Paneer Butter Masala- Restaurant Style Paneer Makhani

Are you looking for a restaurant-style paneer butter masala? Then look no further. Here is a quick recipe with simple steps that you can follow to make this delicious curry at home. It tastes exactly like the one at your favorite restaurant. Paneer butter masala is the quintessential dish for Indian parties and special occasions. The luscious and creamy sauce of butter masala is irresistible, and this delicious gravy and is versatile. You can add paneer, mixed vegetables, or make Butter Chicken. But for today's recipe, I am adding paneer, an Indian-style cottage cheese. Paneer is a good source of protein for vegetarians. Paneer butter masala has an exotic taste and is perfect for special occasions. It tastes divine with rotis, naan pulao/pilaf, or with simple steamed rice.

So what is butter paneer or paneer butter masala? It is a delicious curry with a rich flavor of butter. What makes butter masala gravy special is its silky smooth consistency. Butter and cream add richness to this beautiful sauce. The base sauce consists of tomatoes, onions, and cashew nuts. Bring out your blender, your best friend when you want to make a smooth gravy. You will need to blend the onions and tomatoes, and nuts into a smooth paste. The flavors are warm and comforting, mildly spices with a slight tart from the tomatoes. Cashew nuts also add a slightly nutty flavor and help thicken the sauce to that perfect consistency. Soft milky paneer cubes add more flavor, and it is irresistible. If you are not a fan of paneer, try adding cauliflower, peas, or chickpeas.

Butter/Makhani Sauce
The sauce consists of onion, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger, combined with earthy spices and cashew nut paste. It is cooked in butter and finished off with some cream. The trick to making a great sauce is to let the onions and tomatoes cook for at least 10-15 minutes until they are almost dry on your pan and oil separates. Let it cool down, blend until smooth. For an extra silky smooth texture, use a fine-mesh strainer. Use tomatoes that are sweet and not sour. Roma tomatoes work best for paneer butter masala. The heat is from Kashmiri chilly powder. It also adds a rich color to the sauce. Kasoori methi dried methi leaves adds a nutty, earthy flavor to the sauce. To release the aroma, and flavor of Kasoori methi, crush them between your palms before adding. This sauce is freezer-friendly. You can store it in the freezer for quick weekend meals. Avoid adding the cream till the last stage of the cooking. The curry sauce is magical, and you can add anything to it, like chicken, prawns, paneer, or vegetables.

Paneer/ Indian cottage cheese
Paneer is Indian-style cottage cheese, it is unsalted and used fresh to make recipes. You can make homemade paneer/ coagulated milk solids or use store brought paneer. If using a store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 20 minutes before using it in the recipe. Cut paneer into small cubes. You can add it directly to the sauce or gently fry for a minute till it is slightly golden. Remove from oil and transfer into a bowl of cold water. This step will ensure that the paneer has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and will retain shape when you add it to the curry.

Paneer Butter Masala- Restaurant Style Paneer Makhani

Ingredients
Paneer- 2 cups (cubed) 250 grams
Tomatoes- 6 medium
Cashew nuts- 8-10
Almonds- 4-5
Onions- 1/2 chopped
Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly-3
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Cardamon powder - a pinch
Clove - 3-4
Bay leaf- 1
Kasoori methi powder- 1 tsp
Cream- 1/4 cup
Butter - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Soak cashew nuts and almonds. Soak paneer in warm water for 20 minutes. Cut into small bite-sized cubes. Heat oil in a pan and place the paneer in a single layer fry till both sides are slightly golden, but not more than two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add into a bowl of cold water, and set aside. This step is optional. You can add the paneer cubes without frying them into the curry.

Heat two tsp of oil and add onion and saute till slightly golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till raw flavor disappears. Add tomatoes and cook till soft and mashed up and oil separates. Let it cool down, and using a blender, make a fine puree. Add the soaked nut and blend till everything is well combined. For an extra silky smooth texture, use a fine-mesh strainer. Set it aside.

Heat three tbsp of butter in a pan and add bay leaves and clove. When slightly roasted, add the pureed onion tomato paste and saute for a minute. Add chilly powder and green chilly and simmer this till oil separates. It will take about three to four minutes. Stir in one cup of water,garam masala, cardamom powder. Cover and cook till the gravy thickens. Finally and kasoori methi powder and the fried paneer. Simmer for two minutes in low flame. Switch off the flame and add cream and sugar, and gently mix in. Serve with chapatis or naan.