Butter Paneer Masala

- Serves 4
​Butter Paneer Masala, yet another popular paneer dish with beautifully smooth and delicious butter masala sauce. This dish is a must have for vegetarians at Indian dinners as well as when eating out in restaurants. Super easy to make and ready within minutes, this recipe is a definite crowd pleaser and goes perfectly with rice, naan or rotis.  Want to make it a complete Indian vegetarian meal… combine it with my Aloo Gobi and Cucumber Raita recipes, and you are in for a treat!!

Check out the easy-peasy version of this dish on our Instagram page.

Ingredients for Butter Paneer Masala

For paneer tikka:
250g fresh or thawed frozen paneer
3 tablespoons thick greek yogurt
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 green bird’s eye chili, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
¼ teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
For curry sauce:
2 tablespoons coconut oil/ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium or 150g g onion, chopped into large cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 green bird’s eye chili, finely chopped
1x400g chopped Italian tomatoes or fresh ripe Roma tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon or to taste red chili powder, optional
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
2-3 tablespoons Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tablespoon butter, optional 
1/2 cup cream or coconut milk 
​Paneer made from 2 liters of milk, cubed or 250g store-bought paneer

Recipe
  1. Making Paneer Tikka: In a  bowl, mix together yogurt, ginger, garlic, chili, coriander powder, garam masala, kashmiri chili powder. red chili powder, and salt. Add paneer cubes - stir well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. To fry paneer tikka, on medium flame heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan or wok, add paneer cubes and fry for 30-40 seconds on each side until lightly golden - set aside.
  2. Making Sauce: In a heavy base saucepan heat oil, add cumin seeds, and let them splutter. Now add onions, ginger, garlic, fresh chili and fry for 5-10 minutes until onion is golden. Add tomatoes, stir well.
  3. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low-medium flame, cover and cook for about 10 minutes for the spices to release their oils and until tomatoes are pulpy. Using a stick blender, blend into a smooth sauce.
  5. Add paneer cubes to the sauce along with 1 cup of water and mix gently. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low flame, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Finally add garam masala powder, butter, Kasuri methi leaves and coconut milk/cream. Stir gently. Serve hot with rice, naan or rotis.
Note: Plain Paneer can also be used in this recipe without marination. Simply add 250g fresh paneer to the curry in step 5. To use frozen paneer, simply place frozen paneer cubes in a saucepan of boiling hot water for 2-3 minutes until completely thawed, then add it to the curry in step 5.
For more delicious recipes, check out our upcoming hands-on cooking classes in Downtown Singapore.
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