Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer or cottage cheese is one of the most versatile ingredients in Indian cuisine. A vast majority of Indian population is vegetarian and they love their paneer. There are a variety of ways it is consumed , in curries, cutlets and even in stuffed vegetables . One of my favourite ways to enjoy paneer is in the form of paneer koftas. They are perfect with some pulaao or parathas or even pooris. If you do not fancy going the entire mile, you can use just the koftas as snack or in your salads and wraps. I also love stuffing herbed paneer in vegetables like sweet baby bell peppers and jalapeños . Another very unique paneer recipe that I have on the blog is Paneer Bharwan Gatte, chickpea dumplings stuffed with paneer. It is one of its kind and just perfect with chapatis.

Now, coming to Restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala. This dish is almost a must have during any vegetarian celebratory meal. It literally translates into cottage cheese cooked in spicy gravy rich in butter and is not to be mistaken with Paneer Tikka Masala which uses grilled paneer. If you ask me Paneer Butter Masala is best enjoyed with hot flaky parathas and some salad on the side. But then again who am I to decide and decree what you would like to enjoy this deliciousness with. So, without further ado let us get going. But before I do that, let me mention that this by no way is the most authentic recipe for Paneer Butter Masala.

I have tweaked it based on our taste and lifestyle choices and also based on the amount for time I like spending in the kitchen (which is not a lot as time is always a scarce resource with two young kids to look after and the new normal of home schooling thanks to corona!)

So, here are some tips to making a delicious yet quick Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala

1. If using frozen paneer , soak it in warm water for at least 40 minutes to soften it
2. Usually for a lot of my panner curry recipes l like to shallow fry the paneer a bit to add more texture, however for this recipe I do not recommend it for the sheer reason that fried paneer gets chewy and that texture doesn’t go well in this recipe
3. I personally like using cashew paste to make my gravies creamy as it also imparts a deep rich flavour to the dish and makes the gravy luscious. You can do the same or swap it with full fat cream or use a mix of two. In this recipe I have used cream just as a garnish
4. As with any gravy based Indian dish, cooking the onions and then cooking them well with spices is of essence . Please do not hasten this step
5. Whole spices are the key here. Do note I have hardly used any powdered spices because we do not really need to. You can sprinkle some good quality garam masala or paneer masala towards the end just to enhance the flavour and fragrance and you are all set
6. If preparing for a party then cook the dish a day ahead.The flavours enhance and improve the next day. Be careful while reheating and do it on a low flame adding some warm water to thin out the gravy if needed
7. Red chilli powder is added mostly for colour as essentially this dish is not too hot but you can adjust the amount as per taste
8. Soak cashews in warm water for 20 minutes so they soften quickly and are easy to make a smooth paste with
9. I like to add green peas to my butter paneer but you can skip it if it doesn’t suit your taste

Making Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients

1. Paneer : 300 gm
2. Onion, sliced : 1 large (approximately 1.5 cups)
3. Tomato, chopped: 2 medium sized
4. Garlic, chopped fine: 2 cloves
5. Ginger, chopped fine : 1 tbsp
6. Raw Cashews, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and drained: 20-25
7. Dried red chilli : 2
8. Cinnamon stick: 2 inch stick
9. Green cardamom (choti elaichi): 3
10. Black cardamom (bad elaichi) : 1
11. Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
12. Black pepper corns: 6-8
13. Bay leaf: 1
14. Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 tsp or as per taste
15. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
16. Shahi Paneer Masala or Garam Masala: 1 tsp (optional)
17. Salt: To taste
18. Oil : 2 tbsp
19. Butter : 2 tbsp
20. Sugar: 1/2 tsp
21. Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) : 1 tbsp
22. Heavy Cream for garnish
23. Hot water- 1/2 cup or as needed

Method

1. If using frozen paneer, soak in warm water for 20 minutes then drain and set aside ; if using fresh home made paneer this step is not required
2. Soak cashews in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside
3. Soak green peas if using, in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside
   

   

   

   
4. Heat oil in a thick bottomed wok and reduce the flame to medium once oil is hot and add whole spices -bay leaf, cumin, dried red chilies, cinnamon , black pepper corn, black and green cardamoms and stir for a minute or until fragrant
5. Add sliced onions and continue to cook until translucent , then add ginger and garlic and mix; continue cooking with intermittent stirring until onions are cooked through. This takes 10 minutes on a medium to low flame
6. Add tomato and powdered spices and continue to cook till spices are well incorporated and oil starts to separate, then add salt and sugar
7. Turn off the heat and add pre-soaked cashews, give it a nice mix and let the mixture cool to room temperature ; blend to a smooth paste
8. Discard the whole spices like bay leaf and black cardamom and grind the mixture into a smooth paste
   

   

   

   
9. Wipe the wok used to cook the tomato-onion-spice mix with a clean kitchen towel and melt 1 tbsp butter in the same wok
10. Once the butter has melted add the paste from previous step and give it a nice mix; keep the flame low at all times as we do not need to cook this paste
11. Add half a cup of hot water, increase the flame and let the mixture come to a boil, then add the remaining butter
12. Reduce the flame and add paneer and peas and mix gently; use a rubber spatula for this step if possible
13. If adding Garam Masala or Shahi Paneer Masala, sprinkle and mix at this stage and let it simmer covered for 5 minutes then uncovered for another five
14. Add more hot water to adjust consistency if needed, taste for salt and garnish with Kasoori Methi followed by heavy cream
15. Simmer for another two minutes, turn off the heat and let the flavours soak in for 15 minutes
16. Serve hot with parathas or pulaao