Paneer Makhani Recipe (2024)

Published: | Modified: by Hina Gujral

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Paneer Makhani is a creamy, vegetarian Indian gravy recipe. If you are looking for a restaurant-style paneer makhani recipe, your search ends here. Be sure to watch the video!

Paneer Makhani Recipe (1)Pin

According to Google, there are millions of results when you search for a ‘paneer makhani recipe’.

So what makes this one special? – The homemade makhani gravy masala is the answer.The magical makhani masala of mine can be prepared in advance and is freezer friendly. This is the curry paste behind all my drool-worthy restaurant-style Indian makhani dishes.

Now no need to rush to the nearby Indian restaurant for your favourite murgh makhani or paneer butter masala. Prepare a batch of makhani masala over the weekend and store it in the fridge.

We are a family that loves Indian food to the core. The rich, restaurant-style Indian curries and gravy dishes are always in demand for family get-togethers and dinner parties.

This paneer makhani is one of those Indianfood recipes I have made so many times on different occasions, and each time it has gotten me tons of compliments.

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My Tried & True Tips

Soak paneer in lukewarm waterfor 8 – 10 minutes. This process makes the paneer super soft and mouth-melting.

Use thebright red ripe tomatoesfor the gravy. These tomatoes will give colour to the gravy.

After grinding, filter the makhani gravy using a sieve before adding paneer. This step makes the gravy restaurant style smooth and luscious.

Do not add too much waterwhile grinding the masala, as the paneer butter masala has a thick and luscious gravy.

Add ¼ cup of regular or cashew milk to get the desired consistency if the makhani gravy is too thick.

Instead of sugar,you can also use ¼ cup tomato paste or sauce. Nowadays, no onion, garlic tomato sauce, or ketchup is readily available in supermarkets.

I highly recommend usingKashmiri red chillies, which are mild in taste and give a bright colour to the gravy.

Watch Paneer Makhani Video

Serving Suggestion

Paneer Makhani and Naan is a favourite food combination of many food lovers worldwide, including mine. It is the ultimate comfort food.

This Indian main course gravy dish tastes perfect withwhole wheat naan, paratha, roomali roti, lachha paratha, or jeera rice.

Store the leftover paneer makhani in the refrigerator. While reheating, add ¼ cup of milk to get that creamy consistency.

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FAQs Related To Paneer Makhani

Are paneer tikka masala and paneer butter masala the same?

The only difference between the two paneer dishes is the grilling paneer before adding it to the gravy. The cubes are marinated and grilled in paneer tikka masala to get a smokey flavour in the gravy. The paneer butter masala cubes are neither grilled nor fried separately. The taste, texture, and colour of both Indian paneer recipes are more or less similar.

Can I make paneer makhani without onion/garlic?

Yes, tasty paneer makhani can be prepared without using onion or garlic. My Jain Paneer Makhani Recipe is a huge hit among friends and family who cook without onion/garlic. It is equally good in taste and super simple to prepare—one of the best recipes for festive occasions or any religious fasting menu.

More Paneer Recipes

  • Chilli Paneer
  • Paneer Curry
  • Paneer Tikka
  • Paneer Jalfrezi
  • Paneer Kofta Curry
  • Dhaba Style Matar Paneer
  • Achari Paneer Tawa Pulao

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If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.

Paneer Makhani Recipe (4)Pin

Paneer Makhani Recipe

Paneer Makhani is a creamy, vegetarian Indian gravy recipe. Learn to make restaurant style paneer makhani at home in a few steps.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Hina Gujral

  • Heavy Bottom Kadhai

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 500 gram paneer (cottage cheese)
  • 1 Cup makhani masala
  • 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 bay-leaf
  • 4 tablespoon fresh cream
  • ¼ Cup full-fat milk (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Instructions

  • Cut the paneer into equal size cubes and set aside.

  • Next, prepare the makhani masala as suggested in the recipe here.

  • Heat butter or ghee in a pan over medium flame.

  • Add bay leaf along with the makhani masala. Stir to combine and cook the masala over low heat for 4 – 5 minutes.

  • Now add the cream, salt to taste, garam masala, paneer cubes and milk. Mix nicely and allow the makhani gravy to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes over low heat. Keep stirring at regular intervals.

  • Once the makhani gravy gets the desired consistency,turn off the heat. Add crushed kasuri methi and stir to combine.

  • Garnish paneer makhani with cream and fresh coriander leaves just before serving.

  • Serve Paneer Makhani with naan, jeera rice or lachha paratha.

Recipe Notes:

  • Makhani Masala can be prepared few days before as well and can be stored in the fridge. Or you can make it from scratch just before making the dish.
  • If you prefer makhani gravy real thick then skip adding milk. I add milk to tone down the thickness of the gravy.
  • Many recipes suggest marinating and frying paneer before adding in the masala. But I feel frying makes paneer chewy. So I never follow this step in any of my paneer curry recipes.
  • Instead of fresh cream, you can use either cashew nuts paste/poppy seeds paste to make a rich and creamy makhani gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Calcium: 627mg

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach more food lovers like you.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sunjula says

    This is by far the best paneer butter masala recipe I’ve tried in 5 years! Totally loved it!

    Reply

    • Hina Gujral says

      That is such a big compliment. Thanks a million!

      Reply

  2. Mohit Atri says

    This really boosts my knowledge about this great dish. Looking forward to such helpful and lovely recipes. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hina Gujral says

      Always my pleasure.

      Reply

    • Shruthi says

      Hey tried this recipe!! It’s our favorite now

      Reply

  3. Sumathi says

    Looks delicious!!

    Reply

  4. Shruthi says

    Sounds interesting will try it out soon!

    Reply

  5. Supreeth says

    Super recipe!!!

    Reply

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Paneer Makhani Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much paneer is required for a 4 person? ›

For four people paneer required is —200 gm. For 50 people paneer required will be 2 kg.

What is paneer makhani made of? ›

Paneer makhani is a popular punjabi dish made with paneer, tomatoes, cashews, spices & cream. Paneer refers to Indian cheese & makhan refers to butter. So paneer makhani translates to paneer cooked with butter.

Can I use milk instead of cream in paneer? ›

Cream - Tinned nestle cream as well as cooking cream works well. Alternately, use milk instead of water to dilute if you do not have cream. Butter - Unsalted butter won't affect the salt measurement in the recipe, for that reason, it is perfect for making butter paneer.

Which is better, paneer makhani or paneer butter masala? ›

Paneer Makhani and Paneer Butter Masala are essentially the same. Makhani can be translated to “buttery”. Both have a rich buttery gravy, with a tomato and heavy cream base. There is an even richer version that has cashew nut paste, Shahi Paneer, which is also slightly sweeter than Butter Paneer.

How much paneer is needed for 2 people? ›

Originally Answered: How much paneer vegetable is needed for 100 people? For two people about 200 gm of paneer is required . So for ten people about one kilogram of paneer is required .

How much paneer is enough for one person? ›

According to experts, the human body needs 0.8 gm of protein per kg of body weight. For instance, if a person weighs 70 kg, he/she will need 56 grams of protein every day. Keeping this in mind, consuming 50-100 grams of paneer in a day can aid in meeting your body's daily protein requirements.

Do you fry paneer before adding to curry? ›

How do you add paneer to a curry sauce? Prepare the sauce and then add the fried paneer to the bubbling hot curry. Although fried until crisp, it is best to add the paneer fry to a sauce just before serving. It will then retain its shape and become soft and delicious in the center.

Is paneer makhani good for you? ›

Although paneer makhani is inherently unhealthy, it is important to consider the nutritional value of paneer. Cottage cheese or paneer is a bonafide health food as long as you opt for the non-fat varieties and prepare the dishes with healthy ingredients. It is an excellent source of protein.

Is paneer makhani like butter chicken? ›

Murgh makhani (aka butter chicken) is a creamy, rich Indian curry that I've tweaked to a vegan or vegetarian butter chicken alternative – using tofu or paneer (aka paneer makhani/paneer butter masala).

Which milk is best for paneer? ›

For making good quality paneer, buffalo milk is considered more suitable than cow milk (Bhattacharya et al. 1971; Sachdeva et al.

Which milk is better for paneer? ›

Buffalo milk is considered more suitable than cow milk for making good quality Paneer because it contains higher concentration of fat, caseins, and minerals (calcium, phosphorus), which impart a firm and rubbery body to buffalo milk paneer (Ghodekar, 1989).

What is a substitute for cream in paneer? ›

How to make healthy Paneer Makhani? Instead of using butter and cream in this dish, I simply soaked some cashews and blended them with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and a few aromatic spices. Instead of cream, I used whole milk, but you can totally use 2% reduced-fat or even 1% low-fat milk.

What is paneer called in English? ›

Although many Indians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese is made using rennet extracted from the stomach of ruminants, and cow's skim milk.

What are the other names for paneer makhani? ›

Paneer makhani (also called paneer butter masala) is an Indian dish of paneer, originating in New Delhi, in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter (makhan), tomatoes and cashews. Spices such as red chili powder and garam masala are also used to prepare this gravy.

What is the difference between paneer makhani and shahi paneer? ›

A: They are similar in spiciness, but this (the paneer makhani) is a little bit more spicy. The shahi paneer has a creamier sauce, which seems to tone the spice level down somewhat. If the shahi paneer is at your upper limit of spiciness, you'll probably want to avoid the makhani.

How many members can eat 1kg paneer? ›

Generally, 1 kg of Paneer Butter Masala can serve around 8 to 10 people, assuming each person consumes approximately 100 to 125 grams of the dish. However, this estimate may vary based on individual preferences and the accompanying side dishes or accompaniments.

What is a serving of paneer? ›

Based on this comparison, the nutritional chart shows that paneer has more calories, protein, and fat by weight. However, keep in mind that you may be more likely to consume paneer in 1-ounce (28-gram) servings and tofu in 1/2-cup (126-gram) servings.

How much is 300 gm paneer? ›

MTR Ready To Eat - Shahi Paneer, 300 g Carton
MRP:₹155
Price:₹155
You Save:
(Inclusive of all taxes)

How much is 250g paneer? ›

Milk Packet Dongrai Malai Paneer 250 gm at Rs 100/pack in Thane | ID: 19787207755.

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