Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala | Paneer Makhani is a vegetarian Indian, North Indian main course made with onion, tomatoes, and garlic in about 35 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Ingredients

For Onion Tomato Puree:

  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1/4 cup cashews (about 12-15) ((or almonds))
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 cup water

For Paneer Butter Masala:

  • 2-3 tablespoons butter ((or oil))
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • 1-2 bayleaf
  • 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder ((i used everest kashmiri lal brand))
  • 200 grams paneer (Indian cottage cheese) ((cut into 1-inch cubes))
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder ((or kitchen king masala))
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh cream
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar ((or honey), optional)
  • salt (as per taste)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (for garnish)

Method

Stovetop Method:

  1. Put the onions, tomatoes, cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, whole spices, and 1 cup of water into a pan and bring to a boil.
  2. Cook on a medium flame for at least 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Blend to a smooth puree/paste using a high-speed blender.
  3. In a pan, heat the butter, add the jeera seeds, and saute for 30 seconds.
  4. Add Kashmiri red chili powder, bay leaf, give a quick stir.
  5. Then add onion-tomato cashew puree. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the paneer, kasoori methi, garam masala (or kitchen king masala), sugar (optional), and salt. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil.
  7. Finally, gently stir in the fresh cream, and garnish with coriander leaves.
  8. Serve Paneer makhani recipe hot with chapati, naan, rice, and onion slices.

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Firstly, add 1 cup of water into the Instant pot insert. Place the trivet.
  2. Put the onions, tomatoes, cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, whole spices, and 1 cup of water into a deep pan. Place the pan over the trivet.
  3. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
  4. Once the pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
  5. Puree cooked onion-tomato mixture using a hand blender until smooth. If you don't have a hand blender, puree in a blender in batches once slightly cooled.
  6. Then I usually sieve the onion-tomato puree for silky texture and discard the residue, but it's optional.
  7. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add butter/oil to the pot. Once hot, add cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds.
  8. Add Kashmiri red chili powder, bay leaf, give a quick stir.
  9. Then add onion-tomato-cashew pureed mixture. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  10. Add the paneer, kasoori methi, garam masala, salt. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil.
  11. Lastly, gently stir in the cream, and paneer butter masala is ready to serve.

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.