Paneer Butter Masala recipe
Sunday afternoon’s call for lazy lunch. Last week I tried a Paneer Butter Masala Recipe. For Punjabi vegetarians, it’s the ultimate dish with its delicious creamy smooth gravy with a hint of spiciness. Paneer, a type of cottage cheese, is readily available all over North India. However, I found it surprising to find it at a store in Guadalajara, Mexico. Much to my delight, the paneer was available and absolutely the same.
Known as Queso Panela; queso in Spanish means cheese and there is an entire array of Mexican cheeses. Made with whole milk, it has low fat and we can trace its origins back to Burgos, Spain. They usually ate Panela fresh as a snack or in salads. I have seen Panela crumble over tacos.
When I visit Delhi, I am offered many paneer dishes as vegetarian, but strangely, I am no paneer lover. I have seen paneer lovers in the north crumbling fresh paneer over any dish or eating it raw.
We also know paneer butter masala as Paneer Makhani in Punjabi cuisine. They generously use butter and tomato-based gravy and cream, giving the gravy a smooth, tangy and creamy texture. If paneer is unavailable in the market, you can just make it at home. You require only two ingredients; milk and lemon or vinegar or curds. I have a blog on how to make paneer here. Check it out.
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
INGREDIENTS
250 grams of Paneer cubes or Cottage Cheese
4 tbsps butter
1 tsp Ginger Paste
Pinch food colour (optional)
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 Bay leaf
1-inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1 Onion, chopped
6 Tomatoes blanched and chopped
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1/2 tsp Garam masala Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tablespoons Fresh Cream
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 cup thick curds
Pinch food colour (optional)
1 green chilli or 2
Fresh Cilantro chopped
Method
First, take a bowl and add the curds. Now mix in the ginger and garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, and turmeric.
Actually, you can add the food colour to give it typical restaurant-style gravy. I didn’t have any food colour here, and I used Kashmiri saffron.
Next, add the paneer cubes, and salt and marinate for an hour. In a pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil.
After that, add all the whole spices and ginger-garlic paste. Sprinkle the kasuri methi, and sauté, for a minute or two and add the chillies.
I didn’t have green chillies, and I used one whole Serrano chilli. Serrano peppers are medium-sized Mexican chilli peppers and fiery and sharp. Serranos look like jalapenos, but they are small, pointed, and lots spicier.
Now, add the onions and stir till nice and pink and translucent but not brown.
Add the blanched and chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Cover and cook on simmer till the oil leaves the edges.
Add the marinated paneer and cook until you get a nice, thick gravy.
Switch off the flame. Serve the Paneer Butter Masala Recipe after garnishing with fresh cream and a blob of butter. I like to add some fresh cilantro.
Serve hot with nan, roti, paratha, rice, bread or tortilla.
You can similarly make Butter Chicken-Recipe for Butter Chicken
Few more recipes made with paneer-
Baked Paneer Biryani or Baked Cottage Cheese Rice
Cottage Cheese or Paneer Quesadillas
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.
@wordsmithkaur
@wordsmithkaur
I prefer the word Paneer Butter masala or Paneer makhani because Butter Paneer sometime sounds like matar paneer when you say it.That said , I really like your version of this recipe , it seems easier and also less greasy.
Yummy! I and my family love the Makhani, be it paneer of chicken. and my recipe is very similar to the way you’ve made it except that I don’t marinate the paneer or chicken. will try doing it your way next time.
Paneer makhani is one of my fav paneer dishes but I make it without the colour and sugar(some people add it to balance out the tanginess of the tomatoes). My way of making it is entirely different. Learnt a new way from you… will try it this way the next time. I’m sure your learners loved it Harjeet😊
My kids love butter paneer and I used to cook it in a little different manner but your recipe seems much easy and I will try this for sure. Thanks for sharing this recipe !!
Dear I seriously cannot forget that picture, my mouth starts water. Thanks for the share Im sure it tastes equally well like the picture.
With Paneer we are always talking about Paneer butter masala…this one is new. Will try for sure. Thanks for sharing!
I am a paneer lover. I will try and make this with less butter, as I am geting off fats. But it’s really nice to know that Indians can find paneer in Mexico.
As much as the color and looks of it make me cringe already as I can almost taste the spice of this paneer, I also can’t help but salivate as I know how much it would be savored and loved by my pallet when I taste it. Appreciate you sharing this!!! Must do!
The dish looks amazing! And you have innovated on the color also by using Kashmiri saffron and it looks so vibrant. The recipe is very easy enough to follow and we love paneer. So will definitely try out your recipe.
That looks delicious. These days Indian ingredients are available everywhere. I will surely try out your version of the recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
I am a paneer lover although I am a non vegetarian … Panner Kofta, Paneer Bhujiya, Paneer butter masala, paneer dopayaza, Sarso paneer are some of the recipes I make in my kitchen. And my niece is a fan of my paneer butter masala. But honestly speaking I love to taste paneer butter masala made by others as somehow I found it more tastier than mine always. I wish to land at your place … please do serve me your paneer makhani … it looks so tempting 🙂
Hahaha…come over Samata..you are welcome anytime
Looks so tempting. Loved how you tweaked it with serrano peppers and saffron. I hear you about the love for paneer up north. I recall visiting relatives in Punjab and masala paneer being served as cheese for breakfast.
This is from your master chef class at Mexico na mam? It look delicious. My daughter love paneer butter masala so much that she can eat thrice a day 😊 at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your recipe is simple. I used to boil everything and then grind. I will try your recipe.
My family’s all-time favorite meal is our take on the paneer butter masala. And you’ve also innovated on the color by using Kashmiri saffron, which looks so vibrant. I will try to recreate your version, which has a distinguishing feature.
Butter chicken is something I have mastered so well over the year. But, trust me, I wanted this recipe to try out from a long time. But, could not find a suitable one that would help me make this dish tasty and perfect from all perspective. the part where you mentioned that you were unsure of finding paneer in Mexico, also revived my thoughts when my uncle also faces such issue when he was living abroad had n-how he had to fight the situation of not having his favorite dish.
I love paneer makhani. Although sometimes I get confused between paneer butter masala and paneer lababdar and paneer makhani. Thanks for the recipe.
Its the holiday season and kids demand tasty and variety dishes. I am so looking forward for more such from you. and paneer seems very easy and look delicious
Nice bit of history to the cheese in Mexico. I too like panner but don’t make butter panner as it becomes too heavy for me. so I avoid using cream….and ofcourse the dish tastes very diff. But even on days that I have made it, I have never used curd…. interesting variation to the dish.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe for Butter Paneer Masala or Paneer Makhani. It’s fascinating to know that in Guadalajara, Mexico, Paneer is available as Queso Panela. It’s amazing how different cultures have their own version of cheese and how it can be incorporated into different cuisines.
I also appreciate the detailed instructions for making the paneer at home. It’s always great to have an option for homemade ingredients, especially when they are not readily available in the market.
I can’t wait to try out this recipe with the delicious creamy smooth gravy and a hint of spiciness. I’m sure it will be a perfect lazy Sunday lunch for my family.
Thank you once again for sharing this recipe and the interesting trivia about paneer and Queso Panela.
Not a paneer lover, but the color of your dish The Mexican love for paneer is going to make for an interesting dinner-time conversation 😀
Although I love anything with paneer I’m not a huge fan of Paneer butter masala since it has a bit of sweetness. I like my food spicy. My kids sure will love this version. Will make it for them someday.
What a delectable recipe Harjeet! I love paneer and unfortunately in Luxembourg I hardly get paneer. Your recipe made me drool literally! And I am a vegetarian too, so finding ingredients to balance the same Indian flavors is a task. I can see in your recipe how easily you seem to have to utilized the local ingredients to make our delectable butter paneer.
You can make it dear
I love this recipe called Butter Paneer aka aneer Butter Masala. Being a non vegiterian I dont prefer to eat Veg much, Butter Paneer looks so delicious and I am going to try it for sure.
I love Butter Paneer Masala and I feel like grabbing a naan and a big serving of the dish in my plate off my laptop screen. Thanks for sharing such a detailed and clear instructions. Will try your version of this dish soon!
Butter paneer has become like universal gravy. Loved reading the recipe with a great mix of authentic Indian flavourful Masalas.
Yum! Gosh your recipes look so easy and your pictures look really delicious. I hope you can cook something for me someday!
My husband and son love paneer and butter paneer masala is their absolute favorite but no matter how many recipes I follow it never comes out perfect and we end up ordering it from outside.
Paneer Makhani is my kids’ favorite. It is my easy way to make them say yes to chappathi when we don’t have non veg at home.
Butter paneer is my go to dish when I don’t know what to cook. I feel raw spices adds great flavour to any dish. My recipe is very close to yours and as I am unable to decide what to cook today so this is my dish of the day.
This is one of my favourite dishes. I can eat paneer in any form , paneer lover I must say. I will definitely try it this way.
Butter paneer is the most yummy dish on earth as per me 🙂 I really liked the simplicity of your recipe. Will try it out in your way the next time. Hope I could meet the same texture and taste.
In my home we call this dish Shahi Paneer. So nice to see you making the most of your visit to Mexico!