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veg makhanwala recipe, how to make veg makhanwala | veg makhani recipe

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veg makhanwala recipe with step by step photos – rich, creamy and buttery veg makhanwala recipe. makhanwala means a dish having butter. whether the butter is more or less depends upon the home chef. ‘makhan’ is the hindi word for butter.

generally, in the everyday indian cooking we don’t add butter while sauteing. the recipe is made with either oil or ghee. of course there are some recipes that use butter and this vegetable makhanwala is one of them.

this delicious veg makhanwala recipe is adapted from the tried and tested recipe of paneer butter masala. in a makhanwala or butter masala recipes, i do not like to add too many spices and i keep the overall taste and flavor balanced. so along with the tang of the tomatoes, you also get the creaminess & sweetness of cashew paste and cream. though i have just added veggies, you can also add some paneer along. other similar recipes on the blog are

the veggies can be steamed or fried. personally i prefer steamed veggies as they blend well in such gravies and cooking them takes less effort. if you prefer, you can fry or saute the veggies. you will need to fry/saute the veggies in batches so that all of them are evenly fried or sauteed.

the recipe does not have onions. for making a no onion no garlic version, you can easily skip the garlic. this is a very good curry recipe made with mix vegetables and i mean it. being a rich & filling curry, its excellent for parties and celebrations.

veg makhanwala is best served with tandoori rotis, naan or parathas or chapatis. you can also serve with steamed rice or jeera rice.

if you are looking for more curry recipes then do check vegetable korma, veg kolhapuri, kadai paneer, palak paneer, methi matar malai and kadai mushroom.

veg makhanwala recipe below:

veg makhanwala recipe

veg makhanwala recipe | veg makhani recipe

vegetable makhanwala gravy recipe - creamy & rich tomato based gravy with mix vegetables.

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course main course
cuisine north indian, punjabi
prep time 30 minutes
cook time 40 minutes
total time 1 hour 10 minutes
servings 3 to 4
author dassana

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

veggies for veg makhanwala:

  • 100 grams cauliflower, chopped into medium florets Or about ¾ cup chopped medium cauliflower florets (gobi)
  • 100 grams potatoes Or 1 medium potato, diced or cubed or cut into batons Or ⅓ to ½ cup chopped potatoes
  • 8 to 10 french beans, chopped
  • 80 to 100 grams carrots Or 2 medium carrots, chopped or cut into batons Or ⅓ to ½ cup chopped carrots (gajar)
  • ⅓ cup peas (matar) - fresh or frozen

for ground paste:

  • 200 grams ripe red tomatoes, chopped or about 1.25 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon cashews (kaju) or 20 to 22 cashews
  • ½ inch ginger (adrak) - chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic (lahsun) - chopped

for veg makhanwala gravy:

  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 green chili (hari mirch) - slit
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • ½ inch ginger julienne (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon low fat cream
  • 1.25 to 1.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon sugar or as required
  • salt as required
  • few coriander leaves for garnish (optional)
  • ½ inch ginger julienne (optional)

how to make recipe

prepping and cooking the veggies:

  1. first heat 1/3 cup water and soak 20 to 22 cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes drain the cashews.
  2. meanwhile while the cashews are soaking, rinse & chop the veggies. you can also cut the veggies in batons. add about 2 to 2.5 cups of chopped mix vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, french beans, potatoes, capsicum and peas. you can also add mushrooms. if adding mushrooms then better to saute them instead of steaming them.
  3. now you can steam or fry/saute the veggies. for steaming, steam then in a pressure cooker, electric rice cooker or a pan. just add about 2 to 3 cups water in the cooker (pressure or electric). place the chopped vegetables in the pan/steamer pan and keep in the cooker. while pressure cooking, cook for 2 whistles.
  4. for sauteing veggies, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. add the veggies in batches to the pan.
  5. saute the veggies, till they are browned from the edges. remove them on a plate and keep aside. add more oil if required while sauteing.

preparing the ground paste:

  1. in a grinder or blender jar, add 1.25 cups of chopped tomatoes, soaked cashews, ginger and garlic (½ inch ginger & 3 to 4 garlic, chopped).
  2. without adding any water make a smooth paste in the grinder or blender. there should be no small pieces of cashews in the paste.

making veg makhanwala gravy:

  1. heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan. add tej patta or bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.
  2. add the tomato cashew paste.
  3. keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low flame.
  4. saute and stir till you see fat leaving the sides and on the surface. the entire sauteing of the tomato-cashew paste takes about 9 to 10 minutes on a low flame.
  5. add ¼ tsp turmeric powder & ½ tsp red chili powder. stir and saute for a minute.
  6. add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water. stir very well.
  7. add 1 slit green chili. the green chilies give a bit of heat to the gravy. you can also skip the green chilies.

  8. bring veg makhanwala gravy to simmer on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. you should see some fat floating on top. the gravy will also thicken.

  9. add the steamed or fried veggies. stir gently.
  10. add ½ tsp sugar or as required. add salt.
  11. add ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves. crush and then add the kasuri methi.
  12. stir and then add 2 to 3 tbsp low fat cream.
  13. stir so that the cream mixes very well with the gravy. switch off the flame.
  14. lastly sprinkle some ¼ tsp garam masala powder. if using homemade garam masala, then add ¼ tsp and if using store brought, then add ½ tsp. you can even add ginger julienne at this step or garnish with them later.
  15. stir again and veg makhanwala is ready to be served.
  16. serve veg makhanwala with rotis or parathas or naan.
  17. while serving you can garnish veg makhanwala with coriander leaves or ginger julienne.


lets start step by step veg makhanwala recipe:

1. first heat ⅓ cup water and soak 20 to 22 cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes drain the cashews.

almonds for veg makhanwala recipe

2. chop the veggies. you can also cut the veggies in batons. add about 2 to 2.5 cups of chopped mix vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, french beans, potatoes, capsicum and peas. you can also add mushrooms. if adding mushrooms then better to saute them instead of steaming them.

chopped vegetables for veg makhanwala recipe

3. now you can steam or fry/saute the veggies. for steaming, steam then in a pressure cooker, electric rice cooker or a pan. just add about 2 to 3 cups water in the cooker (pressure or electric). place the chopped vegetables in the pan/steamer pan and keep in the cooker. while pressure cooking, cook for 2 whistles. below are mix vegetables which have already been steamed.

steaming vegetables to make veg makhanwala recipe

4. for sauteing veggies, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. add the veggies in batches to the pan.

sauting vegetables for veg makhanwala recipe

5. saute the veggies, till they are browned from the edges and cooked well.

sauting vegetables for veg makhanwala recipe

6. remove them on a plate and keep aside.

vegetables for veg makhanwala recipe

7. in a grinder or blender jar, add 1.25 cups of chopped tomatoes, the soaked cashews, ginger and garlic (½ inch ginger & 3 to 4 garlic, chopped).

making paste for veg makhanwala recipe

8. without adding any water make a smooth paste in the grinder or blender. there should be no small pieces of cashews in the paste.

paste for veg makhanwala recipe

making veg makhanwala gravy:

9. heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan.

butter for veg makhanwala recipe

10. add tej patta or bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.

making veg makhanwala recipe

11. add the ground tomato cashew paste.

add paste - making veg makhanwala recipe

12. stir.

stir veg makhanwala masala

13. keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low flame.

sauting - veg makhanwala gravy

14. saute and stir till you see fat leaving the sides and on the surface. the entire sauteing of the tomato-cashew paste takes about 9 to 10 minutes on a low flame.

sauting - veg makhanwala gravy recipe

15. add  ⅛ tsp turmeric powder & ½ tsp red chili powder. you can also add kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch.

add spices to veg makhanwala gravy recipe

16. stir and saute for a minute.

sauting veg makhanwala gravy

17. add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water.

add water to make veg makhanwala recipe

18. stir very well.

stir - making veg makhanwala gravy recipe

19. add 1 slit green chili. the green chilies give a bit of heat to the gravy. you can also skip the green chilies.

making veg makhanwala recipe

20. bring the veg makhanwala gravy to simmer on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. you should see some fat floating on top. the gravy will also thicken.

simmer - preparing veg makhanwala recipe

21. add the steamed or fried veggies.

add vegetables to veg makhanwala recipe

22. stir gently.

stir - veg makhanwala recipe

23. add ½ tsp sugar or as required.

add sugar to veg makhanwala recipe

24. add salt.

salt for veg makhanwala recipe

25. add ½ tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). crush and then add the kasuri methi.

add kasuri methi to veg makhanwala recipe

26. stir and then add 2 to 3 tbsp low fat cream. stir so that the cream mixes very well with the gravy. switch off the flame.

add cream to veg makhanwala recipe

27. lastly sprinkle some ¼ tsp garam masala powder. if using homemade garam masala, then add ¼ tsp and if using store brought, then add ½ tsp. you can even add ginger julienne at this step or garnish with them later.

stir - veg makhanwala curry recipe

28. stir again and veg makhanwala is ready to be served. if you want you can also garnish veg makhanwala with some chopped coriander leaves or dot with some cream.

stir - veg makhanwala curry recipe

29. serve veg makhanwala with tandoori rotis, naan or parathas or chapatis. you can also serve with steamed rice or jeera rice.

veg makhanwala, veg makhanwala recipe




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{ 85 Responses }

  1. Thank you for such lovely recipes and the beautiful and easy-to-follow picture instructions! I have made this veg makhanwala several times, but I have a question. My result tends to have a “thin” flavor, with plenty of spice but not a lot of rich, creamy and savory flavor. It almost seems to watery. When I order similar dishes from local Indian restaurants the curries are more rich and flavorful than mine. Sometimes I wonder if I should cook the gravy longer or use less water. We are vegan at home, and so I usually do not add the cream. Maybe that is my problem. If so, is there a substitute you can recommend? Do you have any other advice?

    • welcome paul and thanks for this comment. usually the restaurant like gravies are creamy and thick. it is due to using cashew paste and cream. what i would suggest is you add less water or cook for some more time. you can use coconut cream for a vegan option. it works wonderfully in recipes that call for cream. yes you will get the coconut flavor, but overall the taste and flavor is good. if you do not have coconut cream, then you can use thick coconut milk. another option is to use soaked almonds. you can grind 8 to 10 almonds paste when you grind the tomatoes. also poppy seeds and melon seeds can be used to thicken the gravy. so the poppy seeds can be soaked for a couple of hours. half a teaspoon of poppy seeds and 1 tablespoon of melon seeds can be used along with the cashews.

  2. For Vegan recipe can the cream be skipped ? And can we substitute butter with oil ?

  6. Hi, dassana. I’ve tried many of ur recipes … They all were awesome… Me, my family & my guests also liked my preparation based on ur recipes.
    Here I want to ask u that can I use cashew powder in veg. Makhanwala ? Plz reply me soon ..thanks

  7. I tried other recipes of urs it came out very well, when I tried veg makhanwala the taste was extraordinary . My husband liked a lot……. He z fan of ur recipes….

  9. Ur all recipes r super duper hit. Can u pls share d recipe of soya chaap. Thanks for all mouth watering recipes me n my hubby just love them a lott…..

  10. You’ve got sucha lovely blog with good number of veg recipes. I tried this today and it came out well(though i added more veggies, with no cream – was a bit dry gravy). My husband liked it a lot.
    I also tried ur coconut ladoo with condensed milk and that was also a HIT.
    Looking forward to try more recipes of urs. Keep rocking and keep sharing! 🙂

  11. Dassana,

    I would like to make this recipe but I have a question about the cream. Where I am at, cream is liquid, like what someone might put in coffee; very similar to milk in texture. But the cream in your picture appears to be more solid, like a sour cream or yogurt. Can you tell me more about this ingredient? I want to make this dish, but I want to do it right.

  12. Greetings,

    I have a favourite indian dish: Butter Chicken. I’m a vegetarian and I rarely eat meat but… I do eat Butter Chicken at the restaurant. So… for months now I was wanting to experiment something indian at home, with veggies.

    Finally, I googled it two days ago and… there was this website! I landed right on this recipe. I decided I was going for it! I went to an indian grocery shop yesterday for spices and basmati rice! Today, I just cooked it for lunch and. …. UAU! By the way it was smelling while I was cooking I could totally predict it was going in the right direction. AMAZING smell! AMAZING taste, perfect balance!

    What did I do different from the recipe? I didn’t use the green chilies and I didn’t use kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves (I forgot to buy at the store!). I used soja cream instead of normal cream (same amount). Works really well, it’s a good replacement. The recipe is very easy to follow. Totally pays off. It’s delicious delicious! Excellent recipe to try to cook indian for the first time in my life!

    I will cook it soon for a group of people, for sure! Share the good stuff!

    Thank you! The site looks really nice and I will look for more recipes!

  13. i just loved ur recipe of veg makhanwala….it was so awesm….tasted like resturant……super yummy.

  16. Hi Dassana

    I’ve been trying to make this recipe from quite some time but I live in a city in the US where I don’t get fresh cream easily. I’ve eaten this dish and I know that is an important ingredient. Can you suggest a substitute for fresh cream? Or is there any way I can make it at home instead? I look forward to your response. And thanks for all those wonderful dishes on your blog. Keep going.

    • thanks kavitha. one reader had suggested to use milk powder instead of cream. just dissolve 2 tbsp milk powder in 1 tbsp warm water and add this mixture in place of cream. just today i also read that 1 tbsp butter can be mixed with 2 to 3 tbsp of milk and used as a cream substitute. you can try any of these options. you can fresh cream at home. but for that you will need some cream or malai (the cream layer which collects and float on top of milk after its heated). whip this malai in a blender till smooth. 1/4 cup of malai is good to begin with.

  17. Awesome and very easy recipe.
    But I want to ask which will taste better boiled veggies or fried veggies. As you have used boiled veggies.
    Please reply.

  18. great site. Makes cooking seem so effortless. Especially the step-by-step images and instructions. Everyday I am trying a new recipe and see my family grinning wide. God bless all the works of your hands

  19. Your recipes are very helpful and my husband loves it when i cook your recipes. What if I dont add cream in this recipe and how essential is the use of kasoori methi?

    • thanks archita for this sweet feedback on recipes. both are required. cream balances the tanginess of tomatoes in the gravy. kasoori methi gives a good aroma and restaurant type flavor. you can skip them but the taste will be different.

  20. I tried this recipe yesterday. It is so tasty and color also too good. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

  22. I know they’re a distinct flavor, but is there ANY suggestion/option if you cannot find dried fenugreek leaves, only seeds

  23. Hi Amit and Dassana
    I have tried a number of recipes from your website , they have all come out really well. I tried out some of these for my husband’s birthday recently and then tried this recipie for dinner tonight, my family relished it! My husband even asked me ‘is this from the same website from which you have been trying out those awesome dishes?:)
    I think both of u have done a great job with this website, in terms of the contents, hard work gone into
    presentation and the time you take to respond to every message , keep up the great work, ….soumya

  25. I have just made this recipe, but because I had no cashews, I used ground almonds instead, I am leaving the resulting beautiful tasting curry to steep overnight as I always think they taste better the next day! I don’t think using almonds instead has altered it too much, it still tastes deeeeelish!! I am now going to look through your other recipes for some dhal! Thank you, at last some proper tasting recipes!

    • thanks for the feedback clare. ground almond would make it creamier like cashews, but there is a difference in the taste. in fact ground almonds make the dish more royal. cashews and almonds can be easily substituted with each other in indian gravy recipes. for some reason, the makhani gravies taste better the next day. do try the dal recipes. i am sure you will like them.

      • If we use ground almonds, should the almonds be soaked and peeled ? Or can we use the almonds with skin ?
        And can the almonds/cashews be used without soaking ?

  26. I just tried this recipe with a friend last night and I was blown away! I think that was the first time it tasted like something I had in India – and not something “indian” made by a German. So thank you so so much for this amazing recipe!! I absolutely love your blog – and will definitely cook my way through it 🙂

  27. this recipe is amazing it tastes like hotel curry. i love all ur recipes they are easy to prep and not overwhelming thnx for making life easier and making cooking a possibility for everyone. thnxx a lotttt worlds best and easiest recipes!!!

  28. i cooked veg makkhanwala today. n it came perfect. my hubby kept on asking me frm which hotel have i ordered this. n ordered for puneer butter masala. i m feeln like a chef……

  29. I cooked many of your dishes.Especially this one today.I love it when I miss home.The authentic flavour came out even I used some ingredient such as milk instead of cream and Irish butter.
    Loving all the dishes in Germany.Lets see If I can make Jeera rice to go all good with this dish.

  30. This was really good. The kasuri methi really makes a difference and the garlic, too. My husband called it ‘indian restaurant food’ only it was much better because I made it with my own hands. It was very very cold here today, and this was a good way to cope with the ice and snow. Thanks

  31. Your recipes are simple easy and just toooo good! I have learned 6 recipes so far and all of them turned out to be excellent! Im not much of a cook……but your recipes are worth cooking.
    Congratulations

  32. Hi Dassana,
    It is the first time ever I comment on a culinary blog, as I feel it is essential to say Huge Thanks to you for sharing your recipes. I am Polish and always struggled to make Indian curries (they are not widely known in my country) until I came across your blog 🙂 Now when my Mauritian husband, who’s culinary background is curry based, tries my/your curries he is always asking how I made them, wondering how on earth I could cook curries better than he does… Thank you

  33. Tnks dassana for this beautiful recipe… I m big fannnn of ur recipe…this time my family like veg makhanwala a lot… I need some soup recipe for this winter environment…

    • welcome ranjeeta. glad to know that you liked veg makhanwala recipe. few soup recipes are already posted in the blog. please use google search button at the very top of website to search soup recipes.

  36. Hi Dasanna

    Lovely & simple site which makes cooking look easy. Congratulations to you. I’m a regular visitor for the last month or so and I particularly take over north Indian recipes from your site and I get a thumbs up every time for that. 🙂

    I have a question here, what do you do get that lovely bright orange colour (before adding cream) every time. Is it something to do with the spice powder quality / proportion. If so, can you share the secret please?

    Thanks
    Lalitha

    • first of all thanks lalitha. there is no secret. whatever you see in the pics and recipe, thats what i have added. the proportion is the same as mentioned in the recipe. i think could be as i use organic red chili powder and possibly that is the reason. usually for bright orange or red color, kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch is added. these two type of red chili powders are not that hot and give a good color.

      • Hi Dasanna, thanks for your reply. I will try it with Organic powder next time.

        Just one off the track question. I’m planning to buy the magic bullet and as I can see from your site that you have used it widely. Is it working fine in the longer run and let me know where I can get it.

        Thanks
        Lalitha

        • welcome lalitha. mine was a chinese make and it started giving trouble within one year. one friend has been using the original US made magic bullet for six years now.

  37. Hi,

    Thanks for the lovely recipe. Could you tell me the difference betweem steaming and saute the mushrooms. Why is saute them better?

    • welcome garima. mushroom already has so much of water. if you steam them then they become soft. if you saute them separately then they release excess water while sauting and become a bit crisp. this crisp texture of mushroom taste better in gravies. i must say, well thought question.

      • Thanks for the reply Dassana. I have seen many people who make mushroom veggies after steaming them. I never got the reason behind it. So, asked you 🙂 Will try this recipe tomorrow.

  38. hi dasanna
    I dont usually leave any comments for any website or anything which needs really good compliments. But I was checking for few recipes a while ago and now its 2.54pm(i.e., 3.24am indian time). Now I saw this recipe is posted as on dec 21st 2014 and I was amazed to see you posting at this time(mid night at which i can be sound sleeping). I could not stop myself to take time to appreciate you people for your love towards this blog. And I started to try your recipes very recently, so far all are delicious. I hate recipes filled with lot of spices in huge amounts but your way of cooking helped me out to use very less spices yet tasty recipes. And lastly thanks a lot for sharing your recipes to us.

    • thanks lucky for this positive feedback. it was midnight when we posted the recipe but it was not 3 am. you are right we are passionate about cooking as well as sharing our tried and tested recipes. do try this recipe as well as other recipes of your choice. thanks once again.