Paneer Makhani

Paneer Makhani is one of the most popular dishes in North India, considered to be one of the kings of all curries; it's easy, it's simple and it's delicious. The sweet yet mild spices mixed with the fresh cream and the soft moist paneer cubes are truly a heavenly combination.

Usually paired with chapati, naan, paratha, roti or rice to elevate it's true flavor.

As this dish is not heavily based on spice it is cherished an eaten all across the world, the mild yet savory flavors leave everyone smacking their lips and craving for more, this is all thanks to it's unique flavor palette as well as the generous amounts of butter/ ghee (clarified butter) and cream.

As it's name suggests the main stars of the dish is the paneer and butter so don't stress about adding in too much butter, now while this dish does center around the paneer don't feel shy to mix it up and add in some vegetables of your choice.

What I love most about this recipe is that you can always cook the base, grind it into a paste and store it in the refrigerator for as long as you'd like, I love this because it allows you to have Paneer Makhani whenever you're craving, just thaw the paste, cook it on low and add in the paneer cubes it's that easy.

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This recipe calls for 5 servings

Ingredients

Base:

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter (I used ghee)

5-7 Cloves

3-4 Cardamom

2 Medium Onions (sliced)

4-5 Garlic

1-2 inches Ginger

3-4 Tomatoes

15 Cashew nuts

Now if you don't have enough tomatoes, don't panic you can always add 2-3 tbsp of tomato paste as a substitute, be careful not to add too much paste as it can change the flavor of the dish drastically

It's not necessary to thinly cut the ingredients, leave it a bit on the thick side as you will be grinding it into a paste when it's cooked

Curry:

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

2-3 Bay leaves

1-3 Green chillies (depending on the spice)

1 Medium onion (chopped)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilli powder

3/4 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

Salt to taste

Water

2-3 tbsp Cream

200-300g Paneer cubes

1 tsp Kasuri methi

2 tbsp Coriander (chopped)

Instructions

Base:

1. In a sauce pan heat the oil and butter

2. On a low flame add in cloves, cardamom and stir till you have a fragrant aroma. (be careful not to pop the cloves and cardamom)

3. Add in the onions, garlic and ginger, stir till the onions are translucent

4. Add in the tomatoes and cashews, fry for a min or 2

5. After sautéing cover the lid and let it cook for 15 mins or until the tomatoes are soft and cooked thoroughly. (Be sure to stir from time to time and add a bit of water if needed)

6. After its cooked set it aside and let it cool down completely (make sure its fully cooled or you might end up spoiling your blender)

7. Once fully cooled, add it to your blender and blend till you end up with a smooth paste

8. Finally run the paste through a sieve to end up with a silky-smooth paste

Paneer Makhani:

1. In a large sauce pan heat up oil and butter and add in bay leaves, and chilies

2. Add in chopped onion and fry till golden brown

3. While on low flame add in spices (turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt)

4. Fry till the spices create an aroma and be careful not to burn the masala

5. Add in the base paste

6. Add a cup of water or more to get the desired consistency for the curry

7. Add in the cream and mix well finally add in the paneer cubes

8. Simmer for a few mins, then add kasuri methi (Fenugreek) and the fresh coriander

Enjoy with roti, rice, naan, paratha or chapati

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Toddles.