Paneer Butter Masala is a luxurious North Indian vegetarian curry featuring tender paneer cubes cooked in a velvety, tomato-cashew based gravy enriched with butter, cream, and fragrant spices. This mildly spiced, slightly sweet dish pairs perfectly with naan, roti or jeera rice, making it a favorite in Indian cuisine. With my video and step-by-step guide you can easily make this most flavorful, tasty and restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala recipe at home!
Why This Paneer Butter Masala Is Loved By So Many
Paneer Butter Masala, also known as Butter Paneer is a rich and creamy North Indian dish made with Indian cottage cheese (paneer) simmered in a mildly spiced, buttery tomato and cashew sauce called makhani gravy.
Often seen as the vegetarian take on a classic makhani-style curry, Paneer Butter Masala offers the same creamy texture, spiced gravy, but with paneer. It is one of the most popular paneer dishes across India, and for good reason.
The smooth and velvety gravy strikes a perfect balance between the gentle acidity of tomatoes and the subtle sweetness of cream. The result? A nearly addictive sauce that clings beautifully to soft paneer cubes.
Table of Contents
This recipe is based on the traditional makhani-style gravies that are loved across North India. During my cooking school days, I learned the fundamentals of making this rich, buttery tomato sauce – and over time, I’ve perfected a version that’s completely vegetarian and made from scratch.
It brings back memories of my early days experimenting in the kitchen, testing the balance of flavors until it felt just right. Even now, the aroma of simmering tomatoes and butter takes me right back – it’s a recipe that has stayed close to my heart over the years.
With my easy and delicious recipe, you can prepare this beloved dish at home without any fuss. It’s so simple, you can even make it on busy weeknights – just 20 minutes of prep and about 25 minutes on the stove.
This restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala recipe is one of the most popular on the blog and has been tried, tested, and loved by thousands of readers. Don’t just take my word for it – scroll down to the comments to see the amazing feedback from our readers and fans.
What Goes Into This Recipe – With Helpful Swaps
1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes form the base of the makhani sauce, so it’s important to use ripe, red, and slightly sweet tomatoes. If fresh ones aren’t in season, canned whole tomatoes are a great substitute; they’re picked at peak ripeness and often have better flavor than purée.
2. Cashews (or Substitutes): Cashews add creaminess and a subtle sweetness that balances the tang of tomatoes. If you’re allergic to nuts or don’t have cashews, soaked and peeled almonds are a good alternative. For a completely nut-free version, try my Paneer Makhani which uses cream only.
3. Cream: Fresh cream thickens the sauce and makes it rich. You can skip it for a lighter version, or use coconut cream as a vegan substitute; though note it will slightly alter the flavor.
4. Butter: A small amount of butter adds richness and that classic “buttery” taste without overpowering the dish. Stick to the recommended quantity to avoid heaviness. Vegan butter or neutral oil can be used for plant-based versions.
5. Paneer: Soft, fresh paneer makes all the difference. Homemade paneer is always best, but high-quality store-bought paneer also works well. If using store-bought, follow the prep instructions on the pack. For vegan alternatives, substitute extra firm tofu, tempeh, or seitan.
6. Spices & Herbs: The spice list is simple. Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch gives the dish its signature orange-red color. Garam masala adds warmth, and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) brings depth (skip it if unavailable). Fresh coriander leaves make a great garnish. Note that whole spices (like cumin, cinnamon, cardamom etc) are not used in this recipe except for tej patta (Indian bay leaf).
If you love the creamy, mildly spiced, and restaurant-style flavors of Paneer Butter Masala, here are some other paneer recipes you might enjoy. These gravies are rich, flavorful, and perfect with naan, roti, or rice:
- Shahi Paneer: Luxuriously creamy with cashews, almonds, onions, and spices.
- Palak Paneer: Soft paneer cubes in a smooth and delicious spinach sauce.
- Matar Paneer: Fresh green peas and paneer in a creamy onion-tomato masala gravy.
- Paneer Lababdar: A restaurant-style favorite with a hint of sweetness.
- Paneer Makhanwala: Another classic with a buttery tomato-cashew base, slightly spicier than PBM.
How to Make Paneer Butter Masala
You will have to do some light prep work before you begin making this delicious recipe. It starts with soaking your cashews, making tomato puree and blending soaked cashews.
Preparation
1. Soak 18 to 20 cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the cashews are soaking, you can prep the other ingredients. It’s time for chopping tomatoes, chopping and preparing the ginger-garlic paste, and slicing paneer into cubes.
3. To make the ginger garlic paste, crush a 1 inch piece of peeled ginger with 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic cloves in a mortar & pestle. Continue crushing until it is a semi-fine or fine paste. Keep aside.
Note: Don’t add any water while crushing ginger & garlic.
4. After 15 to 20 minutes, drain the water and add the soaked cashews to a blender or mixer-grinder.
Also, add 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh water (or as much as is required to blend to a fine paste).
5. Blend to a smooth paste without any tiny bits or chunks of cashews. Remove the cashew paste from the blender and set it aside.
6. In the same blender, add 2 cups of diced or roughly chopped tomatoes.
Note: There’s no need to blanch the tomatoes or to wash the blender pitcher before blending.
7. Blend to a smooth tomato puree. Set aside.
Note: Don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
Make The Base Masala
8. Heat a thick bottomed pan or a heavy pan. Keep the heat to a low or medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons (or 3 to 4 tablespoons for a richer version) butter in a pan. Either salted or unsalted butter can be used.
Tip: Alternatively, you can add 1 tablespoon oil + 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Adding oil prevents the butter from browning too quickly.
9. Keep the the heat to a low. Add 1 medium-sized tej patta and fry for 2 to 3 seconds, or until fragrant.
10. Add the prepared crushed ginger-garlic or 1 teaspoon ready-made ginger-garlic paste.
11. Sauté until the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears, about 10 to 12 seconds.
12. Pour in the prepared tomato purée.
Note: Be careful while adding the purée as it may splutter.
13. Mix it very well with the butter.
14. Begin to cook the tomato purée on a low to medium-low or medium heat. Stir at intervals.
15. The tomato purée mixture will start simmering.
16. If the tomato purée splutters too much while cooking, then cover the pan partly with a lid or cover fully with a splatter guard (channi lid).
17. Continue stirring occasionally.
18. Simmer the purée for 5 to 6 minutes.
19. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch.
You can also opt to add just ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, or ¼ – ½ teaspoon of cayenne, paprika or any other variety of red chilli powder that you prefer.
20. Mix well and continue to stir and sauté the tomato purée.
21. Sauté till the butter starts leaving the sides of the pan and the entire tomato purée mixture comes together as more of a thick paste.
Note: This entire cooking/sautéing process takes about 14 to 17 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the pan, size, the intensity of flame etc.
Add Cashew Paste
22. Now add the prepared cashew paste.
23. Mix the cashew paste very well with the cooked tomato puree and continue to stir and sauté on a low to medium-low heat.
After adding cashew paste, be sure to continuously stir the gravy.
24. Sauté until the cashew paste is cooked and the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala. The cashew will cook quickly, just around 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat. And don’t forget to keep on stirring non-stop!
25. Next add 1.5 cups water.
Make Paneer Butter Masala
26. Mix the water very well with the tomato-cashew masala. If there are lumps, then break them with a spoon or use a wired whisk for mixing.
27. Let the curry simmer and come to a boil on a low to medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
28. After 2 to 3 mins, add ginger julienne (about 1-inch ginger – cut in thin, matchstick-like strips). Reserve a few for garnishing. The curry will begin to thicken.
29. After 3 to 4 minutes, add 1 or 2 slit green chiles.
30. Also add salt to taste and, if necessary, ¼ to 1 teaspoon sugar depending on the sourness of the tomatoes.
Tip: If you add cream, then you will need to add less sugar. You can also opt to omit sugar entirely if you prefer.
31. Mix very well and simmer for a minute.
32. After the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, then add the paneer cubes (200 or 250 grams).
Tip: Keep in mind the consistency you want before you add paneer, as you will be cooking the paneer for just a few seconds, until it is warmed through. You can also fry the paneer and then add it once the gravy is to your liking.
33. Stir and mix the paneer cubes gently in the gravy. You can switch off the heat at this point.
Tip: If your paneer still tastes raw at this point, leave the heat on low until after you add the cream in step 35.
34. Now quickly add 1 teaspoon crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi leaves) and 1 teaspoon garam masala to the gravy.
Note: The addition of crushed dry fenugreek leaves gives a restaurant flavor to this curry, but it is optional and can be skipped.
35. Next add 2 to 3 tablespoons of low-fat or light cream or 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or whipping cream.
36. Stir gently but well. If you haven’t yet, switch off the heat.
37. Serve Paneer Butter Masala hot garnished with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and the remaining ginger julienne. You can also drizzle some cream or dot with butter while serving. Enjoy!
Serving Ideas for Every Occasion
Eat with the Staple Indian Bread – Roti: Paneer butter masala gravy has a slightly sweet taste and is very mildly spiced. This makes it an excellent gravy to enjoy with Roti or Paratha.
With Other Indian Breads: Another great combination for this dish is Naan, Tandoori Roti or Roomali Roti. The soft texture of these breads complements the rich and creamy gravy beautifully.
With Rice: Paneer butter masala also pairs wonderfully with steamed basmati rice or Jeera Rice. The lightly spiced rice balances the richness of the gravy.
Try These Too:
- Serve it as part of a North Indian thali with Dal Makhani and Boondi Raita.
- Pair with Peas Pulao or Saffron Rice for a festive feel.
- Add a side of Onion Salad or Pickled Onions for crunch and acidity.
- Round off the meal with a glass of Sweet Lassi or Chaas (Buttermilk)
Expert Tips
- Tomato Purée: Be sure that your tomatoes are puréed very well. If you want, you can also strain the tomato purée.
- Cooking Tomato Purée: The tomato purée has to be cooked really well. For a visual cue that you have cooked it well enough, the butter should leave sides of the sautéed tomato puree. If the tomato puree is not sautéed well, the raw flavor of tomatoes will be felt in the dish.
- Cashew Paste: To blend cashews to a fine consistency, you should soak them in hot water for about 15 minutes. Also, be sure to use raw cashews rather than roasted.
- Taste and Flavor: If the gravy tastes tangy or sour, then balance it out with a bit of sugar (up to 1 teaspoon) or cream. Also, note that if you add cream then you will likely have to add less sugar in the gravy.
- Frying Paneer: You can fry the paneer cubes if you want and then add in the prepared gravy or sauce.
- Kasuri Methi Tip: Always crush kasuri methi between your palms before adding. This releases its aroma better and enhances flavor.
- Consistency Fix: If your gravy becomes too thick after resting, add a splash of hot water and gently reheat while stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.
FAQs
Tomatoes & Gravy Related Questions
Yes, but if it’s very tangy, add up to 1 teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavor. That said, canned whole tomatoes that you purée yourself tend to taste better than store-bought purée.
Yes, you can. It slightly reduces cooking time, but the taste remains the same. You can also strain the purée for an extra smooth texture.
Use ripe, red, and firm tomatoes that are slightly sweet and not too sour. Roma tomatoes are ideal. In India, opt for large salad tomatoes, not small desi ones.
Add more cream and a bit of sugar to balance the tanginess.
Onions, Cashews & Substitutes
Onions are not traditionally used in makhani gravy and will alter the flavor. If you still want to include them, add ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or ½ cup onion paste. Sauté after the tej patta until light golden.
Always use raw cashews for a smooth and creamy paste.
Use unsweetened cashew butter, or soak almonds in hot water, peel, and blend to a smooth paste. Almond powder or almond meal can also work.
Butter, Cream & Vegan Questions
Yes, use ghee (clarified butter) or a neutral-tasting oil.
Milk is not recommended as it may curdle with the tomatoes. You can try milk powder — start with ½ tablespoon and add more only after tasting. Avoid going beyond 1 tablespoon, or the dish may become too sweet.
Yes, but keep in mind the final dish will have a coconut flavor.
Avoid adding honey while the curry is hot, as heated honey is considered toxic. You may add it when the dish is just warm.
Spices, Herbs & Flavor Adjustments
Kasuri methi are dried fenugreek leaves that add a lovely aroma. If you don’t have them, skip or use a small pinch of ground fenugreek seed powder.
Simply skip it.
Paneer Texture & Handling Tips
Overcooking paneer causes it to become dense and rubbery. Add it at the end and simmer only briefly.
You can lightly pan or shallow fry paneer until golden. Avoid over-frying to keep it soft.
Paneer that has too much moisture, especially homemade, may crumble. Press it well before using.
Other Common Questions
Paneer Butter Masala has a creamy, mildly sweet gravy made with butter, tomatoes, and cashews. Paneer Tikka Masala uses grilled marinated paneer and has a spicier, onion-tomato-based gravy.
It’s just another name for Paneer Butter Masala. Both refer to the same dish.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the recipe card or leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your feedback. For more vegetarian inspiration, sign up for my email updates or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or X.
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
For cashew paste
- 18 to 20 cashews – whole
- ⅓ cup hot water – for soaking cashews
For tomato puree
- 2 cups tomatoes – diced, or 300 grams tomatoes or 4 to 5 medium sized, pureed
For ginger-garlic paste
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves – small to medium-sized, peeled
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter or 1 tablespoon oil + 1 or 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or deghi mirch or ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1.5 cups water or add as required
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and julienned, reserve a few for garnish
- 1 or 2 green chili – slit, reserve a few for garnish
- 200 to 250 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – cubed or diced
- 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or tandoori masala
- 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream or half & half or 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream – optional
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon sugar – optional, add as required depending on the sourness of the tomatoes
- salt as required
For garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped, (cilantro) – optional
- 1 inch ginger – peeled and julienned
- 1 tablespoon light cream or 1 tablespoon heavy cream – optional
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Butter – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak cashews in a hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. When the cashews are soaking, you can prep the other ingredients like chopping tomatoes, preparing ginger-garlic paste, slicing paneer etc.
- Then drain and add the soaked cashews in a blender or mixer-grinder.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and blend to a smooth and fine paste without any tiny bits or chunks of cashews.
- In the same blender add the roughly chopped tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes before blending.
- Blend to a smooth tomato puree. Set aside. Don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
Making tomato gravy
- Melt butter in a pan on a low heat. Add tej patta and fry for 2 to 3 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for about 10 to 12 seconds till the raw aroma disappears.
- Add the tomato puree and mix. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring a few times on low to medium heat.
- Next add kashmiri red chili powder and stir again. Continue to sauté till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste. The tomato paste will thicken considerably and will start coming together as one whole lump.
- Then add cashew paste and stir well. Sauté the cashew paste for a few minutes till the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala paste.
- The cashew paste will begin to cook fast. Approx 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat. So keep stirring non-stop.
Making paneer butter masala
- Add water and mix very well. Simmer on a low to medium-low heat.
- The curry will come to a boil.
- After 2 to 3 minutes of boiling, add ginger julienne. Reserve a few for garnishing. The curry will also begin to thicken.
- Add julienned ginger and green chillies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.
- After 3 to 4 minutes, add slit green chillies. also add salt as per taste and ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional).
- You can vary the sugar quantity from ¼ tsp to 1 teaspoon or more depending on the sourness of the tomatoes. Sugar is optional and you can skip it too. If you add cream, then you will need to add less sugar.
- Mix very well and simmer for a minute.
- After the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, then add the paneer cubes and stir gently. I keep the gravy to a medium consistency.
- After that add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), garam masala and cream. Gently mix and then switch off the heat.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish the curry with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
- You can even dot the gravy with some butter or drizzle some cream.
- Serve Paneer Butter Masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, roti, paratha or steamed basmati or jeera rice or even peas pulao.
- Side accompaniments can be an onion-cucumber salad or some pickle. Also serve some lemon wedges by the side.
Video
Notes
- Butter: Use good quality butter. You can add both unsalted or salted butter. Also both yellow butter or white butter can be added.
- Tomatoes: It is best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes. Add tomatoes which have sweet-tangy taste. Do not add tomatoes which are too sour or tart.
- Tomato puree: Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. If you want you can strain the tomato puree also.
- Sautéing tomato puree: The tomato puree has to be cooked and sautéed very well. Oil or butter should leave sides of the cooked tomato puree so that the raw flavor of tomatoes is not felt in the dish.
- Paneer: Best to use homemade soft paneer or a good quality store brought fresh paneer
- Cream: The amount of cream can be adjusted as per your taste.
- Cashew paste: To blend cashews to a fine consistency, it is better to soak them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a good blender to get a smooth creamy cashew paste.
- Replacing cashews: If you don’t have cashews then add almonds. Blanch the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Then peel and blend them till smooth with some water.
- Sugar: Addition of sugar depends upon your taste as well as the tanginess present in the tomatoes. So add as per taste. If you add cream then you might have to add less sugar.
- Taste and flavor: If the butter paneer masala gravy tastes tangy or sour, then to balance the sour taste you can add a bit of sugar or cream. But do not add too much sugar as then the gravy becomes too sweet. Also, do note if you add cream then you might have to add less sugar in the sauce or gravy.
- Color: To get the bright orangish-red color, its best to use kashmiri red chilli powder or deghi mirch instead of artificial food colors. Using deep red colored tomatoes also contribute to a lovely orange color in the gravy.
- Frying paneer (optional): You can fry the paneer cubes if you want and then add in the prepared sauce or gravy.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
Paneer Butter Masala recipe from the archives was first published in April 2013.
Used this recipe loads of times, it’s great!
Thank you. So glad to hear it’s been a go-to recipe for you.
Tried and loved it!
Hi Dassana, leaving a 5 star rating because i know this recipe is good but I probably made some mistakes.
Can you please advise why it tasted slightly less flavourful.
I added ghee instead of butter, did not add garlic or cream and had brined the paneer.
Rest of the steps were followed to the T.
Looking forward to your reply.
Pratik
Hi Pratik, thank you so much for the 5-star rating and for trusting the recipe. I really appreciate it.
Based on what you have shared, a few small changes might have affected the flavor:
– Using ghee instead of butter: Ghee is absolutely fine to use, but it has a slightly different flavor and doesn’t give the same creamy mouthfeel that butter adds. The gravy may feel a bit lighter or less rich.
– Skipping garlic: Garlic brings a nice warm, savory base note to the dish. Leaving it out can make the flavors feel a little flat.
– No cream: This is a key ingredient in Paneer Butter Masala. Cream not only adds richness but also balances the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the spices. Without it, the curry can taste a bit sharp or less rounded.
– Brined paneer: If the paneer was soaked in salted water, it may have added extra saltiness or slightly changed the overall taste.
I hope this helps you to figure out what might have caused the change in flavor. Do give the recipe another try whenever you can. I am sure it’ll turn out even better next time.
Regards,
Dassana
Great, thank you Dassana, really going to give this another try.
I am so glad that you take the time to respond to each comment.
Also I had tried your Chole Masala! it was awesome. Also tried your Nylon Dhokla recipe.
I am new to cooking and been experimenting, and trying to understand the science of everything.
Tracking your blog closely, got introduced to it recently through another blogger on substack.
Loving it.
So happy to read your comment. Really glad the Chole Masala and Khaman worked out well for you. It’s great that you’re experimenting and trying to understand the science behind cooking; that’s how we all learn. Thanks for following the blog and sharing such kind words. Means a lot!
This is one of my most favourite recipes from this blog. Yummy!
I just made this for dinner and taste tested it. It’s out of this world good. Such a simple recipe and didn’t take long. Dinner is not for 5 more hours. How do I wait to eat it lol!
Haha, this made me smile! So glad to hear you loved it. Thank you for trying the recipe and for your lovely feedback.
One of best paneer butter masala recipe I have tried on internet.
Thank you so much.
I added the soaked cashews with the tomatoes in the blender, the gravy became kind of slimy no matter how long I cooked it, not sure why?
It is better to grind or blend them separately. The tomatoes will take more time to cook than the cashews.
Since they were ground and blended together, this could be reason for the slimy texture. Cashews do that when ground with only one or two ingredient and it also depends on the quantity of ingredients taken.
My children’s favourite.
Can we add amchur powder for a kick?
It can change the taste and make it somewhat sour. If you like, you can experiment by adding a bit of it.
So great. Thanks for sharing step by step 🤝♥️
The recipe is so simple and easy to follow and the end result was so good. Better than what we get in restaurants. Thank you for the recipe.
All your recipes are amazing 👏
Thanks a lot.
Very good! 👌🏽✨
Thank you.
Hi Dassana,
Would you recommend preparing the sauce the night before and then heating the sauce and adding the paneer the next day to save time when hosting?
Thank you
Yes of course you can do that. Prepare the sauce and refrigerate it. Just don’t add the cream, dry fenugreek leaves, garam masala powder. You add these three ingredients when you add the paneer.
What a delicious dish, my daughter loved it so much that she asked me to make it again.
Thank you so much 🙏🏽
Happy to hear! Thanks for the lovely feedback and the rating as well.
Fantastic recipe!!! One of my favorite Indian dishes to make, thank you for your clear instructions
Absolutely delicious. I used homemade paneer and added the browned bits of butter from the ghee I made this morning to the rice. Amazingly simple ingredients, layered for incredible flavor. Very satisfying!
Great and thanks a lot for sharing the awesome feedback on the recipe. Happy to read!
Super recipe..incredibly tasty 😍Thanks for sharing this…
Oh my god this is just incredibly tasty !! Thank you for this recipe !
Great and thanks for sharing this super feedback. Most welcome.
Tried your recipes so many times..this one particularly one of the favourites..thanks for sharing such good and simple recipes.
Thanks so much and wonderful to know.
It’s very simple and very tasty I have tried it it came out very well thank you for sharing the recipe keep sharing the recipes
Thank you Gayathri for the feedback and review on the recipe. Most welcome.
It is the most simplest recipe that I have come across! I am a paneer person , I am happy that I can make my fav dish every week as it is not having multiple steps! I am lazy too!!! It came out very well! Thanks a ton
All the 10 tips were so helpful. Thank you.
It’s very simple and very tasty I have tried it it came out very well thank you for sharing the recipe. Keep sharing the recipes.
Before lockdown I did not know cooking. But during lockdown when I started to cook, I simply used to Google the recipes. Fortunately I followed this site for many recipes like rajma, mutter paneer, paneer butter masala, lobia etc, the results were awesome. Now I follow this site only. This is the best site that I have come across for recipes.
Thanks a lot. Great to know.
Tried this tonight. Kids polished it off. Will definitely make it again. Thank you for this simple yet fantastic recipe.
Good to know and thanks for sharing your feedback. Thanks for the rating too. Welcome.
Hello mam, Is it not required to add onion, I already tried with 3 onion and 2 tomato ratio, but it did not taste as similar to authentic PB masala.
Could you please suggest the ratio incase onion to be used or can be skipped
Onion is not necessary to add. Onions change the taste of the gravy. You have added more onions. Just one small onion should be fine for two tomatoes. I hope this helps.
Your recipes are easy as well as delicious..I have been following u since ages..I guess since the time I started cooking for the first time..Gr8 work..
Thanks a lot Rachana and glad to read your positive feedback on the recipes. Thanks again.
This recipe makes a very nice gravy with a good texture and flavor. I did not have cashews, so I used 1oz cashew butter instead of the cashew paste (it worked very well). I made this recipe with tofu instead of paneer; the only difference is that I simmered for a few extra minutes at the end to allow the tofu to absorb the flavor of the gravy. My only complaint is that this does not make enough food for leftovers! Next time I will double this recipe.
Thanks for the feedback and the for sharing the variations you made. Yes, the gravy does not make for leftovers, but you can easily double the recipe.
Your blog has been a God sent since the pandemic began. I follow your recipes to the T and have gone from never having cooked much to now cooking very well, including fancy-shemancy dishes! I have surprised myself and everyone in the family. Your instructions are always clear and pics really help me. I have never been disappointed with any of your recipes, in fact each one has turned out better than expected. Thank you for putting these out there for people like me!! I couldn’t be happier with having your blog at the tip of my fingers!
Thank you so much. I feel so good to read your lovely comment with so much positive vibes. It makes me feel really good and motivates me. Thanks again.
Loved it.
Hi Dassana,
I have tried many of your recipes. I like all of them as it gives just expected taste without much of heavy spices. This site has become a guide kind of for most of veg recipes. Thanks a lot!
hi manasi, feels good to read your comment. yes, food can be made tasty without adding too many spices. thanks for the review on the recipes you have tried and the rating on paneer butter masala. most welcome.
Dear madam,
I have been using your recipes for the past few years. Every recipe turns out just like in your pictures. The detail is so great in your recipes.
I have earned so many ‘Wow-Wow’s from my son, daughter, husband, in-laws and other guests. Each time it made me feel good, made my day, made me feel like Queen.
Thank you so much. Though I got all the accolades, the real credit goes to you.
Thank you.
Vidya Rao
hi vidya, thank you very much for this lovely comment. felt so good to read it and i am humbled too. thanks again. wish you all the best. welcome and happy cooking.
Hi
Amazing recipe and I think you are the best who makes our lives more easier thanks again
Hi Dassana, I tried this recipe.. it was awesome. salt and other spices I have used as per my requirements. Being a vegetarian I was longing for a good paneer butter masala.. even many restaurants don’t have a unique taste. But now with this recipe I feel I don’t want to try this gravy in restaurants anymore. Thanks for this!!!!
thanks a lot agni for this lovely feedback. definitely, spices can be adjusted as per one’s requirements. yes, you are right, many restaurants don’t have the unique taste which this paneer butter masala recipe has. i can tell from own experience. thanks again.
Hello Dassana, thank you very much for all your recipes… I really have inferiority complex on cooking as many people says that I’m not so good in cooking and I can’t be☹️.. your instructions really gives me confidence to prove myself.. I’ll surely try these… Thank you…
don’t listen to the people. anyone can be a good chef or a good cook. listen to your instincts and gut while cooking and you will always get good results. with some practice and patience, anyone can cook really great food. i am glad that the recipe instructions are helping you. you can use any recipe from the blog and develop your cooking skills. let me know if you have any query. welcome and i wish you all the best.
Hi Dassana, i love the recipes you explain, so precise and accurate.
In the above information you mentioned that you can use the same gravy for chicken…. Is it possible for you to provide a link for non veg recipes as well. A link that is just as reliable as yours.
Awaiting reply… Please help…
thank you. i am afraid i cannot give any link as i feel the recipes have to be tried & tested by myself, before i can share it with others. since i do not cook non-vegetraian, i do not check non-vegetarian cooking websites. but you can have a look at jiggs kalra books and they have good non-vegetarian recipes.
Perfect
thanks vidhi.
I have made so many of your things! This paneer recipe has made me paneer Queen in my household ???? Your recipes are seriously the best and I hardly ever leave comments anywhere.
thank you shwetambra. i am glad that you commented. happy to read and thanks again.
This recipe is simply amazing! I have made it and shared with several of my American friends, many who are professional chefs, and they are floored by the flavors! It’s a labor of love as the cooking of the tomatoes take a long time (I have to double the sauce since my friends beg me for more sauce) so I pour myself a glass of wine, put on some music and enjoy the simple pleasures of cooking a good meal.
The only change I make is I use cashew butter, since I’m lazy and like the extra richness. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Thanks Swapna for sharing this feedback. Really glad to hear this.
Hi dassana..could u pls share paneer angara recipe..its spicy and smokey type,available at most dhabas.
i know about paneer angara. also had it once. will try to add.
I tried so many recipes for this dish, this one is the best by far. I cooked the garam masala in the tomato sauce and used tin tomatoes.
thank you sophie for this best review on paneer butter masala. happy cooking.
Thanks for this recipe.
Turned out just like the restaurant style.
There is no need to add onion know mam?
jayanthi, no need to add onions. if onions are added the taste will be different.
Can you used canned tomato puree in this?
you can use canned tomato puree. but add sugar in paneer butter masala if required if the puree is too sour.
Yours is the only vegetarian recipes I trust blindly. Every recipe I tried over time never ceased to amaze me. TOday it was paneer butter masala. The taste is always spot on and always super delicious. Loads of love ❤️..
thanks you akshatha both for this awesome feedback on paneer butter masala as well as the rating. wish you a happy diwali festival and enjoy with a lot of sweets and savories. happy festivities.
THANK YOU! This recipe has helped me crack the code of how to make restaurant style gravy. My family is thrilled and we are enjoying this and your dal makhani recipe immensely!
thanks a lot christine. so glad to know that both the paneer butter masala and dal makhani is liked by your family. happy cooking.
Have been making this for quite some time now and every time it comes out lip smacking. Thank you for this paneer butter masala recipe. 🙂
Welcome Shilpa. Glad to know this. Thanks for your positive feedback.
This was great – I did a vegan version with vegan butter, soy milk and tofu and it tastes brilliant. Thank you!
Welcome Tim. Glad to know the vegan variation you made for the paneer butter masala.
Hey Dassana Amit ,
This is a nice recipe I have searched on the internet for this recipe many times but didn’t able to find perfect, but I think today I got the perfect one so will surely try this thanks for sharing .
Keep up the good work !
you can see my see my result
Thanks Abhay. Glad to know that you like this paneer butter masala recipe. Do try some more paneer recipes from the website. All the recipes are tried and tested.
Hello Ma’am I m married just 6 months back and moved abroad 3 months back having to cook by myself. Which landed me to your blog on the top list on Google. And since last 2 months I have been following all your recipes and tried do many. Me and my husband both are happy with new yummy meal each day and he is do happy to find this skills in me which he never thought of in me. All thanks to you. Coming to this is there any option to use anything else in place if cashew as the country where I live I don’t get cashew and cream easily. And do I stuck with most of the Punjabi gravies. Also suggest if there are any cashew and fat free curries in Punjabi version of gravy.
firstly sejal thanks for writing such a lovely and positive comment on all the recipes you have tried from the blog. wish you all the best.
now coming to your query, cashews can be given a skip if you do not get them where you live.
1. a better substitute is to use almonds. use the same amount of almonds for the cashews that are mentioned in the recipe. for almonds, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes. then remove the peels. then grind them with some water to a smooth paste or you can grind with other ingredients depending on the recipe.
2. you can also use almond powder or almond meal.
3. another substitute is to use desiccated coconut, fresh coconut or coconut milk or coconut cream. with coconut the coconut flavor and taste will be there in the dish. fresh or desiccated coconut can be ground with the remaining ingredients.
4. poppy seeds, melon seeds can also be used. they need to be soaked in water for some hours and then ground to a fine paste. you can even soak them in hot water for 30 to 45 minutes.
punjabi recipes need not have cashews, onions and tomatoes in them always. we make many sabji and gravies without them too. you can check this category of punjabi recipes where i have shared all the recipes i make at home regularly.
punjabi recipes link is here – punjabi recipes
This is our favorite and most frequently used recipe from your site. Like the title indicates, it truly turns out restaurant style. It is also a big hit with the kids.
I follow this recipe for the most part with some minor changes. I don’t soak the cashews but grind them along with tomatoes in a powerful grinder. This saves me time and I didn’t notice any difference in taste when grinding and sauteing tomato puree and cashew separately. As I don’t stock up cream, I use a mix of milk and water (in place of the water that the recipe calls for). If the tomatoes are sour, I use more milk, cashews or add sugar like the suggestion in the recipe. So far, this has worked well every time and all whom I made this for has loved the dish. What surprised most people is how easy, simple and versatile the recipe is.
The gravy works really well as a pizza sauce too and if any is left over, I use it as pizza sauce for yummy homemade pizzas.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
thank again deepa. even i do not soak cashews at times. i have given this step as sometimes people do not have good or powerful mixer and grinder. so to ease the process of grinding and make a smooth paste, its better to soak them. i liked the idea of milk + water. the idea of pizza sauce is fab. it will be like makhani pizza. in my home this paneer butter masala gets over without any leftovers. so there is no leftover sauce to be used ????
welcome deepa and happy cooking.
This is the 2nd recipe of yours that I have tried. Absolutely loved this Paneer butter masala gravy. Never thought this was such a heavy dish, but word of advice to others: takes 4 people with good appetites to complete the whole dish. Ready to try other recipes of yours.
Thanks Sarat for giving positive feedback on paneer butter masala. do try some more paneer recipes
Mind blowing recipe!
Made paneer butter masala one evening,became a new favourite dish for all at home….Tasted heavenly with parathas….
Your recipes are truly wonderful ????
Thanks Radhika for your positive feedback. Glad to know that you liked this paneer butter masala recipe.
Tried it…and came out well…… superb way of presenting the recipe …
Thanks Jisina
Hi… Tried today Paneer butter Masala… It just came out so perfect…. We had a potluck With my friends today… They all just loved it n full of Praise… Thank you
Welcome Anandi. Glad to know this.
Made it today and it turned out great.. One can try your recipes without any hesitant.
Thanks Raksha for your positive feedback on recipes.
Finished making the dish a minute back and it’s awesome!! Dinner is going to be finger licking delicious…..
Thanks Maya for sharing this positive feedback on paneer butter masala recipe.
Very nice
thanks santa
I’m always followed your recipe. It’s awesome. Thanks for wonderful recipe. I have a doubt ,is there any substitute for cashew paste.
Welcome Indu. you can make a paste of almonds.
Are cumin seeds ever used?
Kent, i don’t add cumin seeds in paneer butter masala recipe.
Hello mam
For the first time I tried something without my mother’s help.. And everyone appreciated this dish really tasted good. So Thanks to you mam.
Bhumika
Welcome Bhumika. Glad to know this.
Hello Dassana-
Thank you as always for your lovely recipes! In the photo, it looks as if you are using raw cashews. Are they raw or roasted? Do you typically use raw or roasted cashews in your recipes?
Thank you
John
Welcome John. They are raw cashews. Roasted cashews are not used in such recipes.
Thank you! this helped me a lot.
welcome riya
Dear Ms Dassana Amit
Greetings from Singapore.
I am writing to thank you for releasing your awesome recipes on line. I tried 10 of your recipes (mushroom, paneer and biryani rice). They are fantastic. Once again thank you so much.
I am going to try this recipe this weekend.
Warm Regards
Shanthy
Welcome Shanthy. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes.
Hi Dassana, this is such a lovely recipe with such good taste, I’ve made the dish twice, which was an absolute succes!! However I don’t get the cashewpaste smooth, I followed the instructions of 30 min soaking in hot water, drain, add 3 tbsp water and then grind, but the pieces remain. Should I add more water? Or leave it longer than 30 min in hot water?
thanks savrina. allow them to soak for a longer time in hot water. you can keep for 45 minutes to 1 hour. also use a good grinder. most of the times, due to the grinder not being good, nuts or spices do not ground well.
I tried it and it tasted awesome! Thank you so much for the recipe. I added fresh cream in it,and it was just wow! Everyone loved it. 🙂
thanks a lot juhi for this feedback. welcome and happy cooking.
Awesome recipe…. I had prepared, Tasted fantastic…. thanks for sharing such an easy and tastier recipe….
thanks a lot vasthavi. glad to know you liked the paneer butter masala recipe. happy cooking.
Hey .. I don’t have bay leaf in hand .. is there any substitute for that ??
juhi, skip adding it.
Tried it today!!! Turned out too good…?
Excellent recipe… thank you so much!!!
thanks a lot MV for this feedback. nice to know.
This looks fantastic! Thank you for posting. I am vegan and can I use coconut milk instead of dairy cream? Thank you!
welcome hillary. you can use coconut milk and even coconut cream towards the end.
hello!!
I am going to try this today. I Just wanted to know if i can use onion paste too in this recipe? will it turn out to be good if i use it? if yes then when can i add the paste?
Thank you in advance 🙂
you can use onion paste. add paste after adding tej patta. then saute onion paste till light golden.
Absolutely Love it!
thanks anna.
Dear Dassana,
This recipe is so easy and so tasty! It turned out amazing. The look and color, just perfect. My family loved it. There were a few spoons leftover, which we ate at night. It tasted even better. The taste had developed even more in that time. I could not believe I cooked it, it was so good!
Thanks so much!
welcome bhanu. glad to know that you liked the paneer butter masala recipe. happy cooking.
The recipe was perfect. Everyone in my family was awed by the taste. Thanks for sharing such a good recipe?
thanks a lot sireesha for such a nice feedback on the recipe.
Hai
yesterday I tried and came very nicely. My wards loves lot.
thanks for your receipe.
thanks for sharing your feedback gopikannan. nice to know.
I couldn’t believe the flavor. The paneer butter masala was exceptional. Thank you for the recipes.
thank you akshatha. glad you liked the recipe.
love the reciepie
thanks for the recipe ma’am… it was heavenly… pure heaven…. i think no restaurant can match this taste… my family members loved it… kudos…
i made a small variation… i blanched the tomatoes… ground them …and strained it…
thank you very much sanjai. glad to read your feedback. also thanks for sharing your variation. the blanching and straining of tomatoes is perfectly fine.
Good things are worth repeating so I’ll shout this again. This dish is as unbelievable as the choice Americans are currently faced with in the upcoming presidential elections.
However, the big difference is that whatever you vote to add – whether it’s paneer or chicken, you’ll be handsomely rewarded and completely content. The mandate you’ll get from your diners will take you straight to power. Dassana for president!
Thanks Rohit for this witty and awesome feedback. Reading your comment, only thing which is coming to my mind is the situation where a punjabi has to choose between rajma chawal or chole bhature.
Dassana, when it comes to your dishes I don’t choose – I make both.
thanks rohit its a great compliment for us 🙂
l have been searching for a good paneer butter masala recipe for years and it came to an end after seeing your blog. Perfect recipe. Very clear explanation and presentation. Very easy to understand for a bachelor like me. Now whatever recipes I need to try I just refer your blog. You’re doing a very good job mam. May God bless you.
very pleased to know this benny 🙂 glad you liked the paneer butter masala recipe from our blog. surely try more recipes and do share your views when you try them. thanks for kind and encouraging words, god bless you too.
Easy to follow ,delicious recipies
thanks cajetan for positive feedback.
Today I tried out your recipe using almond instead of cashew nut and it came out awesome… Thank you for sharing recipe like this… 🙂
Awesome., Expect more like this…
thank you so much.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe…it turned out just awesome….
welcome sharmistha 🙂 and thank you for your feedback.
Hello madam,
I prepared many of your recipes and all went out awesome .My husband also loved it .
Thankyou
thank you kabita for the feedback 🙂 and you are welcome.
thank u Dassana.. this paneer butter masala is really wow….!!love ur recipes
welcome bindi and thank you for your kind words 🙂
I made this last week and was very impressed by the results. Very simple recipe to make resulting in a lovely tasting dish, I made a few adaptations and it turned out well. This is the first recipe I have tried and I am looking forward to trying many more.
thanks anisha for sharing positive feedback on paneer butter masala. do try some more recipes. i am sure you will like them as well. all the recipes in the blog are tried and tested.
This is the best recipe for Paneer butter masala. We make it often at home and it is a big hit with the kids and all guests. All your recipes are fabulous. Keep up the good work.
thanks a lot ranjani for the positive review. glad 🙂
Hey Dassana,
Thank you for the simple yet yummy recipe.. My family loved it and we had the most amazing weekend lunch after a long time?
I am a big fan of all your recipes so continue what you do, it’s best!!
very pleased to know this thank you so much bhavna 🙂 for your positive and kind words.
The dish was tasting good except fo de fact that my tomatoes wern’t good! Whn I cookd the tomatoes, I felt the taste wasn’t good! Pls temme how de tomatoes should be like deir colour and all! Can we blend tomatoes and cashew together? The dish was amazing but it was little salty bcos of tomatoes!
whenever you prepare anything with tomatoes, the tomatoes should be ripe but firm. they should be red in color and not yellow from outside. they should not be soft or squishy. generally the variety of tomatoes which are larger in size than the desi variety of tomatoes, should be used for recipes where tomato gravy is the key ingredient. you can make the cashew and tomato paste together. you can add some cream to the gravy and the sourness of tomatoes will go away.
Thankyou so much for your tips! Can we add milk powder directly to de dish instead of cream?
welcome nashara. you can add milk powder. but with milk powder, you have to be careful as it makes the dish excessively sweet. so i would suggest to add just 1/2 tablespoon first. if not creamy or sweet enough, then add 1/2 tablespoon more. but avoid adding more than 1 tablespoon.
I never knew cooking was this easy..the first dish I ever made and whoa!it unexpectedly turned out so amazing..really thankful to you..all the best for this good work you do
thankyou vartika nice to know this 🙂 and you are welcome.
ur site is very best than other cooking sites n I luvv Ur recipes.. keep rocking 🙂
thanks roshni for your kind words.
I made yesterday n it was so testy……
Hi, loved this recipe… didn’t add the cream rest everything was followed to the T. My curry didn’t turn out as dark orange as is in your picture. Is it because I used garam masala instead of Tandoori masala? Is the colour because of the Tandoori masala? Thanks in advance.
thanks dee. the color of the gravy is not due to the masalas. its the tomatoes which give the color. i also use often garam masala while making paneer butter masala. whenever making any gravy with tomatoes, do make sure you add large, ripe and red tomatoes.
I’m new to cooking and this just made me feel so proud of myself. Thumbs up for such a recipe. Loads of love.
welcome and thankyou so much mallika 🙂
Excellent recipe…I tried for the first time and all my guests loved it.They were amazed to realize that this recipe is devoid of ginger/garlic.
thankyou so much nupur 🙂
welcome hema. nice to know this.
Thanks for the recipe. i prepared paneer butter masala at home as per the above method. it was very nice.
welcome rajeswari
Hi, I’ll be making this recipe tonight but have been unable to find fresh or dried methi leaves. Is this going to affect the dish? Should I use some ground fenugreek seeds instead in the sauce? Thanks in advance 🙂
some flavor does come from the fenugreek leaves and this won’t be there if you skip it. but overall the taste will be good. you can add a light pinch of fenugreek powder.
Shall I add almond instead of cashew…??
preferably add cashews as almond would change and alter the taste of paneer butter masala. hope this help’s you.
Hi, I usually grind almonds(without skin- soak them in hot water for half an hour and it is easy to remove the skin) instead of cashew nuts. So I think almonds can be added there is no much difference in the taste and it is healthy too.
Thank you
nimmi, even i do the same for almond based gravies. but with almonds, the taste changes. it won’t taste like a authentic paneer butter masala. since i have also used almonds a couple of times as a variation while making this paneer butter masala, i know that the taste changes. but if you are okay with the taste change and want a healthier option, then definitely almonds are a better choice.
It was amazing…thanks..
thankyou supriya 🙂
thanks n superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
thankyou poovizhi 🙂
amazing….My family liked it a lot….
thankyou..
nice to know sapna and thanks.
Its amazing thank you very much!
welcome palwinder
I am really interested in cooking.The recipe u shared was superb.My family loved the dish.I also tried your malabar paratha. Superb madam.Keep rocking.
thanks geetha for this feedback.
I love ur simple recepies .
thanks.
Prepared it just now for dinner .Turned out really delicious.Thank you! 🙂
thanks for the positive review cynthia.
I prepared it today; rated yummy; everyone loved it.thank you
thanks ramya for this positive review.
Love this recipe. I made it yesterday and it turned out simply great , very tasty. Thank you very much. The best part of your site is the photography:) I love them no other site features this. And the best-est part is it is purely vege 😉
glad divya you liked the paneer butter masala 🙂 pleased to know this and thankyou for your positive words.
it is awsm……dassana amit …………… i luv ur recipes…..
i usually prefer ur website recipe it self……..tanq sooooooo much for this recipe…..
glad to know this nimisha and thankyou so much 🙂
absolutely delicious – perfect, I’m so glad I found your website
forever grateful, I will refer here first before I ever attempt another Indian dish
thanks Dassana
welcome shirley and pleased to know this 🙂 thankyou so much.
Hii Dassana….
Love your recipes and love your website. Whenever I wanna cook something special, I refer to your site……..Thanks a lot for this.
Butter Paneer recipe was yummmm….I just added onion also to the tomato gravy…It was still good….Thank you once again
thankyou prajakta for your kind words 🙂 and you are always welcome.
Hiii,,,,,,, thhhhhhnnnnxxxxx a lot. I m a big fan of ur all yuuummmmyyyy recipes…………..
welcome Neha and thankyou 🙂
Your recipe made my dusehera the memorable one with yummy paneer butter masala it was the most delicious dish I leave ever cooked
Thanks Dassana
we are quite pleased to know this milan 🙂 thankyou so much.
Wonderful recipe… Made it yesterday.. My hubby called it “d best dish I have made”.. Made my day 🙂 thank you so much for all d lovely recipes!!
you are welcome divya and pleased to know your hubby liked the paneer butter masala recipe 🙂 thankyou.
Hi. Your recipe is good. Thanks for replying for all the comments. But being fresher in cooking am not able to guess tea spoon and table spoon it is quite hot and spicy. I followed correct but taste is not coming for me. You are a teacher for the beginners like us. I added shahi masala everest at the end. Since I dint have garam masala this will make any problem?little raw taste is found Please guide me.
thanks a lot supra. teaspoon is a small spoon like the ones served with coffee or tea in restaurants. tablespoon is slightly bigger. i think some measurement have gone wrong since you do not have the correct spoons. just cook for a couple of minutes and the raw aroma of garam masala will go away.
Fantastic recipe..:) The aroma of masala had filled entire home.. Loved it.. <3 thanku for d lovely recipe.. Great work… Good recipes in d website:)
thnakyou soumya for your positive words 🙂 and you are welcome.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you very much for your paneer butter masala recipe. My husband and I were invited to a neighbor’s house during Indian New Year. We tried some Indian dishes and I fell in love with this dish.
I will try this recipe and will update you.
Thank you again,
Anne
sure anne try and let us know how it was? glad to know you love indian dishes and thankyou.
I have tried a few paneer butter masala recipes and quiet frankly they have not been very good.This one is an absolute hit with family.Absolutely love love love it and is super easy to make.
pleased to know this Geraldine 🙂 thankyou for trying the paneer butter masala recipe.
Hey..its a very nice recipe… Loved it.thanks for sharing
welcome madhulika 🙂
Five star recipe.. My family loved it! Please share the recipe for butter chicken too! Thanks…
thankyou niny for five star rating and for your kind words 🙂
I ve a doubt ma’am… should I roast the paneer b4 adding to the gravy???
no need to roast the paneer, before adding to the gravy.
I’m sorry Dassana but this dish should have really come with a warning. As it didn’t I will let people know what you clearly neglected…..so If you’re making this for the first time here is the warning…Do NOT, repeat do NOT serve this with any other dish. I made this with 3 other dishes and they all got left in the cold! The paneer butter masala got ‘daboed’ (indian slang for gobbled up) double quick time. Everyone went back for SEVERAL helpings and doubling the recipe will NOT help. You will need VATS of this dish. My advice is to make this in copious quantities and give it very little competition as it will become the centre piece of your spread.
The fact is that reducing the tomato down and then building up again with cashew is a labour of love and it shows in the taste. Do not skip the water whilst grinding the cashews as it helps ease the mixing and thickening enormously. So far for me this has earned a ‘T5DD’ badge. It is a ‘Top 5 Dassana Dish’.
thank you very much rohit for this words and an awesome feedback. made my day today. to tell you the truth, i make this dish as the center piece only and keep very few side dishes with it. because this one dish that gets over in no time 🙂
Hi Dassana, I tried this recipe of paneer butter masala last week and it turned out amazing. But when I doubled it today, it has more sourness of tomatoes. Probably tomatoes were too sour. Is there a way I can fix it now?
Thanks for all your tips and wonderful recipes.
welcome tina. i agree with you, may be the tomatoes were too sour. try adding some more cream.
very tasty
yummyyyyyyyyyyyy its very easy to cook in less time with the available material in the house .
I must try all these mouthwatering dishes at home.Thank you so much.
Wow….!! It’s very easy nd tasty…
All ingredients r available in.home itself…. Simply super….thank you..
welcome shilpagirish
Too good and easy..will definitely try today at home. Do I have to use organic tomatoes? Or the ones which we get on market can be used.
thanks neha. you can use the regular tomatoes. any ripe red tomatoes can be used.
Really very nice…its really very yummy….goes best with plain wheat chapati….I am very fond of paneer dishes and this paneer butter masala recipe is best for paneer lovers… 🙂
thanks puja for sharing positive feedback.
Wow, I just finished some of this and it was so good. It’s hard to buy cream in small amounts so I just added a small amount of butter at the end of the cooking. Highly recommend you try this. Many thanks for all your recipes.
welcome mark. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your suggestion.
I jus love this recipe…It’s really easy n very tasty toooo…..
thanks sumeeyae
I was looking for a foolproof and simple Paneer Recipe and this one seems perfect! I’m looking to make this for a party of 30. Could you please let me know how to adjust ingredient quantities and cooking time? Thank you
welcome hazel. its difficult to tell the proportion in a gravy dish as the ingredients need to be added in approximation (aandaz).
The recipe turned out very yummy…thank you so much for sharing it…can we add onion paste too in this recipe…
thanks for the positive review bhavana. yes you can add onion paste.
very nice and easy recipe…It is yummy and even better than restaurant
thanks deepankar for sharing positive feedback.
Thanks a lot for this amazingly simple & tasty recipe. I started my cooking career with this recipe and still it came out very well. All my family members love it, all this was possible bcoz of ur recipe and special thanks for uploading the pics at every stage, its very useful 🙂
welcome rakhi. glad to read your positive feedback. i wish you all the best in cooking.
tried it today, came out quite well…simple and tasty…thanks dassana
welcome sheela
Wonderful recipe !
But m allergic to cashews.Is there any other subsitute?
thanks tina. you can use almonds.
I came out so well….I think it’s better if we soak cashews bcoz I will give smoothness to the gravy.
worth to try.
thanks mrs arora for your positive feedback. yes its better to soak the cashews. but if you don’t have time then you can grind it directly.
Super
So happy at how straight forward this was to make, and it tastes DIVINE!
Will be making this a regular dish at our place!
thanks amy. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
Thnx for this recipe,I made it first time n it’s so delicious…
welcome aakanksha
I tried it for the first time, everyone at home liked it. What i didn’t like was the methi, i added 1tsp which i think was in excess…
Next time will reduce it to half.
thanks yatindra. good to know this.
Hi i dont have kasuri methi,without that Paneer Butter Masala will be tasty?
leo, some flavor will change but it will taste good.
paneer butter masala was truly a restaurant style every one loved it thanks for easy to make reciepes god bless
welcome vallari. thanks for sharing positive feedback and for your prayers.
Thank you for this recipe, I made it for dinner this evening. For sure the best paneer butter masala we have had. The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow.
welcome bhavna. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
Thanks a ton for you paneer butter masala recipe. I served it with laccha paratha which was awesome too. My family had a great holi festival lunch.
welcome poonam. glad to know this.
looking yummy
Seriously thanks for the recipe it turned out to be the best butter panner masala I ever tasted ta dassana
welcome neha. thanks for sharing positive review on butter paneer masala
One of the best Paneer recipes ……I’ve been cooking for 6 years now….never made a better than this ….hope my wifey likes it …..
Will surely follow all the future recipes from the cook
thanks naveen for sharing positive feedback on paneer butter masala. glad to know this.
Finally i done it today!!!….its taste is best!!
Thank you Dassana for this recipe
the way you explained was superb!!!
more than 5 stars!!!!
welcome sai. thanks for sharing positive feedback and 5 star rating.
I tried this today , I turned out very well, Thank you soooooo much Dassana.What I liked about this recipe is it is used with very few spices , and yet it is very tasty.I was surprised that even onion is not used.But still tastes great.
Well, I have one doubt, I skipped adding the ginger julienne . I thought it may give a raw flavor of the ginger to the curry.Does it give a raw flavor or ??
Anyways thanks again.
thanks tanmayee for the feedback. this gravy is the basic makhani gravy. you can even make this gravy and use veggies in it. ginger julienne add a texture and a nice flavor to the dish. yes there is a raw taste of ginger, but very less as you have the gravy too with chapatis or naan. it may go well with some people and not with some people. as taste preferences differ from people to people. you can skip the ginger julienne easily.
Trust me Dassana ur version of Paneer butter masala is outstanding. Tried it and totally loved it.
thanks priya for sharing this awesome feedback. i trust you 🙂
sooper dooper !! tastes better than 5 stars and dhabas!!
thanks srikar for sharing this positive feedback.
Hi Amit whenever I need to cook something special I always search for vegrecipesofindia. Com… Your dishes are easy to cook and extremely delicious…. I tried this recipe and it turned out to be a better butter paneer recipe than restaurant…..
thanks sumit for sharing this positive feedback on website. glad to know this. happy cooking.
It turned to a restaurant style dish.
Got lots of applause at home.
Thank you.
welcome veni. glad to know this.
Wow.. Simply great… I’m learning so much here… Thanks buddy..:)
welcome yogi
awsm recipee!!! i ve tried ; turnd out really well!!! evry one jst lovd it!!
thanks raina
Is it necessary to add cashew paste in paneer butter masala gravy. Is there any substitute for it.
varun, cashew paste is always added. the closest substitute you can use is almond paste. if you don’t have either then increase the quantity of cream but only as a last option.
really ur paneer recipes r superb , simple n mouth watering thank u so much fr gvng a easiest way to cook. thanks alot
welcome pooja. thanks for sharing positive feedback on paneer recipes.
Very delicious recipe! I used your homemade paneer recipe earlier in the day, and prepared that paneer using this recipe. The only thing I did differently is when I noticed you wrote “or tandoori masala,” so I put a half teaspoon of that instead of garam masala. (I have a shahi paneer recipe that uses cashew paste and garam masala, so I wanted something that would taste a lot different.) Oh, oops, and I also doubled the amount of butter. So, so, so yummy. I would like to try this recipe again and use cream instead of cashew paste to see the difference.
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this! And your homemade paneer recipe, which is amazing!
thanks for the feedback joya. either tandoori masala can be added or garam masala. both work well in this recipe. cashew paste helps in thickening gravy and also gives a nice sweet taste. if you use cream, then add more, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup to give more body to the gravy.
Another winner from your blog. I made it vegan and used oil and almond milk in the end instead of cream!!! So delicious. I also used home made Seitan instead of paneer.
thanks deepa for sharing your vegan version of paneer butter masala recipe. glad to know that the recipe turned out well.
Thanks a lot, I get learn much from you
welcome subarna
Awesome reciepe
thanks rabi
Tried this recipe today. Came out really great. Thanks Dassana.
welcome anu
Hi dasana, I wish u were my neighbour… Loved the dish. Made it… Everyone in the family loved too.. I have been a regular visitor of ur blog… Fromy the past few months…each recipe instills more confidence in me…I enjoy the comments as much as enjoy the recipe… I feel that so many people r writing my words……words of appreciation…love u.. Bye
thanks sneha for this sweet feedback. glad to know that blog is helping you in cooking. your words are very touching. thanks again.
Very easy and very good tasty. thank u very much. my son love it.
welcome sunita. glad to know this.
This is one of the best paneer recipes I made till date. Thank you so very much. My family loved it!!!
thanks pooja for the positive feedback.
Thanks for giving tasty recipes and inspiration for cooking……
welcome maya
Thank You so much for this recipe which I find very comprehensive, rather easy and intuitive.
When travelling india some years ago, this was my favorite dish and I tasted it in many different places. Now I can cook it myself and
share the pleasure with my family!
All the best to You from Zurich, Switzerland
Philipp
welcome philipp. glad to know this.
Thank a lot. I’m from the southern most part of our country. My daughter loves paneer butter masala and tastes it whenever we go to a hotel. Now with your guidance I’ll try it at home and am going to astonish her when she comes from hostel next week. The explanation given by you is so simple that we though South Indians will try this North Indian dish.
welcome mary. you must be looking forward to see your daughter and serve this dish to her. happy meal time.
Perfect, some suggestions I have to perpare perfect this dish if we add some honey.
if adding honey, then add once the paneer butter masala is warm. don’t add when hot. i just read some months back, then honey becomes toxic when heated. so better to avoid and add sugar.
hi dasanna…thank u for your paneer butter masala recipe..i have prepared it at my home and it came absolutely perfect as you did. thank you once again.
welcome subha
Hi !
It’s me again ..
I think you remember me …
I had reviewed you for paneer tikka recipe …
Thanks for your reply …
Today , i was searching for paneer butter masala ..
I searched at many websites but finally got it at your ….
All other websised had very hard recipes …
What priyanka C has said is very true …
I must should appreciate the method you explain all the recipes step by step ..
That’s truly like our mothers explain in front of us at the kitchen…
Thank you soooo muchhh for your recipes
i remember princess 🙂 thanks for your sweet comment. truly appreciate 🙂
Nice
Your site is simply amazing for food lovers and beginners like me I love this site whenever I do browsing I check out for all kinds of recipes you provide; your way of explaining is simply awesome bcoz it guides us whether we are on right track or not. I like the details you provide n yes I have started to practice these recipes.A BIG THANK YOU to “YOU”
welcome priyanka. i appreciate the time you took to write this sweet feedback. keep visiting.
Hi Dassana,
I am one of your newest fan. Amazing clarity in explaining the method and great visual support made me hooked on to your recipes. We tried Kadai Paneer and Paneer Butter Masala. Made exactly the way you have mentioned here. It was superb! My family loved it. Thanks so much.
thanks bindu. good to hear from you. also glad to know that your family liked both kadai paneer and paneer butter masala recipes.
where can bay leaf be available ??
in this recipe, its tej patta. though i have to use the word bay leaf or to specifically write indian bay leaf. but technically both tej patta & bay leaf are different. in india we use tej patta and not bay leaf. but bay leaf can be substituted for tej patta. you can easily get tej patta in any shop, if you live in india. if you live abroad, you will get them at an indian store or asian store.
really gud.
Hey dassana thanx a lot fr all ur wonderful recipes. I hv tried many of dem n all were awsom!just love ur site
welcome trupti. glad to know this.
I am Foodoholic, Tried recipes from all around the world. This Paneer Butter Masala is one of the Authentic recipe i came across on web, takes me back to the time when i use to eat PBM at “Sher A Punjab” restaurant in Ahmedabad. I gave a good surprise to my InLaws and ofcourse my wifey this Diwali for lunch 😀 ….. Thanks a ton Amit, Added your recipe to my personal cooking book. ……. It is Damn Yummyliciousss
thats a big compliment 🙂 thanks a lot. good to know that this paneer butter masala was loved by your family.
Hi There,
I made this paneer butter masala for the first time today. I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh, and didn’t have all the fancy stuff you put at the end – methi leaves. After all turned out fine – will have it with naan bread and steamed greens for dinner 🙂
Just discovered your blog – well done guys!
Regards from London,
M.
thanks for the feedback marija. with fresh tomatoes, paneer butter masala tastes much better. do try this way next time.
Hey Dassana…..another successful recipe tried out and it was yummy! It tastes exactly restaurant style even though it is such a simple recipe with not many ingredients….. Keep up the good work, girl!
thanks jyoti. agree its a simple paneer recipe with not many ingredients 🙂
nice ……
im just studying seventh . but i have to make a full meals tommorow in my school guides camp ….
so,could u share ur idea with me soon….
pls….
there are many recipes on the blog. you can see which recipes suits you to prepare and search from the google search button on top.
Your all recipes are nice..Plz give me idea how can i make this recipe tasty without onion and garlic???..
just follow the recipe. even without onion & garlic, this paneer butter masala recipe will taste great. there is already no onion in the recipe. just skip the garlic. as a substitute add a generous pinch of asafoetida when you add ginger.
I couldn’t find methi leaves, only the seeds. Can these be use in replacement? Or is there an alternative I can use instead?
yes you can add methi seeds, but in powdered form. just a pinch of lightly roasted methi seeds would suffice. roast 1 or 2 seeds (thats quite a small amount) and then powder in a mortar-pestle.
Hii!! thank u soo much for the recipe! Am a teenager n i love cooking! This was my first trial with paneer! I made it n it my mom n dad liked it soo much! Am really really happy. Thankyou once again! :))
welcome shika. nice to know that your first attempt in cooking paneer recipe, came out very well. do try some more recipes.
Thnx a lot
My children loved your way of making paneer butter masala
welcome meenakshi
Hello, thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe. I’m a working lady but sometimes I love trying new recipes for my husband. I tried your paneer butter masala recipe at home,and my husband liked it very much. He said it almost tasted as Ordered from a restaurant. Thanks a lot. I had used boiled tomato pure instead of raw tomatoes.Would like to try more from your recipes… Take care. Bye
welcome amrita. glad to know that you both liked paneer butter masala. yes, do try some more recipes from the blog.
My wife left to her mom’s place for rakhi for abt 6-7 days, really worried abt my son’s lunch, which he takes to school. Am not a great cook but can manage simple dal-chaval cooking. He wants to eat paneer butter masala tomorrow. I searched other sites too but found urs simplest n tempting. Am going to try this recipe. Will keep u posted. Wish me luck….lol
thanks atul. do try and give feedback if possible. happy cooking. it is a simple recipe of paneer butter masala.
Sir, i found this is very easy paneer butter masala recipe and also tasty recipe. Thank u for yr. receipe.Pattammal
welcome pattammal
Wow thank you so much for the recipe, this is the 1st time i got it so well almost like restaurant taste !!!!!
welcome sharadha
Hi Dassana Amit
Thanks a ton for the awesome recipe. I m new to cooking but seriously enjoyed cooking and it turned out beautifully. May god continue to bless you to come up with many more recipes and fill many hearts.
Cheers!!!
welcome yeshwini and big thanks for your best wishes.
Nice recipes…!!
I made this for dinner tonight as part of a big Indian feast and it was fantastic! This was my first time making and cooking with cashew cream, and it certainly won’t be the last. I served this with red rice, garlic naan, and lots of other veg Indian dishes. Yum!
thanks marie. good to know that you liked it.
made this recipe of urs just by the book turned out really yummmmmmm…..thnx for the smile on my hubbys face
welcome zainab
Waw
it’s nice receipe
Hi dassana
From these many comments from readers itself I could understand that this must be a fabulous recipe. Will try it soon and give you a feedback. I just have one quest. Will blanching tomato and then making puree reduce the cook time of tomatoes. Also will this have any added taste?
thanks priya. yes it reduces the cooking time. but taste wise its same. yes, do share the feedback.
Hello Dassana, well last night I really didn’t have much time for cooking yet I wanted to make something special for my husband, he loves paneer and this recipe is an absolute star it turned out to be sooooo yum that I can’t wait to make it again… Thanks for the share 🙂
welcome zenia.
Hello Dassana.. seriously this dish is amazing… Let me tell u,I am amateur when it comes to cooking… I tried this dish last night , everyone loveeed it.. These compliments and appreciation really matters as it gives confidence that I can cook good food. Today we have a small party and again I am making this dish.. yesterday I made it for 5 serves and today I am going to make it for ten .. Dish is delicious above that the way you have explained it step by step. , very nice…. Thank you…
welcome mansi ji and thanks for this positive feedback. i think everybody can cook good food. its just that we need some guidance initially and the right recipe to follow. most important thing in cooking is the correct recipe and we should cook food with love and in a peaceful state of mind. presence of mind also saves many recipes… as many times we have adjust the salt and masalas in the end.
I wasnt very familiar with cooking anything..this is the first dish I tried and it was a success..thank you soo much for such an easy recipe..can you put up more recipes of dishes with paneer? Its my personal favourite=)
welcome remie. your cooking journey has started on a positive note. keep trying more recipes to learn more about cooking. yes, i will post more paneer recipes slowly.
This recipe is just awesome….the color is unbelievable…its same orange red color without adding anything artificial…and its yummy…easy and quick to make.this recipe is definitely a keeper for me..I made it in 10 minutes and it was difficult for me to believe…thank u so much…by the way,this is the second time I have been making this in 15 days.:-)
welcome arundathi and big thanks for this positive feedback on paneer butter masala. glad to know that you liked it so much.
Hi, wanted to know if you pureed raw tomatoes or boiled them before pureeing.
i pureed raw tomatoes. but you can also blanch the tomatoes before pureeing.
Can you make this in advance? I want to make this for a large get together. I know you said not to multiply the recipe more than double so I am going to make it 3 times. can I put it in the fridge and heat when ready to serve?
paneer butter masala tastes best when served immediately. the sauce thickens when cooled down. you can reheat it. what i suggest is to make the sauce first. when serving, just reheat the sauce. while reheating, combine all the three sauces you made three times. when reheating you add fresh paneer/cottage cheese and kasuri methi methi and garam masala. cook till the cottage cheese become soft. the sauce will thicken naturally, so add some water to thin it also.
nice
Hi
I tried paneer butter masala for dinner tonight and my family really enjoyed it..thanks for the simple recipe..
welcome vidya
It luks yummy….u r doing a great job…:)….jus wanted to know if we can add onion paste?
yes you can. but brown it very well.
Just to say a big thank for the recipe !!…like u promised it came out even better than a professionally cooked dish..used to use onions earlier so now prep was simpler and so much more tastier ..my daughter loved it !!
welcome asha and big thanks to you for this positive feedback.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Dassana! I made it a week ago and I will never have this dish in a restaurant again. The only thing I did change was that I slightly fried the paneer in butter before mixing it in the gravy.
thanks priti for your feedback. glad to know that you loved the recipe so much.
Yummy is the word for ur recipie. My in laws loved it. I love cooking so I just keep searching for recipes on the net. I saw ur recipe and it looked easy so I took gods name and started with the recipe and what else should I say it turned out so yummy (but I didn’t get to eat) I just tasted a bit to check whether everything was perfect. It was good but I cooked less quantity. Loved it
thanks manisha for this positive feedback. next time make more quantity so that you can eat the curry and as well share it with your loved ones.
For the first time in my Life, I decided to cook and prepare this dish for my aged parents and myself. I GOOGLED and found your link. I just followed the instructions and it took me an hour and the outcome was simply superb and my Parents too liked it. Thanks for your STEP BY STEP instructions. The best part was the philosophical realization while cooking. We take our parents for granted and for ages women in families have spent time, money and energy in preparing healthy and tasty dishes. Eating and commenting adversely takes no significant effort than the cooking. Importance of food, parents, family and the fact of nurturing this body after creating it for us, parents never claim credit but it goes without saying and speaks volumes about their nurturing. Anyway, thanks for a wonderful post
thanks natarajan. i liked reading your comment very much. good you shared your thoughts. they are so true.
great to hear such feelings
I never knew how to make Paneer Butter Masala. But after reading the recipe here i came to knew its simple and doing it is very easy. Thanks a lot.. 🙂
I would be falling in my duty if I doesn’t show my gratitude towards you. I like the recipe and tried it at home and really the incredible taste that I ate. I can’t believe on myself . thank you for your perfect recipe.
thanks mohit. i don’t know what to write. your comment made my day and is very motivating.
I want just ask how many persons can eat this recipe.
Thank u
its 3 to 4 servings if serving alone with rotis or naan. with rice, its just about 2 to 3 servings. if serving with 2 to 3 other dishes, it can be 6 to 8 servings.
Thanks dassana I’ll make for 25 people with 2 more dishes can u pleas tell me how much I make this recipe
Thank u
i won’t suggest you to triple this paneer butter masala recipe. doubling the recipe is still fine. as what happens is that in any curry recipe, things might go wrong if you triple or multiply more. you will have to eyeball or use the indian method of andaz, while making recipes on such a large scale. so you can take the help of an experienced person in cooking and make these dishes. replying late as we had almost no internet connection for the last 6 days.
such a nice recipe. its simple in doing and delicious in taste.
thank you so much.
welcome naidu
Lovely and rich recipe! My husband and kids loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
welcome vijaya
Hi Dasanna, thanks for the reply.I tried it.my husband likes Dis dish very much.really its simple and tasty dish.
Thanks
Pushpa
yes it is simple and still delicious. thanks 🙂
Marvellous and easiest. Thanks to your recipe we had an awesome dish yesterday.
welcome arundhati
I adjusted mine a bit only because I thought I had more tomatoes and I didn’t. I actually took a risk and used half a carton of Pacific’s Tomato and Red Pepper soup. I also used two blocks of firm organic tofu (I dried it out between paper towels over night in fridge) instead of paneer and I doubled the cashew cream. It came out soooooo good!!
thanks juliette. glad to know the substitutions worked well.
I also prepared it with organic tofu and it turned out great.
thanks arundhati for the feedback
THIS RECIPE IS REALLY MOUTH WATERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks sheetal
Dear Dassana,
The preparation is really awesome. My daughter loves north Indian dishes and please do let me know how exactly you make tomato puree. do you blanch them and blend it. I am going to try many dishes from your collection .thanks a lot for sharing them
thanks sheela. you can blanch or just puree them. when i make these punjabi recipe using tomato puree, i don’t blanch them. i just puree them finely in a blender. only for soups and if the recipe calls, i blanch the tomatoes.
I just tried this recipe…It came out good….But i felt that the the masala didn’t get into paneer …What could have went wrong?I did an extra step to your recipe,that is kept the paneer soaked in hot boiling water for about half an hour before i started making this recipe(Read somewhere that it makes the paneer softer)…And one more does frying paneer before putting into the masala enhance the taste ormake it softer?
paneer soaking in hot boiling water for half hour must have almost cooked the paneer, if you would have used fresh paneer. just soaking in warm water for 30 mins will soften them. i guess this is the reason the masala flavor did not get absorbed by the paneer. frying the paneer, enhances the taste.
Awesome … thanks for the lovely recipe. Its quick, easy and tastes like restaurant style. I had tried it a few times and enjoyed it as always.
welcome manju
thank u the paneer recipes are very nice thank u once again its better knowwwwwwwww………………………..
welcome bhuvi
Dear Dassana,
just finished cooking this recipe. I had added this recipe in my cooking list. I just get scared when things like cashew cream etc are added because I think I will not be able to do it. I had gotten the ingredients and got the courage to make it took God’s name and it turned out great. My husband sampled it and he remembered his aunt who lives in Mumbai. So another great recipe from you, thank you
thanks huma. i am glad you tried this one in spite of your doubts. i only worry when yogurt has to be added to any gravy. sometimes they blend so well without splitting and sometimes not so well 🙂
Thanks for the simple and lovely recipe. Made it for my husband’s office party and it was appreciated by all!
welcome ush
Looks great!
I am planning to make paneer-butter masala for the first time – or team lunch (potluck), for about 10 -12 people. I wanted to check, if onions can also be used.
Your explanation with pictures gives ‘very simple to follow’ steps.
Please confirm.
Will give you the feedback once the luncheon is over!
you can add onions. sure, do give the feedback.
Wow!!!
I made it..
Thanks a lot..
My whole family loved it..The pictures helped me a lot.. so that i could see how it should be..
Thanks again
welcome abitha
The way you made looks awesome. But I made it tastes tomato curry. Dont know what kind of mistake happen.colour , everything looks same as yours. but tastes tomato.can u tell me how to get proper taste??
it does not taste like tomato curry 🙂 the addition of cashews change the whole taste and flavor. i am not sure what went wrong. i suggest to use ripe red tomatoes. these tomatoes are not sour. you can also add 1 or 2 tbsp of cream towards the end.
I like the way you have shown picture and details of the receipe. It gives you more confidence to make the receipe as it is. By seeing the picture you could memorize the receipe too. I have been going through so many site on receipes but yours is unique because you have given the minute details of the receipe too even a first time cook can make the receipe perfect. Thanks for taking the trouble for the new comers in receipe world.
welcome mehjabeen for this positive feedback. such motivating comments always helps. its good to know that the blog is helping you all in your cooking.
Hi Dassana… I have recently got married and trying my hand at cooking these days with your recipes… thanks they come really handy for girls like me I m sure.. so about this recipe.. I wish to know.. what if I do not use cashew and wish to use Amul cream instead.. would that go with it… if yes .. when do I add the cream
thanks a lot. you can add 2 to 3 tbsp of amul cream right towards the end once the tomato gravy is cooked and done. add the cream, stir well and just simmer on a low flame for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Omg. This was so yummy. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Instead of tomatoes I was crushed tomatoes and added little cream to give the color. Thanks.
thanks for the suggestions anjali.
Hii dassana
Today im going to make this recipie as my mom and dad are out for a trip they l be coming back today ill make this recipe for them n hope they will enjoy it.Ur recipes are always awesome n tastes like resturant thanks for all your recipes… 🙂
welcome nihal and thanks for this positive feedback. hope you make a delicious dish for your parents. happy cooking.
Hi there,
If you would be so kind; what is the benefit of adding the garam masala at the end of the process as opposed to the beginning which in my experience is more common? Thanks very much , Danny
for some recipes, garam masala is added towards the end so that its aroma & flavor stays in the curry or vegetable dish. if added while cooking or sauting, the flavor is not that effective as while added towards the end. but this depends on the recipe.
also there are two kinds of garam masala. one is kachcha garam masala (meaning raw in hindi) and the other is pakka garam masala (meaning cooked in hindi). in the raw garam masala, the spices are just ground after keeping them in sun for a few days. whereas in the pakka garam masala, the spices are roasted and then ground. so the kachcha garam masala needs to be cooked or sauted. whereas the pakka garam masala can be added just toward the end. the ready made store brought garam masala are usually roasted and then ground.
Wow, such much to learn! I live in Britain so making my own sun dried kachcha garam masala might be a bit difficult seeing as we have so little sun! I suppose the best tactic would be to roast my own spices to make a pakka garam masala. Thank you very much for the quick and detailed reply.
welcome danny. you can have a look at this recipe of punjabi garam masala – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-garam-masala/
this one is a kachcha (uncooked) version. but you can roast the spices (except dry ginger) and then ground them.
hii ,
In tomato puree shall i use the homemade tomato puree or puchase it from shop?
im a bit confused about it please help. 🙂
you can use the ready made one too. but homemade one is surely better.
Made your palak paneer recipe tonight, outstanding, just devine and easy instructions to follow – many thanks, have just read this recipe for butter paneer and reviews and would love your recipe to adapt to butter chicken if possible. Thanks so much, will be trying alot more of your recipes – yum!!
thanks susan for this positive feedback. yes, do try more recipes.
thanks, loving the palak paneer with loads of spinach now growing in the garden!, can I adapt this paneer butter recipe to butter chicken by adding chicken ?, have tried another butter chicken recipe but wasn’t quite what I was after and would love to try your version of the recipe
thanks susan. you can use the sauce recipe, but the chicken has to be a marinated tandoori chicken. what i will do is, i will send you a pic of the original recipe i have in my home science notes. i still have to send it to a few readers too.
Dear sister,
I tried this paneer butter masala and come out well. I’m newly married and my hubby liked and appreciated me .
Thanks a lot sister.
Regards,
Vini
welcome vinodhini. nice to hear the word sister. do visit the blog again.
hi dasanna,
was just wondering vl da taste differ if v blend tomatoes and cashews together..like u did in matar paneer….?saving some time n effort… 😛
hi kirti, you can blend both the tomatoes and cashews together. a slight difference in taste and not much.
hi,will the taste of dish change if i use fresh cream instead of cashewnut paste?please tell me how much quanity of fresh cream will do for the dish
the taste will change. i suggest to add at least 3 tbsp cream (low fat about 20-25% percent). add the cream toward the end and let it simmer for about half a minute.
Hi Dassana, thnx for the recipe…
I just read it now & will try making it tomorrow ..
But I am sure that it will be very delicious
thanks aman and happy cooking.
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for your revert… This will really help… Your replies are really value adding..
Pls keep adding the recipies. My wife also likes your recipes..
All the Best and Wish you very Happy Sankranti ….
welcome mudhoji. wishing happy makar sankranti to you and your wife.
No words to describe the taste.I had made this several times.Nowadays my daughter
asks for more gravy as ur dish became very very popular in her class.
thats nice to know priya. paneer butter masala is a popular dish 🙂
Its really help us to prepare the good food from this side.
Thanks for the recipe, turned out great evn by a bachelor like me and was finished in mins by my room mattes.
Amazing 🙂
welcome akshay. happy new year to you in advance.
Excellent Recipe! Thanks for posting 🙂
welcome divya
it’s goood to see this recipe
yammmi……………………………..its very eeasy to cook and also tried in my home everyone like it.
thanks.
welcome subha
I made paneer at home with the help of your instructions and my my! It turned out to be soft and so yummy! It was my first time so I made the paneer using just half a litre of milk(wasn’t too sure I’ll get it right), and I later on used it to make this paneer butter masala. I felt I should have made some more because it turned out to be the bestest paneer dish I’ve ever made!!! Thank you so much! Your recipes are wonderful – I wish I had stumbled upon it much earlier 🙂
welcome navitha. nice to know that you liked the paneer butter masala recipe.
This was super simple, quick and absolutely delicious! I think next time I may experiment w a bit of milk or cream as I felt that the sauce could have tasted a bit fuller but it was nearly perfect as is! Thanks!
welcome linds
just love to have this paneer butter masala- naan combination.All these days i have never tried to prepare one such on my own. thank you so much Dassana for such a wonderful and succinctly put recipe.
Tomorrow i am gonna make my paneer butter masala.
welcome prem.
yesterday I prepared this curry.. super taste.. thank u so much
welcome pallavi
this is very very nice recipe of paneer butter masala
Very easy to make and I added tomato paste and few fresh tomatoes it added very nice color to gravy
It is very good dish in dinner.Prepare in quickly.Nice food.kids r like.
I have made the panner butter masala just the way you described and it has come wonderfully. Thanks for the recipe! You make cooking fun and your descriptions just make my mouth water!!! 🙂
welcome poojitha. motivating comments like this are always a treat to read.
This is a great recipe. Thank you. I made Cheese Butter Masala (rather than paneer) using a cheese that softens but nearly keeps its shape. Delicious.
Hi,
I tried the recipe and it came out well. But i would like paneer butter masala gravy to be a little spicier , so what should i add in?
Thanks!
actually paneer butter masala is sweet. you can soak a dry red chili in water and then grind it with the tomatoes when pureeing the tomatoes. another way is to increase the amount of green chilies or add an extra red chili powder.
Very nice.mmm and very tasty
Hi…. great taste … thanks for this paneer butter masala recipe…… minimum use of masalas … but great flavour…….
regards,
neha
welcome neha
very good recipe and it easy at home to cook
Hi,
I dont usually put garlic and onion in my cooking. Hence, whats the best ingredient i can use to replace the garlic with?
looking for your soonest reply! TQ =)
asafoetida or hing substitutes well with onion and garlic. so any recipe not using onions and garlic does have asafoetida in it. you can add a generous pinch of asafoetida powder in the recipe.
delicious…
Hi
I tried the recipe this week and my husband loved it 🙂
Today I am trying Paneer tikka and Gobi Tikka that ive already marinated as per the instructions here last night hope they come out as well as the paneer butter masala.
Thank you for the recipes here,much appreciated
thanks and happy cooking navya.
Brilliant! Seeing the reviews and ratings, I decided to try this recipe for a party I had…and my husband and friends loved it!! This is so easy to make and is also healthy as you don’t add cream. Thank you Dassana for this mouth-watering yummy paneer butter masala recipe 🙂
thanks for the feedback nisha.
Hi Dassana,
I made this recipe for my family last night and it was fabulous, they all loved it. We served it with a marrow and tomato masala (Simon Hopkinson’s recipe) and rice, it was a feast.
I love all your recipes, and your photo’s, thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful cooking skills. I plan to make many more!
thats great. good to know all of you enjoyed the feast. if you like any recipe, you can easily try them.
I used your recipe to make egg butter masala for dinner and it turned out awesome! I added turmeric to the ingredients, as specified in other recipes. Thanks for making your recipe so easy to follow (a lot easier than two other recipes I’d been looking at). I’ll always use your recipe when making this dish. This is my family’s favorite Indian food! Yummy!
thanks abigail. your feedback will help the other readers too.
With all due respect, this one is better than Sanjeev’s, rather the BEST. I hate paneer but fell in love with it !!
thanks vinay. don’t know what to write !!!. if you like tofu then you can replace paneer with tofu and enjoy the same dish as tofu butter masala. gravy taste will be same.
I am going to try this paneer butter masala curry tonite
Great recipe! Tried it yesterday n it turned out just like restaurant. Very tasty n lip smacking! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Planning to make more dishes following your website.
thanks sheetal
very very tasty
very very tasty………………….
excellent recipe. cant believe that i prepared paneer butter masala.
thanks sorbani.
I love the look of the recipe – just wondering if I can use commercial garlic-ginger paste, and how much the amounts would translate to? would i need to add extra ginger or garlic? I don’t know the ratio between garlic and ginger in the paste unfortunately 🙁
hi dave. you can use store brought ginger-garlic paste. approx 3/4 to 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste. the ratio is more ginger and less garlic in the recipe 🙂 extra ginger julienne are added later. if you don’t have ginger, still alright, but they do give a zing to the recipe.
veeeeeery delicious.i became crazy of this dish, which is called B P masala. thanks a lot.
thanks annu
Truly the best Paneer Receipe is have made in recent years. My and my wife loved it a lot.
Its so simple and delicious.
thanks mayank.
Very Good
thanks.
Can I use tomato ketchup instead of puree?
using tomato ketchup instead of tomato puree, would make the paneer butter masala too sweet. i would suggest using ready tomato paste with 1 tbsp tomato sauce.
Dassana, i really want kiss you now. My paneer butter masala came out really well all due to your step by step photographic instructions. I really could understand the way as it is. P B Masala is my favourite.
thanks shobana for the positive comment. i am glad you liked the recipe.
I made the dish and it turned out to be exactly restaurant style. .
thanks for the feedback suhani.
Taste exactly like restaurant… Thanks for the cashew option. I can avoid cream.
thanks zarna
Hi Dassana, Your blog is definitely the best food blog as you explain each recipe in detail with alternatives suggested for the not-so-sure cook and covers the entire gamut of Indian cooking – from street food to classic Indian recipes. A job truly well done dear, hats off to you and your passion for teaching everyone how to cook , the easy way!!
Tried this recipe…loved it…wonderful taste…felt like restaurant preparation..my husband loved it too…thanks for sharing 🙂
thanks for the feedback ruchi.
great recipe
tried it with a bit of yogurt
thanks for your help
thanks nirminder
yaar what is the procedure to prepare tomato puree?? please tell
blend the tomatoes in a blender till smooth. you can also blanch the tomatoes, peel the skin and then blend the tomatoes.
Thanks a lot for such a wondeful receipe. V had 22 families get together and I prepared this dish. It was so yummy that they
Asked for the recipe. Thanks
thanks sirisha for the nice feedback. i am glad you liked the recipe.
welcome
I am thinking of making this dish today. The step to Step process makes it seem so simple. I was just wondering if i can add milk instead of water. Your advise please
Thanks~
ashwini, if adding milk, use full fat milk. otherwise there are chances of the milk getting split, since we have used tomatoes here.
The paneer butter masala receipe is explained very cleary. I really liked the photos showing the process of making it.
thanks florinda for the positive feedback.
I was skeptical about first finding the authentic PBM recipe and then to actually cook it. By God’s grace I found this site in the first go, everything looked very simple, I just followed all your instructions and it took me exactly the same time to cook as you mentioned. Believe me I was so shocked when I tasted it. Have I made this?…was my first reaction. It tastes exactly like restaurant. I cant thank you enough for this gr8 recipe. thanks, thanks, thanks a lot
my thanks to you too prachi. your positive comments has made my day…. yay 🙂
Dassana, thanks a lot for the wonderful recipe. I just love paneer butter so very much. The step wise process and al pic u have given was wonderful. I cook it today for my husband and It tastes amaizingly good. Keep on posting good recipies 🙂 🙂
thanks palak for trying this paneer recipe and writing such a sweet feedback. keep on visiting the blog.
i have learned so many dishes from this site , few year ago i have no idea for making any dish now a day i have a good cook in my colony thank you so much for this site…………
thanks sweety.
Great recepie …very easy to make and so yummy. It has never failed to impress anyone so far. Thanks for sharing 🙂
welcome nidhi
Good recipe
like it
It looks awesome. . Am hungry… make paneer butter masala in the same preparation … but your s looks yummier… will try it step to atep like urs now…
thanks and do try sonali.
Superb!! Thank u so much. Today my kids had full dinner with paneer butter masala. Did this according to your instructions…
thats nice to know sandhya, thanks.
This was simply superb! I just did not add sugar since we do not like it sweet. Made it for dinner since we had guests, it was a HIT! 🙂 Thanks!
thanks nandita for trying this paneer recipe and writing this positive feedback.
I loved your recipe,but can u send me any other recipe which dose not has a sweet taste .As my husband doesn’t like anything i make. Please help me
just don’t add sugar or cream for a no sweet taste. there are many recipes on the blog which are not sweet. you can see the categories or search through the google search bar on top left hand side.
Made this paneer butter masala recipe yesterday and my husband LOVED it! He actually thought it was ordered from our nearby restaurant LOL.. Served it with soft, hot chapatis and it was heaven.. Looking forward to trying out more such simple and tasty paneer recipes from your page 🙂
thats nice to know… thanks for sharing such a positive feedback.
your blog is a paradise for veggie lovers. I am gonna try this paneer butter masala today evening 🙂 love it 🙂
thanks jiggyasa.
Thanks 4 d recipe. I love paneer butter Masala very much. The step by step process with photos u have given here is very useful for us. It tastes fantastic
thanks kavi for rating the recipe. it helps.
thank you very much because paneer butter masala is my daughter favourite dish
welcome rinku 🙂
Dassana, i cant congratulate you enough! You do a fantabulous job! And make cooking appear so flawless and easy! Please dont stop this good work!!
Keep it up!
Best wishes,
Dr Pooja (A veggie cook crazy fetal medicine specialist, we have spoken before 🙂
i know pooja we have spoken before. thanks for all your wishes.
welcome prerna
Superb and delicious recipe you post have tried paneer butter masala and it was just awsome same as resturant taste.can you post tricolour sandwich.
thanks sheetal for the feedback. tri color sandwich is on my to do list. will add the recipe.
You make the recipe/preparation sound so simple…I am trying palak paneer today…and I am sure its gonna taste good with your winning recipe..thanks a ton
welcome nirmitha. thanks for your encouraging words.
Very simple and easy recipe .
It is healthy in terms of tomatoes and natural dry spices along with natural essence of bay leaves , garlic and ginger .
But, can butter be altered with some other ingredient?
Delicious recipe I prepared it today !
Please never opt out of giving such nice, delicious and interesting special recipes.
Thank You!
thanks nisha for this positive feedback. you can use oil instead of butter. i used nutralite which they say has low cholesterol and all that, but i still feel butter is good if taken in moderation. you can also use ghee, but taste with ghee will be slightly different.