Paneer makhani

Mobasir hassan
20 June

 Paneer makhani 

Serving paneer makhani in a bowl

Paneer makhani is a popular dish made by cooking paneer cubes in a battery rich tomato cashew gravy. It is mild and not spicy. Indian breads like roti, naan and Paratha are usually serve with it. This paneer makhani recipe is creamy and smooth.

What is makhani gravy ?
Makhani is a Indian word meaning with butter.  And makhani gravy is a rich tomato gravy or sauce made by butter, cashew and cream with tomato. This makhani gravy is a super creamy gravy can be used to make many popular dishes like butter chicken also known as murgh Murgh makhani,  veg makhani and Paneer butter masala . This paneer makhani recipe is one of the easiest paneer recipe that you can make at home.
You can make ahead  this makhani gravy and keep refrigerated for upto three days in a air tight container.  And made all your favourite dishes in a quick to impress your family and friends.

What does paneer makhani taste like
Due to the use of cashewnuts and cream paneer makhani taste little nutty, creamy and sweet. 
This restaurant style paneer makhani recipe is easy to make and all the ingredients are easily available at your kitchen.
First simmer tomatoes with cashewnuts, few whole spices, green chili,ginger, garlic, onion, red chilli powder and butter cubes till they become soft.

You can avoid to use onion and garlic to make it no onion no garlic paneer makhani or a jain paneer makhani recipe.

Remove the some whole spices and grind into a fine paste. If there is any chunks present in the puree then stain them.
Cut the paneer into cube size pieces and saute with butter, ginger and chilli. Then pour this puree and cook. Mix salt, pinch of sugar or honey and fresh cream. Sprinkle some crushed fenugreek leaves and mix. Your easy paneer makhani is ready to serve. This crushed fenugreek leaves brings the restaurant style flavour to the gravy.

Steps to make the recipe

Preparation

Making puree

Roughly chopped tomatoes, onion and ginger and boil then in a pan with little water. Add garlic pods, half teaspoon red chilli powder, one teaspoon butter, one green chili, cashew nuts and the whole spices.
Simmering roughly chopped tomatoes,onion, ginger, garlic and whole spices for paneer makhani recipe puree

Cover with a lid and simmer them untill the tomatoes and onions become soft.

Remove and cool down completely. Then remove bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon stick. Grind them into a fine paste. If there is any chunks present then stain the puree.
Tomato onion puree for paneer makhani gravy

Making makhani gravy

 Cut the paneer into small cube size pieces.
Heat one teaspoon butter with little oil in a pan over low flame heat and add one green chili slit and chopped ginger.

Saute for 30 seconds to release the flavours of ginger and chilli. Add the paneer cubes and saute lightly for one minute.

Sauteeing paneer cubes with butter, ginger and green chili for Paneer makhani recipe

Add half teaspoon red chilli powder and fry for 10 seconds. Then immediately pour the tomato onion puree and mix gently.

Pouring tomato onion puree to cook paneer makhani recipe

Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Pour little water as per the required gravy consistency and further cook for another 2 minutes.

 Add salt as per taste and a small pinch of sugar. Sprinkle some crushed fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) over the gravy.
 Pour one or two teaspoon fresh cream and mix  Remove and serve paneer makhani hot with roti or chapati.

Paneer makhani recipe Punjabi style
Punjabi foods are generally rich in cream, butter, ghee and spices. They don't prefer sweet paneer makhani. So avoid to use any sugar or honey in the recipe. Increase a few more green chili and pour 1 or 1/2 teaspoon pure ghee before removing the dish to serve. In this way you can give a Punjabi touch to this paneer makhani recipe.
Paneer makhani without cream
You can easily make this by replacing cream with milk. Or by increasing the amount of cashew nuts into the gravy. I personally use milk instead of cream where make paneer makhani at home. My kids loves mild flavoured paneer dishes and so I used milk to make it more rich.
Paneer makhani without cashew
In place of cashew you can use almonds or peanuts as well. If you don't want any nuts then increase the amount of cream into the gravy to make it thick.
Paneer makhani recipe jain
We at restaurant make paneer makhani recipe totally for jain community. We respect their faith which prohibits eating onion and garlic. And serves other paneer butter masala. Jain paneer makhani means no onion no garlic. I have mentioned earlier you can easily avoid onion and garlic in this recipe to make it a jain paneer makhani recipe.

paneer makhani recipe

Garnished Paneer makhani with cream after cooking in a pan

Paneer makhani is a popular dish made by cooking paneer cubes in a buttery rich tomato cashew gravy. This creamy paneer makhani is smooth and delicious. Serve with flat Indian breads or rice. This is a popular Punjabi paneer dish that can be made at home like restaurant style.
Prep time          cooking time          serving
10 min                15 min                          3
Author               Mobasir hassan
Ingredients
  • 200 gm paneer
  • 4 - 5  fresh tomatoes
  • 1/2 onion 
  • 6 - 7 garlic pod
  • 1/2 inch ginger root 
  • 2 green chili
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 2 teaspoon butter cubes
  • 4 teaspoon fresh cream
  • 15 to 20 cashew nuts or almonds
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 - 2 green cardamom pod
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1/2 inch  cinnamon sticks ( optional)
  • 1/3;teaspoon crushed  fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
  • Salt as per taste
How to make the recipe
  1. Roughly chopped the tomatoes and ginger. Slice the onion as well.
  2. Heat small amount of water in a pan and add the roughly chopped tomatoes, sliced onion, ginger, garlic pods, one green chili, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, cashew nuts, half teaspoon red chilli powder and one teaspoon butter.
  3.  Cover the pan and simmer them for 5 - 7 minutes or till the tomatoes and onion become soften.
  4. Switch off the flame and cool them down. Remove the bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon stick.
  5. Grind them into a fine paste. If necessary stain to remove any big chunks.

Making paneer makhani

  1. Cut the paneer into cube size pieces 
  2. Heat one teaspoon butter with little oil in a pan over low flame heat.
  3. Add one green chili and chopped ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the paneer cubes into the butter and lightly saute them.
  5. Add 1/2:teaspoon red chilli powder and saute for 10 seconds. Then immediately pour the tomato onion puree.
  6. Mix gently and cook them for 7 - 8 minutes or till oil and butter start to separate from tomato onion gravy.
  7. Pour little water for a desired gravy consistency and cook further for 2 minutes.
  8. Add salt as per taste and a small pinch of sugar or honey to balance the taste of the spices.
  9. Sprinkle some crushed fenugreek leaves  and pour one teaspoon fresh cream over the gravy of paneer.
  10. Remove and garnish with coriander leaves and cream and serve the paneer makhani hot.
                           Video

Paneer makhani recipe video


                           Nutritional value
                         (serving size 142 g)
  • Calories : 200
  • Fats : 17 g
  • Protein : 6 g
  • Carbohydrate : 5g
                           Serving tips

• Paneer makhani is generally goes best with Indian breads like roti, naan and Paratha.
• Homemade chapati and phulka are excellent to serve with it.
• If you love rice then jeera rice is a good choice with paneer makhani.
                            Recipe notes
• You can avoid to more butter in this recipe.
• Avoid onion and garlic to make it a jain paneer makhani recipe.
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