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Monday, April 2, 2012

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 :






































17 comments:

  1. Hi amarendra! first time here and I must congratulate you for creating such an inviting space here. your love for food is very evident in all the recipe that you have shared so far...hats off for posting such elaborate step by step recipes. the paneer makhani look delicious.

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  2. looks delicious and tempting ............

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  3. Awesome! I love Paneer ( like many others) and am on the lookout for recipes.
    Just one question, do u lightly roast the Kasuri Methi?

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    1. Yes Manasi. I dry roasted it for few seconds. It releases nice aroma due to roasting. Thanks for pointing it out. Actually I missed out this point.

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  4. yummy paneer .......delicious...

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  5. Gosh! What beautiful pics!! :)
    This is just the perfect recipe to steal somebody's heart. :)

    Ongoing Event: Cooking Made Easy With Yogurt

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  6. I specially love your step by step recipe.. Thats lot of work Amerendra and we all know this..

    ths sure is a hit in every home it will get .. wonderfully done.. thumbs up !

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    1. Thanks Nupur, Photography credit goes to my wife and mom. Both help me a lot while clicking snaps.

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  7. OMG! this is one of my fav...luv it! very nice click!

    SYF&HWS - Cook With SPICES" Series

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  8. Thank you all for the wonderful comments!!!

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  9. pass me a plate of this yumm please. The makhani looks so inviting and rich. All I need is some garlic naan and I am in heaven. Your wife and mom are a sport and very lucky too. 3 great chefs under one roof is unending party time.
    Love Ash.

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  10. Creamy n delicious curry! Looks yummy!

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  11. love the recipe and the creamy texture of the gravy..perfect tutorial and so tempting clicks.loved it..
    Anjana

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  12. I am trying this today! 95% done..waiting for the dinner time! :)
    Thanks for the recipe!

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