1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and kasuri methinlowder
ginger julienne
1 tablespoon low fat cream
1 to 2 teaspoons butter –
Method of making Paneer Butter Masala
Soak 18 to 20 cashews in a hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Then make the paste of cashew nuts.
Chopped the tomatoes, cut the even size of paneer dices.
In the same blender add 2 cups of diced or roughly chopped tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes before blending.
Blend to a smooth tomato puree. Keep aside. Don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.
Making of makhani gravy
In a heavy bottom pan Melt butter on a low flame. Add bay leaf and fry till the oil become fragrant.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw aroma disappears. And onions become transparent.
Add the tomato puree and stir well. Cook for10 to 12 minutes. Then add kashmiri red chili powder and stir again. Continue to saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste. The tomato paste will thicken considerably and will start coming together on the top.
Then add cashew paste and stir well. Saute the cashew paste for a few minutes till the oil begins to leave the sides of the pan.
The cashew paste will begin to cook fast. Approx 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame. So keep stirring so the paste will not stick on the base of the pan.
Add water and mix very well. Simmer on a low flame.
The curry will come to a boil.
After 2 to 3 minutes of boiling, add ginger julienne. Reserve a few for garnishing. The curry will also begin to thicken.
Add julienned ginger and green chillies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.
After 3 to 4 minutes, add 1 or 2 slit green chillies. also add salt as per taste and ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar/honey
You can add sugar from ¼ tsp to 1 teaspoon or more depending on the sourness of the tomatoes. Sugar is optional and you can skip it too. If you add cream, then you will need to add less sugar.
Mix very well and simmer for a minute.
After the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, then add the paneer cubes and stir gently. i keep the gravy to a medium consistency.
After that add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), garam masala and cream. Gently mix and then switch off the flame.
Serving of paneer butter masala
Garnish it with coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
You can even dot the gravy with some butter or drizzle some cream.
Serve paneer butter masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, roti, paratha or steamed basmati or jeera rice or even peas pulao.
Side accompaniments can be green salad and some pickle along with lemon wedges and papad. Enjoy this special dish rich with lots of vitamins and a complete source of energy along with family and friends. Most popular dish make on every special occasion in India mostly in the North India.
Please Note
Butter: use good quality butter. You can add both unsalted or salted butter. Also both yellow butter or white butter can be added.
Tomatoes: it is best to use fresh, ripe red tomatoes. Add tomatoes which have sweet-tangy taste.
Tomato puree: blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. If you want you can strain the tomato puree also. Or you can use tomato purée tin or both.
Paneer: best to use homemade soft paneer or a good quality fresh paneer from the sweet shop.
You can steam the paneer also before adding it to the dish to make it more soft, it’s a chef secret.
A brief about Chef Avtar Singh Rana
Chef Avtar Singh Rana a passionate professional celebrity chef having more than 2 decades of experience. A chef who wears different hats, who ranges from the city Delhi is someone who loves interaction and discovery with a vision of always coming up with the best and true perfectionist at his work, he dwells in photography, traveling and of course food. He started his carrier with Taj Group of hotels, in the year 1998 and since then has only achieved milestones and growth immensely his hunger to learn and explore more got him travelling to the middle east, Oman, KSA , multiple times, where he worked for some of the iconic hotels. His talent also brought him recognition from Radisson, Starwood and Accor, where he was responsible for the preopening of the hotels.
An individual who leads by the examples and has the knack of grasping quickly and extend warm hospitality.
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