Paneer Butter Masala or Butter Paneer is a traditional Punjabi recipe in which soft pieces of Paneer are cooked in rich creamy butter & tomato gravy.

Paneer is a type of fresh cheese common in Indian subcontinent, and Paneer butter masala is one of the most popular Paneer recipes in Indian cuisine. It is one of the most ordered dishes in Indian restaurants and has gained much popularity throughout the world.

The dish is characterized by rich and aromatic gravy made by using tomato puree, onion paste, cashew paste, and some essential Indian spices. The near perfect combination of spiciness and creaminess of its gravy coupled with lightly fried Paneer cubes makes this dish sumptuous.

The looks of the dish are exotic and its tastes yummy. Paneer Butter Masala though very popular in restaurants is not a dish which is made frequently in Indian homes as it is bit higher on the calorie scale. This makes this dish more appropriate for occasional treats, special events, celebrations, gathering and parties.

Paneer Butter Masala pairs very well with most Indian Breads like Rotis, Naan, Tandoori Roti, Paratha etc. as well as with Rice varieties like Veg Pulao, Jeera Rice or even plain rice.

To make Paneer Butter Masala at home take a look at the video or follow the detailed step by step recipe posted below.

See more related recipes like:

• Kadai Paneer Gravy – paneer cooked in spicy gravy
• Dry Kadai Paneer – dry version of kadai paneer
• Paneer Tikka Masala – marinated & grilled paneer in gravy
• Matar Paneer – peas & paneer curry
• Paneer Makhani – paneer cooked in buttery tomato gravy
• Paneer Capsicum Masala – panner & capsicum in gravy
• Methi Malai Paneer – fenugreek & paneer curry
• Palak Paneer – paneer in spinach curry
• Malai Kofta – fried paneer dumplings in gravy
• Stuffed Tomato – paneer stuffed tomatoes in gravy

Suggested recipe collections

• Paneer Recipes | 27 Easy Indian Paneer Recipes
• Indian Curry Recipes | List of 40 Indian Vegetarian Gravies
• Indian Sabzi Recipes | 21 Dry Vegetables | Sookhi Sabji

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala is made by cooking soft pieces of Paneer in a rich, creamy and aromatic gravy made of butter, onions & tomatoes.

4.80 from 105 votes

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Recipe Info

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4

Category Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 25g

Video

Ingredients For Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

 

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• ▢ 1 Large Onion
• ▢ 2 Large Tomatoes
• ▢ 250 Gram Paneer
• ▢ 4-5 Garlic Cloves
• ▢ 1 Inch Piece of Ginger
• ▢ 15-20 Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Cream
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• ▢ 2-3 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi)
• ▢ 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick)
• ▢ 3-4 Laung (Cloves)
• ▢ 1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• ▢ 2 Teaspoons Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Sugar or 1 Teaspoon Honey, optional
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Butter

Step By Step Instructions for Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds and fry them on low heat till they start to splutter.
   1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
   
2. Add green cardamom (choti elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini) and cloves (laung) to butter. Fry on low flame them for a minute.
   2-3 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi), 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick), 3-4 Laung (Cloves)
   
3. Add chopped ginger and garlic cloves to the pan and cook for a minute.
   1 Inch Piece of Ginger, 4-5 Garlic Cloves
   
4. Add chopped onions and fry them till they turn translucent. There is no need to brown the onions.
   1 Large Onion
   
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook them till they become soft.
   2 Large Tomatoes
   
6. Add cashews to the mixture. If you want you can roast the cashews separately before adding them.
   15-20 Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
   
7. Add 1 teaspoon salt along with 1 cup of water.
   
8. Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes till the mixture becomes soft.
   
9. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and make a smooth fine paste. You can pass the paste through a sieve to remove the skin of the tomatoes and any other chunks.
   
10. Again heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan and add bay leaf (tej patta) and red chilli powder to it. Fry it for a few seconds. This will give a nice color to the gravy.
    1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta), 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
    
11. Add the onion tomato paste to the pan and mix it with the red chilli powder. Cook for a couple of minutes.
    
12. Add garam masala, coriander powder (dhania powder) and turmeric powder (haldi) to the mixture.
    2 Teaspoons Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
    
13. Also add some sugar to the gravy. Adding sugar is optional but it gives a nice taste to the gravy. You can also replace sugar with honey.
    1 Teaspoon Sugar or 1 Teaspoon Honey, optional
    
14. Now add cream to the gravy and mix everything well. The cream will give a richness to the gravy. If you want to skip it you can use a little bit of milk instead.
    1 Tablespoon Cream
    
15. Sprinkle some crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). Finally add the paneer cubes and cook everything for 3-4 minutes. If you want you can fry the paneer cubes very slightly before adding them.
    1 Tablespoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
    
16. Paneer Butter Masala is ready. You can garnish it with chopped coriander, shredded paneer or a drizzle of cream. Serve it hot with any Indian bread like naan, missi roti, lachha paratha or with some rice preparation like jeera rice.
    

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