Paneer Butter Masala

Cottage cheese cooked in rich buttery flavorful tomato gravy. I have tried making this dish without using any fat in microwave and was quite ok but then I should be calling it just Tamatar-paneer as will not justify its name butter-masala. So forget calories indulge and just enjoy this famous buttery-creamy-tangy-aromatic veg side dish, found in every north Indian Restaurant menu .



I don't want to use too many  ingredients or steps for the dish to look complicated. I like to cook simple. This is my simplest version of this recipe with minimum required ingredients but no compromise with taste. If you are cooking a bigger batch like for 15-20 people then I would suggest to boil and puree cashew-nuts and tomatoes separately just to ensure that everything is cooked properly.

Paneer/cottage cheese can be store bought or home-made. For home-made recipe click the link Paneer.

Serves :3

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter or more if you like
• 1 inch piece ginger chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 4 medium tomatoes , diced
• 10-12 cashewnuts
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp sugar optional
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt to taste
• 100 gm Paneer

Method:

1. Cut the paneer into 1 inch squares or triangles and keep aside.
2. Heat Oil in a wok or pan and add butter and bay leaf.
3. Add  ginger and garlic and saute for a min.
4. Add cashew nuts saute for 30 sec and add tomatoes.
5. Add chili powder and salt and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.  You can add very little water at this point for the tomatoes to cook. When the fat starts to separate and water evaporates switch off the gas. If the tomatoes are sour then add sugar else skip it.
6. Cool the mixture and grind into a smooth puree.
7. Strain the puree to get a smooth texture and put it back in the pan.
8. Switch on the gas and add 1/2 cup water and Paneer pieces and simmer for 2 -3 min stirring  in between.
9. Finish by adding garam masala, cream and kasoori methi.
10. Serve hot with Naan, tandoori or other Indian Bread.