Paneer Makhani - Swasthi's Recipes (2024)

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Paneer makhani is a delicious curry made by cooking paneer in buttery tomato cashew gravy. This super delicious creamy paneer makhani is loved by most Indians & is popular on the Indian restaurant menus. Paneer makhani goes so well with plain basmati rice, jeera rice, roti, paratha or naan.

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This restaurant style paneer makhani is an all-time favorite at home as it super quick to make & tastes amazingly delicious. It can be made just under 25 to 30 mins from scratch.

Paneer makhani is a popular punjabi dish made with paneer, tomatoes, cashews, spices & cream. Paneer refers to Indian cheese & makhan refers to butter. So paneer makhani translates to paneer cooked with butter.

This recipe is different from the paneer butter masala I have shared before. Punjabi paneer makhani is made with very few ingredients and uses no onion making it distinct from the Butter paneer or Paneer butter masala.

This recipe is a must try if you are looking for some easy, yet delicious paneer recipe that can be made with minimum effort.

You can cook your basmati rice on one burner while you make the paneer makhani on the other. You will have your awesome meal ready under half an hour. Do include some fresh sliced onions, carrots, cucumbers & lemon in your meal to perk up the nutrition.

This paneer makhani recipe has roughly been adapted from the Veg makhani and Butter chicken recipes on this blog.

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Related recipes
Malai kofta
Paneer tikka masala
Palak paneer
Matar paneer

How to Make Paneer Makhani (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Chop tomatoes and add them to a blender jar along with cashews. If you do not own a powerful blender then soak the cashews in little hot water for 15 mins. Drain the water and add them to the blender. I do not soak them.

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2. Blend them to a smooth puree. If your blender doesn’t make a smooth puree, then filter the puree. I do not filter as mine does a smooth puree.

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Make Makhani Gravy

4. Heat 1 tbsp butter. Add slit & deseeded chilli, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1 small cinnamon stick. If you do not have the whole spices then just skip them.

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5. When they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste (or ginger paste). Saute until the raw smell goes away.

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6. Pour the tomato puree.

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7. It will begin to splash immediately, so cover the pan partially. Continue to cook until the tomato puree thickens.

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8. Add red chili powder and salt.

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9. Stir and cook until it begins to leave the sides. You can adjust more or less chili powder now. I added about 1 ¼ tsp red chili powder since mine was not hot, adjust as needed to suit your taste.

Add 1 ¼ tsp garam masala. If your masala is very strong, then use ¾ tsp garam masala and ½ tsp coriander powder. Mix and saute for a minute or 2.

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10. Add about 1 cup water, sugar and mix. You may need to adjust the amount of water slightly.

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11. Cover and cook on a medium flame until the gravy thickens. You can now see butter begins to float on the gravy slightly. There is not much butter used, so you will only see little traces of butter.

Make Paneer Makhani

12. Add paneer (Indian cottage cheese).

13. Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi. Gently stir, cover and cook on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

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14. Add cream as desired. I add about ¼ cup of cream and cook until it begins to bubble. This quantity goes well for our taste and it balances the sour taste from tomatoes. You can add more or less to your liking.

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Serving suggestions : Paneer makhani can be served with
Indian flat breads like – naan, roti or plain paratha.
Plain or Flavored rice like
Jeera rice
ghee rice
pulao

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Pro Tips

  1. Use good quality paneer from a good brand. You can also check this homemade paneer recipe to make your own just like the way I did.
  2. If using store bought paneer, you can optionally soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 mins before adding to the gravy. This will keep the paneer soft.
  3. This paneer makhani recipe uses cashews to make the makhani gravy creamy. Feel free to replace them with soaked and blanched almonds.
  4. You can also make the gravy ahead and refrigerate. Do not add the paneer & cream while making the gravy. When you are ready to consume, heat until it begins to bubble. Then add paneer & stir in the cream.
  5. Choose ripe tomatoes and avoid the unripe or green ones as they ruin the taste of the paneer makhani.
  6. I do not use artificial colors for my food. I generally use Kashmiri or byadgi chilli powder for good color. .
  7. You can use cooking cream, whipping cream, heavy cream or even vegan cream. You can also skip the cream completely and just increase the amount of cashews.
  8. Avoid over cooking paneer in the makhani gravy as overcooked paneer turns hard, rubbery & chewy.

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Recipe Card

Paneer Makhani - Swasthi's Recipes (21)

Paneer Makhani Recipe

Paneer makhani is a delicious, creamy & rich dish made of paneer in cashew tomato gravy. Serve paneer makhani with plain rice, flavored rice or any Indian flat breads like roti, naan or plain paratha.

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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes minutes

Cook Time25 minutes minutes

Total Time30 minutes minutes

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

To puree

  • 16 to 18 cashewnuts or blanched almonds
  • cups tomatoes or 400 gms

Other ingredients

  • 2 cups paneer (200 grams Indian cottage cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (can use upto 2 tbsps)
  • 2 green cardamoms (elaichi)
  • 1 inch cinnamon piece (dalchini, optional, but recommended)
  • 2 cloves (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 green chili (slit & deseeded, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or crushed (or ¾ tsp ginger paste)
  • ¾ to 1 ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
  • salt as needed
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (to balance the flavors)
  • teaspoon turmeric (haldi) (optional)
  • teaspoon garam masala (adjust as needed)
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • ¼ cup cream (adjust to suit your taste)

Instructions

Preparation

  • If using store bought paneer, then soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 mins.

  • Drain the water and use. This will keep the paneer soft.

  • Blend together tomatoes and cashews to a smooth puree.

  • If you do not have a powerful blender then just soak cashews for 10 to 15 mins in hot water.

  • The tomato puree has to be smooth.

  • If you find your puree coarse, then pass it through a strainer.

How to Make Paneer Makhani

  • Heat a pan with butter. saute cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and green chili.

  • Then saute ginger garlic paste for 2 mins until the raw smell has gone.

  • Transfer the tomato puree to the pan.

  • The tomato puree will begin to splash so be cautious.

  • Cover partially and cook until the puree thickens.

  • Add chili powder, turmeric and salt.

  • Saute until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

  • Next add garam masala and saute for 1 to 2 mins.

  • Pour 1 cup water and sugar. Adjust the amount of water as needed to make a gravy.

  • Cook until the paneer makhani gravy thickens & you see traces of butter or grease on top.

  • Add the paneer & kasuri methi to the makhani gravy.

  • Stir gently and cook covered for 2 mins on a low heat.

  • Pour the cream and allow to bubble.

  • Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cream and coriander leaves.

  • Serve paneer makhani with roti, naan or jeera rice.

Notes

  1. If you are making ahead then just make the makhani gravy and refrigerate. When needed allow the gravy to bubble and then add paneer and cream.
  2. To use almonds, soak them in hot water for 30 mins. Peel off the skin and blend along with tomatoes.
  3. You can totally skip the cream in the recipe.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts

Paneer Makhani Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 503Calories from Fat 369

% Daily Value*

Fat 41g63%

Saturated Fat 24g150%

Cholesterol 109mg36%

Sodium 300mg13%

Potassium 437mg12%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 680IU14%

Vitamin C 13.8mg17%

Calcium 599mg60%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Paneer Makhani - Swasthi's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between paneer butter masala and makhani? ›

Ideally, all three dishes are one and the same. However, when some restaurants list butter masala and makhani separately on their menu, the difference lies in the level of spiciness. In such cases, butter masala is on the spicier side, and makhani is less spicy and on the sweeter side.

What is the difference between paneer tikka and paneer butter? ›

What is the difference between paneer butter masala and paneer tikka masala? Paneer butter masala is essentially cooked in butter, has a smooth silky curry to which raw paneer is added. But paneer tikka masala is made with grilled paneer and is predominantly spicy and has some texture in the curry.

Do you fry paneer before adding to curry? ›

How do you add paneer to a curry sauce? Prepare the sauce and then add the fried paneer to the bubbling hot curry. Although fried until crisp, it is best to add the paneer fry to a sauce just before serving. It will then retain its shape and become soft and delicious in the center.

Is paneer makhani the same as shahi paneer? ›

A: They are similar in spiciness, but this (the paneer makhani) is a little bit more spicy. The shahi paneer has a creamier sauce, which seems to tone the spice level down somewhat. If the shahi paneer is at your upper limit of spiciness, you'll probably want to avoid the makhani.

Is paneer makhani like tikka masala? ›

They are both popular paneer recipes but the way you make them is different. For the tikka masala, we first marinate the paneer, grill it and then add to the curry. For the paneer makhani, the sauce is made with nuts, onions, tomatoes and then paneer pieces are added to it directly.

Which is more tasty paneer butter masala or kadai paneer? ›

Kadai paneer is spicier than the other two as there is the addition of freshly prepared kadai masala in it. Whereas shahi paneer and paneer butter masala are more rich and creamy and sweet in taste. Also, shahi paneer is prepared with dry fruits like cashew and almonds without having any tomatoes in it.

Is paneer tikka healthy or unhealthy? ›

Can healthy individuals have paneer tikka ? Yes. Paneer contains high quality protein and calcium which aids in weight loss. Since paneer is low in carbs and high in protein it gets digested slowly and hence good for diabetes.

What are the three types of paneer? ›

Some of the popular types of paneer are: Regular Paneer: This is the most common type of paneer found in the market. It is made using cow's milk and has a mild, slightly tangy flavor. Malai Paneer: Malai paneer is made by using full-fat milk, which gives it a creamier and richer texture compared to regular paneer.

Which paneer masala is best? ›

There are several good brands of paneer tikka masala, including:
  • Patak's Paneer Tikka Masala.
  • Shan Paneer Tikka Masala.
  • MDH Paneer Tikka Masala.
  • Priya Paneer Tikka Masala.
  • Everest Paneer Tikka Masala Ultimately, the best brand for you will depend on personal preference and taste.
Jan 29, 2023

Why do people soak paneer in water before? ›

Top tip: If you find your paneer can get a bit dry or chewy when fried or cooked, you can soak it in water for 10 minutes so it retains more moisture while cooking.

Why does paneer become hard after frying? ›

Paneer cooking mistakes: Over cooking paneer, that too in high temperature, may affect the fat molecules in paneer, resulting in its tough and chewy texture. Hence, it is always suggested to cook paneer on medium heat, until it holds the shape.

How long to soak paneer after frying? ›

*Soak fried paneer in the warm, salty water for 10 minutes. *Press the paneer pieces gently to remove excess water. “You can also soak your fresh paneer if it's tough after soaking in warm water. It makes a big difference,” he says.

What is the substitute for cream in paneer butter masala? ›

How to make healthy Paneer Makhani? Instead of using butter and cream in this dish, I simply soaked some cashews and blended them with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and a few aromatic spices.

What are the other names for paneer makhani? ›

Paneer makhani (also called paneer butter masala) is an Indian dish of paneer, originating in New Delhi, in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter (makhan), tomatoes and cashews. Spices such as red chili powder and garam masala are also used to prepare this gravy.

What is another name for paneer in English? ›

Likely originating in India, paneer is also known as Indian cottage cheese. You might find that the mild taste of paneer reminds you of American cottage cheese.

What is the difference between paneer butter masala and Matar paneer? ›

Paneer butter masala taste less sweet, little spicy and having a thick smooth gravy. It is light red in colour. And mutter paneer is a no sweet, spicy in taste dish,which is not thick smooth gravy in texture. It is light brown in colour.

What is the difference between curry and makhani? ›

Chicken curry is generally spicier than chicken makhani, resulting from the incorporation of chili peppers and other piquant ingredients. In contrast, chicken makhani is usually less spicy, with a sweeter flavor profile and less heat.

Is chicken tikka makhani the same as butter chicken? ›

The main difference between butter chicken and tandoori chicken tikka masala is the level of creaminess; butter chicken is much creamier, whereas chicken tikka masala relies on tomatoes and other spices, giving it its earthy and spicy flavor profile.

How is paneer different from butter? ›

Butter is predominantly made up of milk fat. While paneer is milk soft fresh curd like cottage cheese has most of the milk components minus water and some whey protein lost in the whey which is removed while making paneer. You can note the diffy in the nutritional composition of these two dairy product.

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