Paneer Makhanwala

Paneer Makhanwala or Paneer Makhani is a popular Punjabi gravy-based dish made from butter and fresh cream. Traditionally, onions are not used in this recipe. However, I have used onions, cashews and dahi (curd) to give the gravy a velvety texture. You can serve this dish with roti, kulcha, naan or paratha and enjoy its wonderful flavour.

Ingredients :

For Onion-Cashew paste :
1 tspn Vegetable oil
1 tspn Butter
2 medium sized chopped Onions
8-10 Cashews
1 tbspn fresh Curd
Water if required

For Paneer Makhanwala :
250 gms Paneer (Cut in cubes)
1/2 cup par-boiled green peas (Optional)
1 tbspn Vegetable oil
1 tbspn Butter
1 tspn Ginger paste
1 tspn Garlic paste
1/2 tspn Green chilly paste
1 cup Tomato puree
1/2 cup Onion-cashew paste 
1 tspn Red chilly powder (or as per taste)
1/2 tspn Turmeric powder
1 tspn Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 tspn Kasuri Methi (Dry fenugreek) 
1 tbspn Honey
1 cup fresh Cream

For Garnishing :
Chopped fresh Corriander
Fresh Cream

Method :

To make Onion-Cashew Paste :
Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add chopped onions and saute till it changes its colour. Then add some cashews and again saute for a minute or two. Allow the mixture to cool for some time. Add some curd to it. Transfer it into a blender and blend it to a smooth paste. If required, add some water. Set it aside to use it in the gravy later.

To make Paneer Makhanwala :
Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilly paste and saute it for a minute. Then add tomato puree. Cook the puree till it starts releasing oil from the sides. Then add onion-cashew paste to it. Mix it in the puree and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add red chilly powder, turmeric Powder, Garam Masala, salt and honey. Crush Kasuri methi in your palms and add it. Mix it well in the gravy. Then add fresh cream and simmer for 2 minutes on medium heat.  

After the fresh cream is cooked, add Paneer cubes and par-boiled green peas. Cover it and further cook it on low flame for 5-8 minutes so that the paneer soaks the gravy. 

Transfer it into a serving dish. Garnish it with fresh corriander and drizzle some fresh cream. Serve hot with Indian breads like Roti, Naan or Kulcha. 

Notes :
1. If the paneer is not soft, then soak it in luke-warm water for some time to soften it. 
2. Fresh cream can be substituted with milk powder.

Stepwise Pictures :