Butter Paneer Masala

No. of servings:  4-6
Preparation Time:  15 mins	Cook Time:  25 mins

One of the most popular entrees in the restaurant can easily be whipped up at home.  Easy to make, delicious to eat.  With the same exotic look and taste, this dish is sure to become a regular 'ask' on the home menu!  

Ingredients:

• Paneer (or) Tofu - 0.5 lb
• Cashews - 1.5 fistful
• Finely chopped onions - 1 medium
• Finely chopped tomatoes - 3 medium
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 6 cloves
• Ghee (or) oil - 1 tbsp
• Cardamom - 5 
• Cloves - 4-5
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Dana-jeera powder (Coriander-cumin powder) - 1.5 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 0.5 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Kasoori methi - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp
• Cream - 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

• Cube the paneer/tofu
• Immerse the cubed paneer in hot water and set aside for 20 minutes.  (This step is not required if using tofu.  Just be sure to rinse and squeeze out all the water before making cubes.)
• In a tbsp of ghee/oil, add cashews and saute till they start turning golden brown ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Add onions and saute for a couple of minutes till they turn translucent
• Add tomatoes and saute well till they become mushy
• Add dana-jeera powder, garam masala, 0.75 tsp red chili powder and sugar
• Saute till it starts giving a nice aroma (about a minute)
• Add salt, mix and turn off the heat
• After cooling it a little bit, pour it into a blender jar and make a smooth paste
• Make a coarse powder of cardamom, cloves and cinnamon
• Heat a tsp of ghee/oil and add this powder, along with chopped ginger and garlic ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Saute for just a minute, till the raw smell is gone (don't overcook or burn)
• Pour the blended gravy and mix well
• Add the remaining 0.25 tsp red chili powder and mix
• Whisk 1 cup of hot water in the blender jar and pour it into the gravy (Gravy will look a little runny at this time.)
• Cover and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes, until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to separate
• Drain the paneer cubes and discard the water (If using tofu, it should not be soaked in hot water)
• Add the paneer/tofu cubes to the gravy and mix gently
• Cover and cook for 3 more minutes
• Crush the kasoori methi leaves into the gravy
• Add a tsp of cream in the end for a richer taste (if using)
• Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with hot rotis or rice

Tips and Tricks:

• Immersing paneer cubes in hot water makes the texture of the paneer softer and not rubbery.  This will also eliminate the need to fry the paneer cubes in oil
• Whisking some hot water in the blender jar hastens the cleaning process and also gets all the ingredients into the gravy easily
• Adding a little red chili powder to the blended gravy will enhance the rich red color of the gravy
• Covering the gravy and cooking until the oil separates gives a richer taste to the entree
• That doesn't mean we have to put too much oil.  Cooking it well allows even a tbsp of oil to separate

Pictures: 

 

  

Final Outcome: