Butter Paneer Masala
Butter Paneer Masala is a rich entre made with Indian cheese and a creamy sauce. This dish is tasty when served over white rice or with Naan or Tandoori Roti.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb paneer cubed in byte size
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 green chili
- 1/4 inch ginger
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup yogurt, whipped curd, dahi
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/8 tsp asafetida hing
- 1 tsp cumin seeds jeera
- 1 tbsp coriander powder dhania
- 1/2 tsp turmeric haldi
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 2 bay leaves tajpat
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp sugar, optional
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped hara dhania
Instructions
- Deep-fry the paneer on low-medium heat until the paneer has a little golden- brown color. Set aside.
- Blend tomatoes, green chilly and ginger to make a puree.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready. Add hing and cumin seeds.
- After the cumin seeds crack, add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and bay leaves. Cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Tomato mixture will start to leave the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
- Add the whipped yogurt into the gravy. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
- To thicken the gravy, dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the gravy.
- Add the green peas and paneer. Let it cook for a few minutes until the peas are tender.
- Add the garam masala and cilantro. Add a little sugar if the gravy is sour.
Notes
Variations
You can substitute the yogurt with heavy cream for a richer flavor.
1 tablespoon of fresh or dried methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves) can be added at the end.
Add in the yogurt powder of 4 to 5 cashews to make it creamier.
This gravy can be used in any combination of vegetables you desire.
This recipe is only a method - feel free to be creative and experiment!