Paneer Makhanwala: Step-By-Step Recipe
Paneer Makhanwala is a decadent mildly spiced Indian curry that pairs well with jeera rice, kulcha, naan or chapati. Cubes of Indian cottage cheese are cooked in rich cashew and tomato-based gravy, spices and cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Paneer
- 1 tbsp Oil or ghee or butter
- 2¼ cups Tomatoes
- 1 Onion
- 16-18 Cashew Nuts
- 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Salt and sugar
- ¼ cup Cream
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 1 Green chilli
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Cloves
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ⅛ tsp Turmeric
- 1¼ tsp Garam Masala
To garnish:
- Fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Chop tomatoes and add them to a blender jar along with cashews. If you don't have a powerful blender, soak the cashews for 15 minutes in a little amount of boiling water. Add them to the blender after draining the water.
- After that, blend them to a smooth puree. If your blender doesn’t make a smooth puree, then filter the puree. I do not filter as mine does a smooth puree.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter. Add a deseeded and slit chilli, along with 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, and 2 cloves. Skip the whole spices if you don't have any.
- Add the ginger garlic paste when they start to sizzle (or ginger paste). Sauté until the raw meat flavour disappears.
- Pour the tomato puree. It will start to splash, so cover the pan partially. Cook the tomato puree further until it thickens.
- Add red chilli and salt.
- Cook and stir until the sides begin to slide away.
- Add a teaspoon of garam masala. Use 3/4 teaspoon of garam masala and a teaspoon of coriander powder if your masala is particularly potent. For one or two minutes, mix and sauté.
- Add about 1 cup water and sugar and mix. You may need to adjust the amount of water.
- As the gravy starts to thicken, cover the pan and simmer it on medium heat. At this point, the butter can be seen starting to lighten up a little on the gravy. You'll only detect a few traces of butter because it's not used very much.
- After that, add paneer. Sprinkle crushed fenugreek leaves. Stir, cover and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add cream as desired. I added cream and cook until it begins to bubble. Your dish is ready!
Notes
- Use fresh and good quality ingredients: Use fresh and ripe tomatoes, high-quality spices, and fresh paneer for the best flavour.
- Don't overcook the paneer: Overcooking the paneer can make it rubbery and tough. Add the paneer towards the end of the cooking process and cook it until heated through.
- Use the right amount of spices: Use the right amount of spices to balance the flavours. Be careful not to use too much chilli powder or garam masala, as it can overpower the dish.
- Use cashew nuts for a creamy texture: Cashew nuts can blend with tomatoes to create a creamy sauce. This adds richness and depth of flavour to the dish.
- Use ghee or butter for a rich flavour: Ghee or butter can help to cook the onions and other ingredients. This adds richness and a buttery flavour to the dish.
- Add fenugreek leaves for extra flavour: Fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi can help towards the end of the cooking process. It will give a unique flavour.
- Adjust the spiciness to your taste: Adjust the amount of chilli powder or green chillies to your preference for spiciness.