Restaurant favourite · 30 minutes
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe (Paneer Makhani)
Cook tomatoes down. Strain. Butter and methi.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenPaneer butter masala is soft paneer in a smooth, sweet-tangy butter and tomato sauce. It goes wrong when the sauce is sour or grainy. The fix is cooking tomatoes and cashews until jammy, blending and straining, and finishing with butter, cream and crushed kasuri methi.
The 3 laws of paneer butter masala
Why this recipe works
Raw tomatoes
Removes sourness.
Grainy sauce
Makes it silky.
No methi
The restaurant aroma.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Makhani
The NineFoods paneer gauge
Is the paneer soft?
Press a cube of paneer with a spoon before adding it.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Cook tomatoes
- Melt 1 tbsp butter, fry ginger garlic, add tomatoes, cashews, chilli, salt.
- Cook until jammy.
Blend and strain
- Blend with water and strain.
Finish
- Simmer sauce with sugar and remaining butter.
- Add paneer, cream and methi.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Tomatoes undercooked.
Fix next time
Cook longer and add sugar.
Why
Not strained.
Fix next time
Blend longer and strain.
Why
Cream boiled.
Fix next time
Add cream on low.
Why
Dry paneer.
Fix next time
Soak in hot water first.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Paneer | Main | Tofu |
| Cashews | Body | Almonds |
| Cream | Richness | Milk plus 1 tbsp butter |
| Butter | Flavour | Ghee |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Butter naan or jeera rice.
Store
Fridge 3 days. Freeze the sauce only.
Reheat
Warm the sauce, then add paneer for the last 2 minutes.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the paneer soft) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Paneer Butter Masala FAQ
Is paneer butter masala the same as paneer makhani?
Yes, both names describe paneer in a buttery tomato sauce.
Why is my sauce sour?
The tomatoes need longer cooking and a pinch of sugar.
Can I skip cashews?
Yes, use more cream.
Can I make it vegan?
Use tofu, oil and cashew cream.