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Butter Paneer Masala in a serving dish

📋 Butter Paneer Masala

There isn’t any dish that combines indulgence and minimal effort quite like this Paneer Butter Masala recipe. It’s packed with flavor without being too overpowering on your palette. There’s nothing like devouring this yummy masala gravy with juicy bits of paneer in every mouthful. How can anything beat that?

  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Butter Gravy:

  • 3 tbsp – Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 – Bay Leaves
  • 2 – Green Cardamom Pods (Elaichi)
  • 2 – Cloves (Laung)
  • 1/4 tsp – Cinnamon Powder (or 1-inch piece)
  • 4 cloves – Garlic (crushed)
  • 1 inch – Fresh Ginger (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 (medium) – Onions (roughly sliced)
  • 1 – slit Green Chili (optional)
  • 1 – Dry Red Chili (optional)
  • 15–16 – Cashew Nuts
  • 6–7 (medium) – Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
  • to taste salt
  • 1 tsp – Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (or Mild Paprika Powder)
  • 1.5 cups – Water
  • 2 tbsp – Honey (or sugar)
  • 1 tbsp – Unsalted Butter (optional)
  • 1 tbsp – Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori methi)

For the Yogurt Mixture

For the Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

  • 9 oz – Fresh Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
  • 2 cups – Warm Water
  • 1 tsp – Salt

For Garnishing

  • 10–12 leaves – Fresh Coriander
  • 2 tbsp – Yogurt (whisked until smooth)

Instructions

  1. To make the yogurt mixture. Mix the yogurt, coriander powder, chili powder, and turmeric in a bowl.
  2. Then add the butter and give it a light mix. Don’t worry if the butter doesn’t get mixed properly. It’s fine. Keep it aside. 
  3. To prep the paneer, cut the paneer into 1-inch X 1-inch cubes. Soak the paneer in a bowl of warm water with ½ teaspoon salt. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
  4. Then drain the salty water. Keep the paneer in a covered bowl.
  5. Take a heavy-bottomed pan and set it on medium heat. Put the ghee in it. Once it melts, add the bay leaf, green cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon powder. Sauté on medium heat for 20 seconds.
  6. Then add the crushed garlic, chopped ginger, and sliced onions to the pan. Sauté them on medium heat until the onions turn translucent. Continue to stir them.
  7. Now add the green chili, dry red chili, and cashew nuts. Sauté them for two minutes. 
  8. Reduce the flame to low and add the yogurt mixture. Stir and cook it for about a minute. It is important to keep the heat low to prevent the yogurt from cuddling.
  9. Add the chopped tomatoes and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté it for about 2 minutes or until the water from the tomatoes gets released and bubbles.
  10. Now add the salt and red chili powder. Cook for a minute and add the water. Let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Then close the lid and cook until the tomatoes start to disintegrate. Stir it occasionally. 
  11. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Finally, remove all the whole spices from the gravy (bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon).
  12. Now grind this gravy into a smooth paste using an immersion blender or food processor. Then strain it through a sieve. 
  13. Pour the gravy back into the pan and turn the heat on low. Add the honey and butter. Mix it until the butter melts, and the gravy starts looking glossy. 
  14. Crush some dried fenugreek leaves on top.
  15. Now turn off the heat. Next, add the prepped paneer pieces and mix until they get coated in the gravy.
  16. Now, drizzle some yogurt on top and sprinkle some fresh coriander to give it a final garnish.

Notes

Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a successful recipe:

  1. Patience is vital. Ensure you properly sauté the onions to get a deep and well-rounded flavor. 
  2. Make sure you remove the whole spices before grinding the paste. This helps ensure the bright color and smooth texture. The gravy will turn slightly brown if you don’t remove the whole spices.
  3. The yogurt should be at room temperature to ensure it does not cuddle while cooking.
  4. In case you want to speed up the process, take out the ghee and butter from the refrigerator an hour earlier so that they are soft and pliable when you use them. 
  5. Make sure you use nice and ripe tomatoes as they provide a rich flavor and color to the gravy. 
  • Author: Gopi
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Category: Curry
  • Cuisine: Indian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Paneer curry, Vegetarian curry, Indian Curry