Meals · Delhi

Paneer Butter Masala

Soft paneer cubes in a smooth, gently sweet tomato-cashew gravy enriched with butter and cream, the Delhi restaurant favourite.

Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min · Total 45 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Gravy

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion, roughly chopped
• 5 Ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 15 Cashews
• 1 inch Ginger
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 Green cardamom
• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 ½ tsp Salt

Finish

• 3 tbsp Butter
• 400 g Paneer, in 2 cm cubes
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ cup Cream

Method

1. Simmer the base. Heat the oil and soften the onion. Add the tomatoes, cashews, ginger, garlic, cardamom, chilli powder, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes collapse.
2. Blend. Cool for a few minutes, fish out the cardamom husks and blend to a very smooth puree. Strain it for a silky, restaurant-style gravy.
3. Cook the gravy. Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pan, pour in the puree and simmer, stirring, until it darkens slightly and thickens. Loosen with up to 1/2 cup hot water.
4. Add the paneer. Stir in the garam masala and sugar, crush the kasuri methi between your palms over the pan, and add the paneer. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Finish. Turn off the heat, stir in the cream and the last tbsp of butter, and serve with naan, butter roti or jeera rice.

Tips

If your paneer is firm, soak the cubes in hot salted water for 10 minutes before adding them; they turn soft and spongy. Taste for sugar at the end, as it depends on the tomatoes.