Paneer Butter Masala

Soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

While cashews are soaking, chop tomatoes, slit green chilies and chop ginger and garlic for the paste.

Crush the chopped ginger and garlic into a semi-fine or fine paste, without water.

Drain the soaked cashews and add in a blender jar along with some fresh water.

Blend the cashews to a smooth paste. Remove in a bowl and keep aside.

In the same blender jar, add roughly chopped tomatoes.

Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree without adding any water.

For the tomato gravy, heat butter in a thick-bottomed pan. To know more, swipe up!

Add bay leaf (tej patta) and fry till the butter becomes fragrant from the aroma of the tej patta.

Add the prepared ginger-garlic paste.

Fry for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.

Pour in the prepared tomato puree.

Mix it well with the butter.

Cook the tomato puree on low to medium-low heat. Stir at intervals.

The tomato puree mixture will start simmering.

In case the tomato puree mixture splutters too much, cover with a splatter lid.

Keep stirring at intervals.

Simmer the tomato puree mixture for 5 to 6 minutes.

Add Kashmiri red chili powder, deghi mirch powder, cayenne pepper, paprika or any variety of red chili powder.

Mix well and sauté the tomato puree mixture.

Sauté till the butter starts to leave the sides of the pan. To know more, swipe up!

Add the prepared cashew paste.

Mix the cashew paste well with the tomato puree mixture and sauté on low to medium-low heat. Stir non-stop.

Sauté till the cashew paste is cooked and the butter again starts to leave the sides of the pan.

Next, add water.

Mix the water well with the tomato-cashew masala mixture. There should be no lumps.

Let the gravy simmer and come to a boil. Stir occasionally.

After 2 to 3 minutes, add ginger juliennes, reserving some for garnishing.

After 3 to 4 minutes, add slit green chilies.

Add salt and sugar as per taste. To know more, swipe up!

Mix well and simmer the gravy for a minute.

Once the gravy thickens, add paneer (cottage cheese) cubes. To know more, swipe up!

Stir and mix the paneer cubes gently in the gravy. To know more, swipe up!

Add crushed kasuri methi and garam masala powder.

Next, add low fat or heavy whipping cream.

Stir well but gently, and switch off the heat.

Garnish paneer butter masala with coriander leaves, reserved ginger juliennes, cream; serve hot. For more recipes, visit vegrecipesofindia.com