This Paneer Makhanwala has soft paneer cubes (Indian cottage cheese) in a buttery, creamy, tangy, lightly sweet gravy or sauce made with onion, tomato, cashews, herbs and spices.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup chopped onions (- 80 grams or 1 medium to large onion)
  • 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes (- 160 to 170 grams or 3 to 4 medium tomatoes)
  • 1 inch ginger (- chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger)
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves (- small to medium sized, chopped or ½ teaspoon chopped garlic)
  • 2 single strands of mace
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 2 tablespoon whole cashews (or about 10 to 12 cashews)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 to 2.5 tablespoons butter (- softened)
  • 1 tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon kashmir red chili powder (or deghi mirch or sweet paprika)
  • 1 green chili (- slit)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1.5 cups water (or as required)
  • 250 to 300 grams paneer (- cut into cubes or squares (cottage cheese))
  • ¼ cup light cream (or cooking cream of low-fat cream)
  • ¾ teaspoon kasuri methi (- crushed (dry fenugreek leaves))
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (or add as required)
  • 1 tablespoon light cream (or cooking cream)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons grated paneer (- optional)
  • 1 inch ginger (- julienne)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves ((cilantro))

Method

Making makhani paste

  1. First mix chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cashews, mace, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms with 1 cup water in a medium saucepan.
  2. Cook everything without a lid till the tomatoes and onions soften. Cook for about 14 to 15 minutes on a medium flame. Allow this mixture to cool.
  3. When the ingredients are warm or cool, add everything including the stock (the water in which the ingredients were cooked) in a good blender or grinder. Grind to a smooth and fine paste.
  4. Remember there should be no small pieces of cashews or spices. Everything should be ground very well till fine and smooth.

Making paneer makhanwala

  1. Heat butter in the same pan or another pan. Make sure the pan is dry when you add the butter. Add tejpatta (Indian bay leaf) and sauté for a few seconds.
  2. Add the ground makhani paste. Stir well to mix with the butter
  3. Add kashmiri red chili powder which gives a good color and is less spicy. You can also use deghi mirch or sweet paprika
  4. Stir well and saute the masala on a medium heat.
  5. Keep stirring often. You have to sauté the masala till you see the butter leaving the sides. It has to sautéed really well. This takes time but patience is the key.
  6. Sauteing the masala paste takes about 20 to 22 mins on a medium to medium-high heat. Check the step by step photos (picture number 9) for the consistency of how the masala paste should be before you proceed to the next step.
  7. Add slit green chilies, salt and water. Again stir very well to make an even curry mixture. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  8. Then add sugar and again stir. If you want to add honey instead of sugar then kindly check the notes section below.
  9. Add the paneer cubes. Mix gently and switch off the heat.
  10. Lastly add the light cream, crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and garam masala powder.
  11. Mix very well and switch off the heat. Check the taste of gravy and add more salt or sugar as needed.
  12. Serve paneer makhanwala garnished with cream, grated paneer, ginger julienne, and cilantro leaves, hot or warm with naan or roti.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.