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Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions

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

Recipe Info

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Category Main Course
Cuisine Indian

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Ingredients For Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
  

  • 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
 

  • 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)
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 1
  • 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)
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 2
  • Add chopped ginger and garlic cloves to the pan and cook for a minute.
    1 Inch Piece of Ginger, 4-5 Garlic Cloves
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 3
  • Add chopped onions and fry them till they turn translucent. There is no need to brown the onions.
    1 Large Onion
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 5
  • Add chopped tomatoes and cook them till they become soft.
    2 Large Tomatoes
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 7
  • Add cashews to the mixture. If you want you can roast the cashews separately before adding them.
    15-20 Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 8
  • Add 1 teaspoon salt along with 1 cup of water.
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 10
  • Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes till the mixture becomes soft.
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 11
  • 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.
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 12
  • 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
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 14
  • Add the onion tomato paste to the pan and mix it with the red chilli powder. Cook for a couple of minutes.
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 15
  • 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)
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 17
  • 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
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 19
  • 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
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 20
  • 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)
    Paneer Butter Masala Recipe Step By Step Instructions 22
  • 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.