ingredients for paneer butter masala
Here's what you'll
need for a fantastic Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani:
Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala gravy
Butter, Oil and
Cream: Three different fats go into the recipe at
different points to create that luscious, creamy gravy. But don't worry, this
doesn't translate to a really heavy, high on calorie recipe. The nutritional
value of one portion size is only
Dried Kashmiri Red
Chillies: This is a key ingredient. These dried chillies
provide colour but don't have a lot of spice which is perfect for this recipe.
If you don't have this, you can substitute with 1-2 tablespoons Kashmiri Chilli
Powder that can be added along with the other ground spice powders when the
blended gravy is simmering
Onions &
Tomatoes: The proportion of onions to tomatoes in this recipe
is 1:6. Onions are used for the base but its the tomatoes that add most of the
flavour
Ginger Garlic
Paste: You can use minced ginger and garlic
separately but for convenience ginger garlic paste is made in large amounts and
refrigerated in every Indian household. You can also buy ready made paste
easily at supermarkets
Cashew nuts: To
reduce the amount of cream in the recipe, we use cashews which provide the same
creaminess and density but without the calories
Khus Khus/ Poppy
Seeds: Khus Khus or white poppy seeds is used for
flavour as well as creaminess
Spices: Both
whole spices and ground spices are used in this recipe. Whole spices such as
bayleaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon add the initial flavouring to the onion
tomato mixture. You can add them as is or make a bouquet garni like I do so
that it easy to fish these out before blending. Dry spices like chilli powder,
turmeric, garam masala are added later while the blended gravy is simmering for
a bit of heat and to pack in the flavour
Tomato Ketchup: A
super non traditional ingredient but it really works here because it has the
perfect blend of sweet, salty, tangy. A little goes a long way!
Kasuri
Methi: Kasuri Methi is basically dried fenugreek and used
extensively in Indian cuisine to add a touch of smokiness and finish the dish.
A little goes a long way, but stocking this in the pantry is a very good idea!
how
do you make paneer (cottage cheese) at home?
Making paneer at
home is simple and needs only two ingredients - milk and acid (lemon juice or
vinegar work well). You will need to heat milk and add the acid and simmer the
milk till it curdles and separates into whey and paneer or cottage cheese. I
have a super handy, step by step tutorial on how to make
paneer here.
Malai Paneer slab cut into cubes
You can always
make your own paneer at home (which only takes 15 minutes BTW and is the most
satisfying experience) or you can buy store bought paneer - look for malai
paneer. This recipe is so versatile that if you would rather have chicken
butter masala instead, you can always substitute the paneer for chicken. Or use
tofu and make tofu butter masala. If you'd like to make it vegan, use oil
instead of butter and skip the cream.
how
to make paneer butter masala
Here are quick
steps to make paneer butter masala
1.
Bouquet Garni:
Start with wrapping the spices in a muslin or cheesecloth to make a bouquet
garni. This helps add all the flavour without having to fish out the spices one
by one later
2.
Cook the
kashmiri chillies, onion, tomato, cashew, poppy seeds and spices together till
the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. This is the base of the gravy
3.
Remove the bouquet garni (whole spices) and
the blend the onion tomato paste to really smooth. You can add
some water if required
4.
Simmer the
gravy along with powdered spices and salt in butter for 10-15 minutes till you
can see a little oil floating to the top
5.
Smoke the
gravy with my dungar method (see video). This takes the gravy to the next
level!
6.
Add kasuri methi, paneer and cream, cook for
a minute or two and you are done!
This recipe is
actually easier than you think. And if you have some of my frozen Makhani Gravy, the final steps just take 10
minutes!
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I love serving
this with plain Basmati Rice or Butter Naan. It's one of those recipes that have won
many readers king or queen of the kitchen. Read the comments and look at the
ratings - you know this is a good one!
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