Paneer Butter Masala | Restaurant Style Recipe

Most of us like panner and paneer butter masala recipe is no exception.  Piping hot naan and paneer butter masala is such popular dishes that most people order in restaurant and re-creating the same magic is home is one such bliss.  I don’t have to worry if the gravy will be too sweet for me or if the panner is hard!  There was a time I would order paneer dish always and now I don’t order or I cook much since DH doesn't like! But once in a while I make paneer and whenever I does I make sure that I am doing something good. 

I made this paneer butter masala for our anniversary lunch and it came out so perfect, my I’m-not-paneer-fan DH also went for 2nd helping. This recipe is easy and simple but the end result is creamy, delicious paneer butter masala which makes a simple meal into feast.


Ingredients:
Panner/Cottage Cheese Cubes – 2 cups
Onion – 1 large
Tomato – 1 small
Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi – 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup/Sauce – 1 tbsp [optional]
Cashew nuts – 10-12
White Sesame – 1 tbsp
Orange Food Colour – a drop [optional]
Salt – to taste
Butter – 3 tbsp (you can use oil too)
Water – 1.5 cups + as needed


Method:
1.  Peel, wash and chop onion, tomato.  Grind onion along with ginger-garlic if not using ginger-garlic paste with less or no water, then puree tomato keep aside.
2. Soak sesame and cashews in little water for 10 minutes and grind into smooth paste use little water, keep aside.
2. In a pan or wok heat 1 tbsp of butter and sauté paneer until golden brown in all sides or 2 sides, remove from flame and keep aside.  This is optional step, if you don’t like then don’t sauté paneer.
~ Soak the fried paneer in little hot water so it doesn’t becomes chewy. 
3. In a same pan add remaining butter or oil and add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and sauté until raw smell goes off.  Now add red chilli and coriander seeds powder mix well and fry until oil/butter starts to separate.
4. Add tomato puree, paste, sauce (if using) mix everything together and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame.  Add 1.5 cups of water and bring it to boil.
5. Add salt and crushed kasuri methi, cashew-sesame paste, food colour (if using) and mix everything well and let it come to a boil again.  Now add paneer, garam masala and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the consistency you like.  Adjust salt if required, off flame and let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Our paneer butter masala is ready, have it with naan, paratha, roti or any pulao.

Note:
~ Instead of cashew-sesame paste you can use 3/4 cup fresh cream, I personally don’t like to add cream much.  Cashew-sesame paste makes the dish very creamy.
~ I didn’t added tomato sauce, you can if you wish.
~ Food colour is optional, I just added a drop.
~ If you add extra water by mistake don’t panic, in 2 tbsp of water add 1tbsp of corn flour form a smooth paste,  add to the gravy and simmer for 2 minutes.
Have a nice day ~~