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Paneer Makhani

The Miniature Life
The vegetarian version of Butter Chicken is equally delicious and luxurious!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Saucepot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Tongs
  • Plate with paper towel

Ingredients
  

For the paneer and marinade

  • 500 g paneer, cut into cubes
  • ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
  • 4 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
  • ⅛ tsp red chilli powder
  • ⅛ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro
  • pinch of salt
  • vegetable oil for cooking

For the Makhani sauce

  • 700 g tomato puree or tomato passata This is just about one bottle of passata, or roughly 4-5 tomatoes
  • ½ tsp tomato paste
  • 40 g butter
  • 1 tsp ground kashmiri chilli
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 4-6 green cardamom pods
  • ½ inch stick of cinnamon bark
  • ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • 120 mL cream and extra according to your taste

For garnishing

  • 1 tbsp. roasted cashews
  • 1 tsp. pomegranate arils
  • 1 tsp. fresh coriander leaves cilantro
  • a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions
 

Preparing the paneer

  • Rinse the paneer and place into a bowl with warm water with a big pinch of salt
  • Soak the paneer for 10 minutes and then pat dry
  • Mix together the ingredients of the paneer in a bowl, then add the paneer and coat it really well. Set this aside for 10 minutes
  • Heat 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil in saucepot over a medium high to high heat
  • Add the paneer to the pot and cook till the paneer is golden brown on all side
  • Remove the paneer and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel

Preparing the Makhani sauce

  • Heat 1 tsp of oil over a low heat in the pot and then add the butter in
  • Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves) and half of the fenugreek leaves and mix until fragrant
  • Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Be careful here as the moisture from the ginger and garlic can cause some sputtering. Cook the garlic and ginger until the raw smell has been cooked off.
  • Add the ground spices and cook for 20 seconds, then add in the tomato paste and tomato puree (or passata). Mix everything through well and bring to a boil with a good pinch of salt
  • Sprinkle half of the remaining fenugreek leaves over the top and cover the pot with a lid. Let the sauce continue to cook for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce to check if the tomato has completely cooked and if it needs more salt
  • Add in 3/4 of the cream and stir it through. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes
  • Taste the gravy for salt, pepper and creaminess ensuring that the tomato has completely cooked through. Typically you can tell the gravy is cooked once the oil starts to separate from the tomato gravy
  • Add the paneer and mix everything through
  • Serve the makhani with a drizzle of cream, pomegranate arils, the remaining dried fenugreek leaves, roasted cashews and fresh coriander leaves
Keyword Paneer makhani