Paneer Butter Masala

This is a very popular North Indian dish made from Indian cottage cheese .I love paneer recipes very much as it blends with the gravy and tastes awesome. Piping hot naan and paneer butter masala is the one we prefer in restaurants for dinner.Once I prepared this searching in net,from that time it turned out our favourite dish at home.But I will not prepare this so often as the name implies its more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using cashew paste rather than just cream. I avoid adding food colour so the gravy will not be red as you see in hotels .You cannot go wrong with this even you are preparing it  for the first time, try it for yourself and see….

 

Ingredients

 

Paneer  -  200 gms

Onion – 2 pureed

Tomato – 2 pureed

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder / Manjal thool – 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder / Milagai thool – 1tsp

Coriander powder / Kothamalli thool – 1 tsp

Cumin powder / Jeragapowder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Cahewnut – 7 (grinded to fine paste)

Kasoori methi leaves – 1 tsp

Fresh cream – 3 tbsp (optional)

Oil – 3 tbsp

Salt as needed

 

For Tempering

 

Butter – 3 tbsp

Cinnamon / Pattai – 2 small pieces

Cardamom / Elachi – 1 or 2

Cloves / Kirambu – 1

 

Preparation

 

Heat oil in a kadai and fry the cubed paneer for 2mins or light colour change and take them out.Dry the excess oil in a  kitchen tissue and soak them in cold water.

 

 

Then add butter in a wok and add the ingredients for tempering and fry for a min.Add the pureed onion and saute .

 

 

After they become brown in colour(it will take approximately 10 – 12 mins, saute continuously to avoid burning ) add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.

 

Now add the tomato puree and fry till the oil oozes out.

 

 

Add the turmeric ,chilli, corriander, cumin and garam masala powder and mix well.

 

 

Add two cups of water and required salt and allow it to boil for 5 mins .

 

Then add the cashew paste and Kasoorimethi powder (Take it in your palm and crush it from the top of the kadai).Keep in medium flame and let it boil till the masala’s raw smell goes off and the gravy comes to the desired consistency.

 

 

Now add the paneer cubes and simmer it for another 3 mins.

 

 

Finish it off  by adding the fresh cream.

 

Now the Paneer Butter Masala is ready to go with any Indian bread of your choice.I served this yummy gravy with roti.

Note:

You can add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.I didn’t add because mine is out of stock.

    Linking this to “Eid Poultry Party”