veg makhanwala recipe with step by step photos – rich, creamy and buttery veg makhanwala or veg makhani 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 makhani is best served with tandoori rotis, naan or parathas or chapatis. you can also serve with steamed rice or jeera rice.
how to make veg makhanwala
preparation
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.
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.
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.
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 and cooked well.
6. remove them on a plate and keep aside.
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).
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.
making veg makhanwala
9. heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan.
10. add tej patta or bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.
11. add the ground tomato cashew paste.
12. stir.
13. keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low flame.
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.
15. add ⅛ tsp turmeric powder & ½ tsp red chili powder. you can also add kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch.
16. stir and saute for a minute.
17. add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water.
18. stir very well.
19. add 1 slit green chili. the green chilies give a bit of heat to the gravy. you can also skip the green chilies.
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.
21. add the steamed or fried veggies.
22. stir gently.
23. add ½ tsp sugar or as required.
24. add salt.
25. add ½ tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). crush and then add the kasuri methi.
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.
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.
28. stir again and veg makhani is ready to be served. if you want you can also garnish with some chopped coriander leaves or dot with some cream.
29. serve veg makhanwala with tandoori rotis, naan or parathas or chapatis. you can also serve with steamed rice or jeera rice.
more curry recipes
Veg Makhanwala
INGREDIENTS
veggies for veg makhanwala
- 100 grams cauliflower, chopped into medium florets Or about ¾ cup chopped medium cauliflower florets
- 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
- ⅓ cup peas - fresh or frozen
for ground paste
- 200 grams ripe red tomatoes, chopped or about 1.25 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon cashews or 20 to 22 cashews
- ½ inch ginger - chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic - 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 - slit
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- ½ inch ginger julienne (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili 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)
INSTRUCTIONS
prepping and cooking the veggies
- first heat 1/3 cup water and soak 20 to 22 cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes drain the cashews.
- 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.
- 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.
- for sauteing veggies, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. add the veggies in batches to the pan.
- 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
- 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).
- 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
- heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan. add tej patta or bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.
- add the tomato cashew paste.
- keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low flame.
- 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.
- add ¼ tsp turmeric powder & ½ tsp red chili powder. stir and saute for a minute.
- add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water. stir very well.
- add 1 slit green chili. the green chilies give a bit of heat to the gravy. you can also skip the green chilies.
- bring the 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.
- add the steamed or fried veggies. stir gently.
- add ½ tsp sugar or as required. add salt.
- add ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves. crush and then add the kasuri methi.
- 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.
- 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 again and veg makhanwala is ready to be served.
- serve vegetable makhanwala with rotis or parathas or naan.
- while serving you can garnish with coriander leaves or ginger julienne.
whether the same receipe can be followed without garlic and cream
Yes you can
Heyy thank you so much for this easy-peasy but awesome recipe. The kids loved it more than what that mommy cooks fot them. Lol! Thanks again.
P.s. I did not use any cream as did not have any handy. But the dish came out good nevertheless.
thank you vishwanath. glad to read your comment. cream can be skipped and without cream too the makhanwala recipe tastes good.
Tried this last night and it came out pretty good! I used sour cream as I didn’t have heavy cream and added paneer. Sautéing the tomato-cashew paste takes time otherwise, it is pretty easy. Thanks for sharing.
thanks vidya for the feedback and review on veg makhanwala recipe. yes sauteing tomato-cashew paste takes time, but the recipe is easy. thanks again.
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.
For Vegan recipe can the cream be skipped ? And can we substitute butter with oil ?
heena, you can skip cream. yes you can use oil instead of butter.
Too good !!!
thankyou avanti 🙂