Puree sauce thoroughly
Cashews must be completely soft, and a powerful blender and optional blending ensure the silky consistency that sets the dish apart.
Indian Recipe
Paneer Butter Masala
Tomatoes and cashews are cooked with spices until soft, pureed and then rounded off with butter and cream. Paneer is only briefly pulled in the hot sauce to keep it tender.
Total time
55 min
Calories
610 kcal
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Mild paneer curry in creamy tomato-butter sauce
Paneer butter masala is the vegetarian relative of Makhani dishes. The sauce should be velvety, slightly sour and only subtly sweet. Ripe tomatoes provide the basis, cashew seeds provide the body and kasuri methi for the typical aroma. The paneer is not cooked for long, because too much heat makes the cream cheese firm and rubbery.
Vegetarian Dinners
Lunch
Dinner
Indian Recipes
Recipe
Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer Butter Masala combines soft paneer with a mild, smooth sauce of tomatoes, cashew seeds, butter, cream and kasuri methi.
Ingredients
4 servings
Method
-
1
Sweat the tomato base
Heat 20 g butter and oil. Sauté bay leaf, ginger, garlic and chilli for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cashews, coriander and half of the chilli powder.
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2
Cook sauce until soft
Cover the tomato mixture and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes and cashews are very soft. Remove the bay leaf and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
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3
Puree finely
Puree the tomato mixture very finely with 100 ml of hot water. Then, for a particularly smooth restaurant sauce, pass through a fine-meshed sieve.
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4
Complete Makhani Sauce
Melt the remaining butter in a cleaned pan. Stir in the remaining chilli powder briefly, then add the pureed sauce and cook gently for 5 minutes.
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5
Creamy to taste
Stir in the garam masala, kasuri methi, cream and salt. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, adding only a little sugar for tomatoes that are clearly sour.
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6
Leave Paneer to rest briefly
Add the paneer cubes to the sauce and heat over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not cook vigorously. Adjust the consistency if necessary with the remaining hot water.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Paneer Butter Masala
Don't overcook the paneer
Paneer is ready to eat and just needs to get hot. Long cooking drains moisture from it and makes the cubes firm.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Fry the paneer in a little ghee all around until light golden and immediately soak in warm salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce at the end.
Reduce the cream to 60 ml and add hot water to the sauce to achieve the desired consistency. Do not omit cashews, as they provide the binding.
Nutrition per serving
610kcal
24.0 gCarbohydrates
24.0 gProtein
47.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer Butter Masala is based on tomatoes, cashews, butter and cream. Palak Paneer, on the other hand, uses a green spinach sauce and tastes more herbal.
No. Fresh paneer can be heated directly in the sauce and remains particularly soft. Seared provides roasted flavours, but makes it a little firmer.
Burnt garlic, too much roasted chilli powder or too much Kasuri methi can bring bitterness. Heat spices only briefly and dose fenugreek sparingly.
The sauce can be cooked two days in advance. Add the paneer and cream only when heated up, so that the cheese and sauce retain their best consistency.
Peeled almonds form a similar bond, but must be soaked for at least 30 minutes. If you are allergic to nuts, use more cream and reduce the sauce a little longer.
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