk, add 2 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. After you have strained it using a muslin cloth, hang it for 45 mins, then place the paneer on a plate and place a heavy object over it an hour or so. This will help get rid of excess whey and set the paneer.
I did not know paneer was cottage cheese. Mind blowing
Sounds delicious, thanks for the recipe!
I’m always on the look out for a good butter masala recipe since I had it in India. Definitely going to give this a go!
I love your recipe. I never have seen like this soup. I’m sure this paneer is sweet, buttery and warm. I love warm soup like it.