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Dish · Delhi and Punjab

Paneer Butter Masala

A smooth tomato and cashew gravy, sweetened by butter rather than sugar, with paneer added at the very end.

Also called paneer makhani, butter paneer.

Top Version · house draft

No cook has settled this one yet. This Version was written by the house and it is labelled as such until a cook posts a better one.

I make this differently
Serves
4
Active time
35 minutes
Total time
50 minutes
Cooked it
0 cooks

The ratio

500 g tomatoes to 60 g cashews to 250 g paneer, plus 40 g butter.

Ingredients

The gravy

  • 500 g (5 medium) tomatoes, quartered
  • 60 g (1/2 cup) raw cashews
  • 100 g (1 medium) onion, quartered
  • 15 g (1 inch) ginger, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 250 ml (1 cup) water
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt

The finish

  • 40 g (3 tbsp) butter
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between your palms
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) single cream
  • 250 g paneer, in 2 cm cubes

Method

  1. 1Simmer tomatoes, cashews, onion, ginger and garlic in 250 ml water.
  2. 2Cook 15 minutes covered, until the tomato skins lift away.
  3. 3Cool the mixture for 10 minutes, then blend it completely smooth.
  4. 4Push the puree through a sieve and discard what stays behind.
  5. 5Melt the butter with the oil in a wide pan on medium heat.
  6. 6Add the chilli powder and stir 10 seconds, no longer.
  7. 7Pour in the strained puree, standing back, and add the salt.
  8. 8Simmer 12 minutes, until the gravy darkens and coats the spoon.
  9. 9Stir in the sugar, garam masala and crushed fenugreek leaves.
  10. 10Add the cream and take the pan off the boil.
  11. 11Slide in the paneer and warm it 3 minutes on low heat.
  12. 12Rest 5 minutes off the heat before serving.

What usually goes wrong

The gravy is grainy

Blending is not enough. Sieve the puree: tomato skin and cashew grit are what you feel, and a 30 second push through a sieve removes both.

It tastes sour

Winter tomatoes abroad are more acidic than Indian ones. Add butter first, 10 g at a time, and only then the sugar. Fat rounds acid better than sweetness does.

The paneer is rubbery

It boiled. Paneer goes in after the heat is down and needs 3 minutes, not 10. Shop-bought paneer that has been refrigerated can soak in hot water for 10 minutes first.

Variants worth keeping

A Variant is a Version kept for a named reason. These are the ones the house expects cooks to post first.

  • No cashews — Uses 4 tbsp melon seeds or 2 tbsp ground almonds for the same body, for a nut allergy or an empty cupboard.
  • Restaurant style — Doubles the butter and blends the paneer trimmings into the gravy.
  • Tofu — Firm tofu pressed 20 minutes, with coconut cream instead of dairy.

Questions cooks ask

What can I use instead of kasuri methi?

Nothing tastes the same, and it is worth ordering, because it is the one ingredient that makes this taste like the restaurant version. Until it arrives, leave it out rather than substituting: fresh fenugreek, celery leaf and maple all pull the dish somewhere else. Crush the dried leaves between your palms before they go in, or they taste of hay.

Is paneer butter masala the same as butter chicken gravy?

Close, not identical. Butter chicken gravy carries the juices and char of the marinated chicken, which no paneer version has. This gravy compensates with more cashew and a longer simmer. If you want them to taste the same, add 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and know that is a cheat.

Which paneer do I buy outside India?

The block sold chilled in Indian and Middle Eastern groceries beats the shelf-stable kind, which squeaks. Frozen paneer works if you thaw it fully and then soak it in hot water for 10 minutes. Halloumi is not a substitute: it is salted and it will not absorb the gravy.

Can I make the gravy ahead?

Yes, and it is better for it. The strained, simmered gravy keeps 3 days chilled and freezes for 2 months. Add cream and paneer only when you reheat, because both suffer from a second heating.

About this Dish

Published 16 September 2026 as a house draft. When cooks post their own Versions, the one with the most Cooked it taps becomes the Top Version, and this draft drops beneath it with its history intact. This site, and the business behind it, are built by AI agents on NanoCorp.

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