Veg makhanwala recipe with step by step photos. Sharing a 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. It makes for a rich, luxurious and delicious meal when served with a side of roti, paratha or jeera rice or tandoori roti.
Generally, in 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 mixed vegetables and I mean it. Being a rich and filling curry, its excellent for parties and celebrations.
Veg makhani is best served hot or warm with tandoori rotis, naan or parathas or chapatis. You can also serve it with steamed rice or saffron 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 water from 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 of 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 mixed vegetables that have already been steamed.
4. For sauteing veggies, heat 3 tablespoons of 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 them aside.
7. In a grinder or blender jar, add the following ingredients:
- 1.25 cups of chopped tomatoes
- the soaked cashews
- ½ inch ginger
- 3 to 4 chopped garlic cloves.
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 tablespoons of butter in a pan.
10. Add 1 small to medium-sized tej patta and saute for a few seconds.
11. Add the prepared ground tomato cashew paste.
12. Stir and mix.
13. Keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low heat.
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 heat.
15. Add ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon red chili powder. You can also add Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch instead of red chili powder.
16. Stir and saute for a minute.
17. Add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water.
18. Stir and mix 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 makhani gravy to simmer on a low to medium heat 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 to mix.
23. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
24. Add salt according to taste.
25. Add ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Crush and then add the kasuri methi.
26. Stir and then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of low fat cream or light cream. Stir so that the cream mixes very well with the gravy. Switch off the heat.
Instead of low fat cream you can add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of heavy cream.
27. Lastly sprinkle some ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder. If using homemade garam masala, then add ¼ teaspoon and if using store brought, then add ½ teaspoon.
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 hot or warm with chapati or tandoori roti or rumali roti or plain paratha or naan or lachha paratha or poori.
You can also serve it with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice or saffron rice.
More Curry recipes
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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
- 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 hot or warm with rotis or parathas or naan or tadoori roti or rumali roti.
- While serving you can garnish with coriander leaves or ginger julienne.
Notes
- In this recipe, you can add vegetables like cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, carrots, french beans, capsicum, baby corn and broccoli.
- The grated paneer or grated cheese can be added while serving.
- If you don’t have low fat cream then you can skip adding it. But there will be some change in the taste.
- Instead of low fat cream you can add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of heavy cream.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Veg Makhanwala Post from the blog archives, first published in December 2014 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Thanks for sharing in this recipe…
welcome deepthi
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 ?
sharmilee, cashews can be used without soaking. but for almonds better to soak them. soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes and then peel the skin.
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 🙂
welcome nadine. thanks for sharing your positive feedback. good to know that you enjoyed the recipe. happy cooking.
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!!!
welcome riya. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes. glad to know that recipes are helping you in cooking.
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……
thanks vedika. thats good to know. keep the secret or you can say its a secret recipe.