Paneer Makhani – Paneer Makhanwala Recipe

• Paneer/Cottage cheese – 200 gms
• Tomato – 3 nos
• Big onion – 1no
• Cashews – 10 nos
• Red chilli/Byadgi/Kashmiri chilli – 3 nos

To saute

• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon – 1 inch
• Cloves – 2 nos
• Green cardamom – 2 nos
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Dhania powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Sugar – 1/4 tsp
• Kasoori methi – 1/2 tsp ( crushed)
• Fresh curd – 2 tbsp
• Fresh cream – as needed ( I added 2 tbsp)
• Water – as needed

• Cut the paneer into 1 inch strips. Heat water in a bowl and keep the paneer immersed in hot water till use.In a kadai, heat 1 cup of water and boil the chopped tomato, onion, cashews and red chillies. After the tomato, onion is cooked, switch off the flame.Cool down and grind to a smooth paste adding the required water.

• In a kadai, heat butter.Saute cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and cumin seeds. Add the ground tomato puree and saute well for a minute.

• It will start to thicken, changes color by leaving some oil. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder, sugar, salt. Mix well & saute the gravy until it starts to leave traces of oil.

• Now add curd and mix well.Cook for a minute.Add 1/2 – 1 cup of water and boil well.

• Lastly add paneer cubes and boil well until the gravy comes to a desired consistency. Add the crushed kasoori methi and fresh cream. Mix well. Switch off the flame and serve hot with roti/Chapathi.Enjoy !

• Adjust the quantity of chilli powder as per your taste buds
• Use kashmiri chilli & Kashmiri chilli powder to get a bright red colored gravy.
• Adding fresh cream gives a great taste. So do not avoid it. If you don’t have fresh cream in hand, collect the skin/Malai from the the boiled milk and add it.
• Instead of cashews, you can use almonds too.