Paneer makhani recipe | Paneer makhanwala | How to make paneer makhani

Paneer makhani recipe aka paneer makhanwala is a lip smacking, rich, creamy, flavoured and slightly tangy Indian paneer curry recipe. It is crazily popular in India and is one of the most ordered panner curries in Indian restaurants worldwide. In this preparation, paneer chunks are simmered in buttery smooth tomato-cashew nut gravy with some cream and minimal spices. This inimitable delight is mostly accompanied with butter naan, kulcha or with rice items like pulao and sometimes with plain basmati rice.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of Paneer
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Paneer Makhani (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Paneer makhana, the name itself expresses the complete recipe. Here PANEER refers as Indian cottage cheese and MAKHANI means buttery. The makhani word is obtained from the word makhan which means butter.

Paneer makhani is a spectacular paneer curry where tender panner chunks are cooked in slightly tangy, smooth and buttery gravy. It is adopted from the worldwide popular recipe Murgh makhani which is also known as Butter chicken.

Butter chicken recipe is an Indian chicken curry which originated in North India. It was accidentally invented by chef Kundan Lal Gujral of famous restaurant Moti Mahal in Delhi in 1948 using leftover dry chicken tandoori into a curry. Leftover chicken tandoori was simmered in creamy and spicy tomato-based gravy with butter to reuse it. But unexpectedly an outstanding dish got created. Now, this recipe has been adopted by restaurants worldwide.

It is a common trend by vegetarian north Indian restaurants and vegetarian people to prepare different dishes by adding paneer and different vegetables into the makhani gravy. Paneer makhani recipe is the most popular vegetarian version of the murgh makhani recipe.

Though both the preparations are like each other but not same to same. There is a slight difference in both the recipes.

• In traditional paneer makhani recipe, no onion or very less amount of onion is added with lots of tomatoes. On the other hand, in paneer butter masala generous amount of onion is added and butter fried nicely, before adding tomatoes.
• In paneer makhana, only less amount of whole spices is added for flavouring. On the other hand, usage of whole and ground spices is heavier in paneer butter masala than makhani gravy. Hence, the name of the recipe has masala in it.

• It is a vegetarian dish which is perfect to trigger taste buds of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian people.
• It is known for its inimitable taste and unique flavour. The mild gravy with buttery and mildly tangy taste has won the hearts of millions all around the world.
• It is one of the most versatile dishes which can be accompanied with any rice items or flat breads.
• It is a very easy to make recipe prepared using minimal ingredients.
• Paneer makhani has become a part of any celebration now. Any marriage, anniversary or birthday party is incomplete without paneer makhani in north India. Even it has occupied place in the Menu card of almost all the vegetarian Indian restaurants in India and foreign countries as well.

Paneer makhani recipe aka paneer makhanwala is one of my most favourite paneer curries which I can’t stop myself to devour till my stomach is tightly packed. In fact, I never met any person in my entire life who does not like paneer makhani.

It is one of our family favourites and I can’t remember any special occasion without this splendid delight. Whenever we go to any north Indian restaurant on a veg day, after a long conversation before ordering, we always end up ordering paneer makhani and butter naan as primary part of the main course.

But honestly speaking, we always used to have paneer makhanwala recipe in restaurants or else by ordering the dish from caterers on special occasions. We never tried this masterpiece at our kitchen. But one day during Covid-19 lockdown, I was craving for panner makhani and finally decided to prepare it at home.

After preparing it at home, I realized that if you cook it properly, it tastes much better than restaurant bought ones. Secondly, though it sounds complicated but paneer makhanwala is one of the easiest Indian panner curry recipes which gets prepared using minimal ingredients within half an hour. In fact, it could be a perfect recipe for sudden guests.

The best part of preparing this scrumptious dish at home is that you will have the full control to make it less rich and healthier. There is no doubt in it that paneer makhani is a rich dish and everyone normally eats it on special occasions or events. But you can manipulate the amount of butter, cream and cashew nuts according to your choice without compromising its taste.

Paneer makhani recipe aka paneer makhanwala is a simple and easy paneer recipe. Though it looks exactly like the restaurant bought ones, but the way of cooking it is quite easy. Honestly, it is a full proof recipe, and nothing can go wrong with it. It requires all the common ingredients which are regularly used in Indian culinary and easily available in any Indian grocery.

Paneer makhani with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. If you follow the recipe step by step, then you will surely get perfect restaurant style panner makhani. Before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the recipe and the primary ingredients Paneer.

• Cottage cheese is very rich in Protein.
• It is high in Calcium which helps to strengthen our teeth and bones.
• It helps to control sugar level for diabetic patients.
• The nutrients present in it helps to improve digestion.
• It contains good amount of folate which is an important component for red cell production.

• Don’t skip whole spices during the time of cooking the tomatoes. It induces nice aroma to the dish.
• Discard the bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon stick before grinding the masala paste or else these spices will overpower their flavour and make the gravy darker in shade.
• Always sieve the tomato masala after grinding to get smooth velvety restaurant like gravy texture.
• Don’t replace butter with other cooking oil. Butter enhances the taste, texture and flavour of the dish.
• Don’t skip Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) into the curry. It will give the exact restaurant like flavour to the dish.

To prepare the paneer makhani recipe, first soak some almond in warm water for 10 minutes. Then peel the skin of the almonds and keep them aside. To reduce the number of cashews, I have used almond for the recipe.

Put a pan on low flame and add tomato chunks into it. Add little bit of sliced onion (for flavour), ginger cubes and garlic cloves into the pan. Then add cashew nuts, peeled almond, whole spices, Kashmiri red chilli powder, generous amount of butter and little bit of water into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for 20-25 minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature. Transfer the mixture into the jar of a grinder and grind it till smooth. For extra smooth restaurant like gravy, sieve the masala. Add some water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside.

Cut the paneer into cubes and keep them aside.

For the paneer makhani gravy, put a pan on flame and add butter into it. Once the butter starts bubbling, add slit deseeded green chilli and ginger juliennes into the pan and sauté it for few seconds. Add the paneer pieces into the pan and fry them evenly until slight golden in colour. Then add Kashmiri red chilli powder into the pan and give nice mix. Immediately, add the strained masala paste into the pan and give a nice mix.

Add salt, sugar, kasuri methi into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame until the mixture starts boiling. Then put the flame in low and add some fresh cream and mix it well. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

Many indian paneer curry recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check few of them like

Karahi Paneer
Shahi Paneer Recipe Mughlai Style
Restaurant Style Matar Paneer

..And Many more…

• 6 medium Tomatoes
• ½ small Onion (Optional)
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• ½ inches Ginger
• 1 tablespoon Cashew nuts
• 1 tablespoon blanched Almond
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 1 black Cardamom (Badi elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 4 green Cardamoms (Choti elaichi)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/3 cup Water, for cooking
• 1/3 cup Water, for straining the masala paste

• 225 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
• ¼ cup fresh Cream
• 1-inch fresh Ginger, juliennes
• 1 green Chilli, slit and deseeded
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Sugar, depends on the tanginess of tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon Butter

1. Soak 1 tablespoon almond in warm water for 10 minutes. Then peel the skin of the almonds and keep them aside.
   Note: To reduce the amount of cashew, I have used almond for the recipe.
2. Put a pan on low flame and add tomato chunks into it. Add ½ sliced small onion, ½ inch ginger cubes, 2 garlic cloves into the pan.
3. Add 1 tablespoon cashew nuts, 1 tablespoon peeled almond, whole spices- 1 bay leaf,1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder into the pan.
4. Add 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup water into the pan and give a nice mix.
5. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame until it starts boiling. Then turn the flame low and cook it for another 20 minutes.
6. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature. Then discard the whole spices bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick from the mixture.
7. Transfer the content into the jar of a grinder. Pulse it to a smooth paste.
8. For extra smooth restaurant like gravy, sieve the masala. Add 1/3 cup water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside.
9. Cut the paneer into cubes and keep them aside.
10. For the paneer makhani gravy, put a pan on flame and add 1 tablespoon butter into it.
11. Once the butter starts bubbling, add one slit and deseeded green chilli and ginger juliennes into the pan and sauté it for few seconds.
12. Add the paneer pieces into the pan and fry them evenly on medium flame till slight golden in colour.
13. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder into the pan and give nice mix.
14. Immediately, add the strained masala paste into the pan and mix it well.
15. Add salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon kasuri methi into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame until the mixture starts boiling.
16. Put the flame in low and add ¼ cup fresh cream and mix it well.
17. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

Transfer the Paneer makhani recipe aka paneer makhanwala into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the succulent dish with your favourite rice item or flat bread and enjoy the north Indian delicacy.

Paneer makhani recipe | Paneer makhanwala | How to make paneer makhani

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

For the masala paste

• 6 medium Tomatoes
• ½ small Onion (Optional)
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• ½ inches Ginger
• 1 tablespoon Cashew nuts
• 1 tablespoon blanched Almond
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 1 black Cardamom (Badi elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 4 green Cardamoms (Choti elaichi)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/3 cup Water, for cooking
• 1/3 cup Water, for straining the masala paste

Paneer makhani ingredients

• 225 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
• ¼ cup fresh Cream
• 1-inch fresh Ginger, juliennes
• 1 green Chilli, slit and deseeded
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• ½ - 1 teaspoon Sugar, depends on the tanginess of tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon Butter

Instructions

1. Soak 1 tablespoon almond in warm water for 10 minutes. Then peel the skin of the almonds and keep them aside.

Note: To reduce the amount of cashew, I have used almond for the recipe.

2. Put a pan on low flame and add tomato chunks into it. Add ½ sliced small onion, ½ inch ginger cubes, 2 garlic cloves into the pan.
3. Add 1 tablespoon cashew nuts, 1 tablespoon peeled almond, whole spices- 1 bay leaf,1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder into the pan.
4. Add 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup water into the pan and give a nice mix.
5. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame until it starts boiling. Then turn the flame low and cook it for another 20 minutes.
6. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature. Then discard the whole spices bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick from the mixture.
7. Transfer the content into the jar of a grinder. Pulse it to a smooth paste.
8. For extra smooth restaurant like gravy, sieve the masala. Add 1/3 cup water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside.
9. Cut the paneer into cubes and keep them aside.
10. For the paneer makhani gravy, put a pan on flame and add 1 tablespoon butter into it.
11. Once the butter starts bubbling, add one slit and deseeded green chilli and ginger juliennes into the pan and sauté it for few seconds.
12. Add the paneer pieces into the pan and fry them evenly on medium flame till slight golden in colour.
13. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder into the pan and give nice mix.
14. Immediately, add the strained masala paste into the pan and mix it well.
15. Add salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon kasuri methi into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame until the mixture starts boiling.
16. Put the flame in low and add ¼ cup fresh cream and mix it well.
17. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

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