Paneer Butter Masala (Paneer Makhani)
پنیر بٹر مسالہ (پنیر مکھنی)
If butter chicken is the most famous Indian dish abroad, paneer butter masala is its vegetarian twin: the same velvety tomato and butter gravy, smoothed with cashews and cream and scented with , but with soft cubes of instead of chicken. It's mild, slightly sweet and rich, which makes it a favourite with children and anyone new to Indian food. Make it with homemade or shop-bought paneer.
- ⏱ Total: 45 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Soak the paneer cubes in hot salted water for 10 minutes to soften them, then drain.
Heat 1 tbsp butter with the oil, add the cardamom and cinnamon, then the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes and cashews and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes are completely soft.
Cool slightly, remove the cinnamon, and blend to a very smooth purée. For a silky restaurant finish, push it through a sieve.
Melt the remaining butter in the karahi, add the chilli powder and stir for 10 seconds, then pour in the purée with the water, sugar, salt and garam masala. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until thick and glossy.
Add the paneer and the kasuri methi and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, swirl, and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander and a little extra cream.
Kitchen notes
Use very ripe red tomatoes; pale tomatoes make a sour, orange gravy. Add a spoon of tomato paste if needed.
For a lighter version, use milk instead of cream and half the butter.
Lightly frying the paneer first gives it a golden crust; soaking keeps it soft.
A Delhi restaurant classic
Butter masala gravies were popularised in Delhi restaurants after 1947, when Punjabi cooks began simmering leftover tandoori chicken in a buttery tomato sauce. The paneer version followed for vegetarian diners, and today it’s on almost every Indian restaurant menu from Mumbai to Manchester. It’s often the first dish non-Indian visitors order.
Paneer basics
is fresh cheese made by curdling milk with lemon juice or vinegar. Unlike most cheeses, it doesn’t melt, so it holds its shape in hot gravy. Shop-bought paneer can be firm; a short soak in hot salted water makes it soft and spongy again.
The silky gravy
The restaurant texture comes from three things: very ripe tomatoes cooked until completely soft, cashews blended in for body, and straining the purée. Kasuri methi, crushed and added at the end, gives the gravy its unmistakable restaurant aroma.
Serving
Serve with naan, Malabar parotta, lachha paratha or jeera rice. For other paneer dishes, try palak paneer, kadai paneer or shahi paneer.
Questions people ask
What's the difference between paneer butter masala and shahi paneer?
Butter masala is tomato-forward, orange and slightly tangy. Shahi paneer is paler and richer, based on onions, cashews, yogurt and cream.
Can I make my own paneer?
Yes. Boil 2 litres of full-fat milk, add 4 tbsp lemon juice, strain the curds through muslin, press under a weight for an hour, then cube.
Can I use chicken instead?
That's essentially butter chicken. Our butter chicken recipe uses the same kind of gravy with grilled chicken tikka.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 470
- Protein
- 18 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
