Paneer butter masala recipe with step by step pictures, video. The popular restaurant style gravy side dish for Indian flatbreads.
Other than eating Paneer butter masala at restaurant, the recipe was first introduced to me by my friend Sangeeta. Till then I had no clue about the creamy texture that we get in restaurants. So first of all thanks to her for the recipe.
This is the recipe I follow, as I make it weekly for Aj, it is very easy for me these days. I already have posted a microwave version. But I know many of the readers google search specifically. So thought I should post this yummy recipe here.
About
Paneer butter masala or butter paneer is a popular Indian recipe. It is widely known through out the world as most of the Indian restaurants have this as main side dish in their menu card.
Buttery, creamy, rich side dish for flatbread with Indian cottage cheese Paneer is such a delight for taste buds. It is very easy to prepare this at home if you follow the steps.
There are numerous versions of the recipe available in the internet. But since it is widely made in Indian restaurants and households, each have it’s own touch. There is no major right or wrong as long as the base remains same.
It is made with a creamy base out of onion, tomato, cashews, spice powders. Use cream for making the gravy rich and delicious. Saute the base in butter or top it with generous butter.
Juicy, tender and soft fresh paneer blends well in this buttery gravy.
Ingredients
Paneer – Even though fresh homemade paneer is best in the gravy, you can also use fresh paneer available in Indian groceries.
Any fresh paneer which is not frozen and available in regular shelves of the cooler works too. This usually have an expiry of 20 days alone. Make sure to choose the fresh ones, not the one close to expiry.
Frozen paneer works too, just make sure to pick up a good quality ones. As far as I have used, Kohinoor works for me well. Frozen paneer have a variety called malai paneer, which has more fat content and stays soft. Irrespective of fresh, frozen, malai variety, I make sure to keep immersed in hot water before adding in the gravy.
Tomato – Use red ripe tomatoes for best color, taste. You can also substitute this with 2 to 3 tablespoon of store bought tomato paste or ¼ cup store bought tomato puree. Adjust the quantity according to the tart.
Cream – Tinned nestle cream or cooking cream works best. Alternately, use milk instead of water to dilute if you do not have cream.
Butter – Unsalted butter is perfect for making butter paneer as it is won’t affect the salt measurement in the recipe.
FAQs
Why my paneer turns rubbery?
Do not over cook the paneer. Add to the gravy towards end and just bring to a boil after that.
Should we fry paneer before adding to gravy?
I usually do not do this for butter paneer. Prefer the un fried texture than the fried ones. But it is not a mistake to do so. If you want you can go ahead and do it.
I feel frying affects the texture of paneer to more firmer texture. But just follow my rule of soaking in hot water to keep the paneer soft.
Can we use tomato puree instead of tomato?
Store bought tomato puree is double tart than the fresh tomatoes, so you have to add very less and careful with the amount while adding.
I love how store bought tomato puree adds texture, taste and color that matches restaurant’s butter paneer.
How to grind cashews smoothly?
I used cashews while sautéing instead of adding it as paste.
It is usually hard to grind small amount of cashew paste required just for the recipe. So if you want to use cashew paste, I suggest soaking more quantity of cashews and keep it preserved in fridge or frozen, use as needed in the recipes.
To freeze the cashew paste, you can use the ice tray and let it freeze. Once frozen, you can put the cubes it in ziploc or airtight container. Use one or two cubes according to the quantity of the gravy.
Just add it while sauteeing the onion tomato base masala.
Top tip
How to avoid the gravy split (curdle)?
The gravy splits or curdles when there is no binding agent in the base. So use fine cashew paste to avoid this happening.
Also the trick my friend taught me is to slowly add, mix little by little in low flame. Do not add all the cream/ milk in one go.
- You can add milk fully to make it gravy without adding any water. This way you get thicker and more creamier gravy.
- I have added garlic, ginger and cashews while sautéing.
- If you have ginger garlic paste, then you can add while you fry ground onion tomato.
- Same applies for cashew paste. You can saute along ground onion tomato paste.
Storing
Paneer butter masala keeps good for couple of days in fridge if it is left over.
Freezing – You can divide into portions and freeze paneer butter masala up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat to use it.
Some of my friends also make the base gravy over weekend and use it up in the week days. This need not be frozen but can be kept in the fridge for 5 days. You can also freeze it eventually.
Related posts
Recipe card
Paneer butter masala recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Paneer cubes
- ¾ cup Onion, cubed 2 small sized
- 1 cup Tomato, cubed 2 small sized
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Ginger chopped
- 2 Green chilli medium spice
- 5 Cashew nuts
- ½ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Cooking cream
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi
- 1.5 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt – As needed
- 2 teaspoon Oil Divided
- 1 tablespoon Butter Divided
- 3 tablespoon Coriander leaves
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Cardamom
- 1 Clove
- 1 Inch Cinnamon
Instructions
- To start with, heat a pan with oil, 1 teaspoon butter. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies.
- Tip in cubed onion and give it a fry. Add cashews and saute until onion turn translucent.
- Remove in a plate for cooling.
- Meanwhile, keep paneer cubes in hot water until use.
- Grind it along with cubed tomatoes to a smooth paste.
- Heat oil and temper with Cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
- Add the ground onion tomato paste and give it a stir.
- Tip in red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, kasoori methi and mix well.
- Continue frying the masala for 4-5 minutes in medium flame or until the raw smell goes off.
- The onion tomato mixture should be thick, shiny and ooze oil. Add oil in between if needed.
- After that, pour milk little at a time in low flame and stir well to mix. Repeat again until you add all the milk.
- Adjust water (I added ¼ cup) and sprinkle required salt. Mix well.
- Once it start to bubble again, add paneer drained from water.
- Mix well and in goes the cooking cream.
- Keep the flame in low and don't let the gravy boil vigorously. Just mix in low flame for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
- Garnish with 3 tablespoon of coriander leaves. Top it with remaining butter.
Video
Notes
- I used kashmiri chilli powder (Mild spiced). Your gravy color depends on chilli powder and tomatoes you use majorly.
- If you add water, then the gravy may not be orange and will be more red.
- The cashews give a smooth and creamy texture, mild colored gravy and also prevents milk/ cream from curding.
- Butter can be omitted and made with oil alone, but remember this is butter paneer masala 😉
Step by step photos
1. To start with, heat a pan with oil, 1 teaspoon butter. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies.
2. Tip in cubed onion and give it a fry.
3. Add cashews and saute until onion turn translucent.
4. Remove in a plate for cooling.
5. Meanwhile, keep paneer cubes in hot water until use.
6. Place the cooled items in a blender.
6. Add cubed tomatoes (yes, raw!) on top of it.
7. Grind to a smooth paste.
8. Heat oil and temper with Cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
9. Add the ground onion tomato paste and tip in red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, kasoori methi and mix well.
10. Continue frying the masala for 4-5 minutes in medium flame or until the raw smell goes off.
11. The onion tomato mixture should be thick, shiny and ooze oil. Add oil in between if needed.
12. After that, pour milk little at a time in low flame and stir well to mix. Repeat again until you add all the milk.
13. Adjust water (I added ¼ cup) and sprinkle required salt. Mix well.
14. Once it start to bubble again, add paneer drained from water.
15. Mix well and in goes the cooking cream.
16. Keep the flame in low and don’t let the gravy boil vigorously. Just mix in low flame for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
17. Garnish with 3 tablespoon of coriander leaves. Top it with remaining butter.
Serve hot with soft phulkas or any Indian flat bread best or with pulao.
This post is updated with new content on 23/06/2021
Love PBM and can never have enough of it.Your recipe is quite simple-looks creamy and perfect!
I love PBM,nice n delicious curry wid any kind of bread..
yummy paneer butter masala..this is my favorite one..
Lovely picture looks very delicious..My son will love to have 🙂
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
Creamy and delicious gravy, and me too make a similar version of PBM. Will try adding pepper nexttime
Perfect splendid paneer butter masala Raks…
http;//recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
My favourite..looks delicious
an all time fav…Creamy, super delicious version Raks!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Rich and delicious looking paneer butter masala!
Very nice…..I think in most other recipes the quantity of tomato is more and the colour is brown to red. Here the cashew paste and the milk have given it a golden glow.
Perfect paneer butter masala Looks delicious 🙂
So tempting,clicks. Looks delicious.
hi thr,
Which brand of cooking cream you used here? and where u got that in singapore??
Regards
Snigdha
My all time fav…looks creamy and yummy perfect the way I want!! Adding pepper is new to me, will try that next time.
delicious and golden looking gravy, adding pepper is new step for me..
Snigdha, I used emborg brand cooking cream and its in Fair price where you find whipped cream and cheese.
Spendid paneer butter masala. Looks divine!
inviting you to visit my space at your leisure,
http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.com
You know what? I made this yesterday and it came out very nice, however, made a small change, for grinding, along with all the ingredients that you suggested,I also added a bread slice, (this is based on a suggestion from an old recipe I was a bit intrigued by it but never the less, tried it and the results were unbelievable! Love your blog, have tried many recipes, thank you for your great work!!
Looks divine, I too make this way but I don't add pepper, next will try your version.
Inviting and delicious curry.
Vardhini
Event: Only Vegan
Event: Zucchini
Nice version of PBM,Love it…have to give a try this way:)
Thank you chikoo for the prompt feedback, nice tip by the way 🙂 Do u know for what it is ?
it made me smile that you waited for the right bowl to take picture in 🙂
very creamy and delicious looking paneer butter masala. I am salivating here
Very delicious, always a hit in parties..
Yum.. I love PBM but have never tried making it at home 🙂 Looks delicious.. Bookmarked
Wow Raji…after a long time I am coming to ur blog.. So many wonderful posts I have missed.. Should go through each and eevery…
Paneer is my fav dish…wonderful clicks dear.
PBM looks creamy and delicious…Love this..Beautiful clicks..
PBM luks delicious..never tried yellow curry.
superb.will try it soon
Your blog and recipes are so addictive 🙂 I check them regularly for my cooking 🙂 have rcently tried your naan recipe and savoured their softness!!:)
It looks soo yummy!!!! delicious
hey raks i made u r recipe last saturday night with parantha…butter paneer is super duper hit in my home…thanks raks love u….:)
Hi Raks
Ur paneer butter masala is just awesome.i had guest at home was confused wat to prepare ur recipe helped me alot.thanks alot………..even i stay in Tampinese Singapore.
Everybody gone crazy at my home..and for the first time i have cooked this..this is just kick ass..great recipe..Thank you..Raks..cheers..:)
Everybody Gone crazy…after I prepared this..thnk you very much..cheers..:)
i tried this recipe twice and i bate it steal the show. my family just loved it thanx raks u made my day. now i m excited about trying other recipes also. i'll defiantly let u know the success story of other recipes also. thank you once again.
Simply awesome !! Tried this recipe… Keep up the good work. Love all your recipes.
I tried this recipe ….simply awesome !! Got compliments from everyone ….
Hi Raks I tried this in my room.it tastes good but can be better……. 🙂
Thanks and keep Rocking…
Hi I'm not able to find cooking cream. Can I use heavy cream ? Also stores carry only nestle creama (lowfat) table cream. Will It work if I use this ? Does it give the creamy and rich restaurant touch ?planning to try for Friday dinner. Pls advice which cream to use. I need the creamy rich texture.
Hi I like to try this. I was shopping for all the ingredients, I live in USA, in Indian stores they sell only nestle table creama (lowfat version) will it be ok to use ? Does it give the creamy & rich texture as in restaurant. Or shall I use heavy cream ? Will it work ? We don't have cooking cream kind of item in USA. Pls advice. Planning to try for Friday fancy dinner along with ur butter naan.
One more thing, in USA the butter won't be that much good. I personally feel ghee made out of land o lakes butter smells great. Can I use ghee to rub the naan on the top ?
Nestle cream will be good, u can sure try. Yes you can use ghee to rub over naan as well.
Thanks for publishing this recipe..i have tried ur rava idli..naan..groundnut rice..and paneer butter masala..all were a big hit at home..Just that paneer butter masala was little spicy. Which can be reduced..pepper or chilli powder?
Chilli powder.
Hey I managed to make a really mean Butter Paneer Masala today thanks to the recipe and it tastes really good with Mild Pulav cooked in coconut milk…..
Can i omit cashew nuts
if you omit, then richness and thickness will be reduced. You may not get it creamy.
Hi raks..
I tried ur PBM..n guess wat..my hubby loved it sooo much..all i did juz click 2ur blog..n made it…PBM combo wit peas pulov..:-)
Now wen ever i make new itemz..my husband will ask..ur maam(raks) helpd u? YES…with smiles 🙂
Thanks again..
Hello Raks…
I have tried quite a few of your recipes. This has been a super hit. I shall try and send some pics so you can be so proud of yourself for making our lives simpler. My husband Jay was soooo happy that i made panner butter at home.
I always thought it would be a very complicated dish but it turned out to be quite the opposite. Your step by step pictures are helpful and gives me the nudge when required.
Thank you
Preethi
thanku raks… i made this today and it was a massive hit… keep em comming…
Hi Raks, I tried it yesterday and it came out really delicious. reminded me of dhabas back in Punjab, Kudos
Very nice
Its very nice and easy method to do thank you
Can kasthiri methi b skipped
Flavor will be different
Looks lovely.. You have mentioned that cream can be omitted and full milk can be added. At what stage should the full milk be added?? And is it ok to Mix only for few seconds even for unboiled milk??
Thanks
Devi
Step 4, you can add slowly and stir as you add milk (instead of water, add milk). You can use boiled milk at room temperature
I tried and it was yummy.
I've just started cooking and I follow all your recipes religiously. This panneer butter masala was a huge hit!
Hi Raks,
I had guests over home who eat non veg but my hubby is vegetarian. I tried paneer butter masala and used almost the same gravy combination (except for minor tweaks) for preparing butter chicken and it was finger lickin good. No one believed that I had prepared such good chicken curry at home and that too for the first time!. Super thanks to you!!
Recipe sounds great☺but I have a doubt.i feel some milky taste in paneer when eating which I don't prefer.if there is any solution please suggest me.thankyou
Thankyou for taking time to reply me.i will try.
Looks delicious mam
Just tried this recipe today and it is the best panner butter masala I ever made.
Thanks