Paneer makhani is a delicious curry made by cooking paneer in buttery tomato cashew gravy. This super delicious creamy paneer makhani is loved by most Indians & is popular on the Indian restaurant menus. Paneer makhani goes so well with plain basmati rice, jeera rice, roti, paratha or naan.
This restaurant style paneer makhani is an all-time favorite at home as it super quick to make & tastes amazingly delicious. It can be made just under 25 to 30 mins from scratch.
Paneer makhani is a popular punjabi dish made with paneer, tomatoes, cashews, spices & cream. Paneer refers to Indian cheese & makhan refers to butter. So paneer makhani translates to paneer cooked with butter.
This recipe is different from the paneer butter masala I have shared before. Punjabi paneer makhani is made with very few ingredients and uses no onion making it distinct from the Butter paneer or Paneer butter masala.
This recipe is a must try if you are looking for some easy, yet delicious paneer recipe that can be made with minimum effort.
You can cook your basmati rice on one burner while you make the paneer makhani on the other. You will have your awesome meal ready under half an hour. Do include some fresh sliced onions, carrots, cucumbers & lemon in your meal to perk up the nutrition.
Tips to make paneer makhani
- Use good quality paneer from a good brand. You can also check this homemade paneer recipe to make your own just like the way I did.
- If using store bought paneer, you can optionally soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 mins before adding to the gravy. This will keep the paneer soft.
- This paneer makhani recipe uses cashews to make the makhani gravy creamy. Feel free to replace them with soaked and blanched almonds.
- You can also make the gravy ahead and refrigerate. Do not add the paneer & cream while making the gravy. When you are ready to consume, heat until it begins to bubble. Then add paneer & stir in the cream.
- Choose ripe tomatoes and avoid the unripe or green ones as they ruin the taste of the paneer makhani.
- I do not use artificial colors for my food. I generally use Kashmiri or byadgi chilli powder for good color. You can use the same or use smoked paprika.
- You can use cooking cream, whipping cream, heavy cream or even vegan cream. You can also skip the cream completely and just increase the amount of cashews.
- Avoid over cooking paneer in the makhani gravy as overcooked paneer turns hard, rubbery & chewy.
This paneer makhani recipe has roughly been adapted from the Veg makhani and Butter chicken recipes on this blog.
Related recipes
Malai kofta
Paneer tikka masala
Palak paneer
Matar paneer
Paneer makhani recipe
Paneer makhani recipe | How to make paneer makhani
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
To puree
- 16 to 18 cashewnuts or blanched almonds
- 2¼ cups tomatoes or 400 gms
Other ingredients to make paneer makhani
- 2 cups paneer or 200 grams Indian cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter (can use upto 2 tbsps)
- 2 green cardamoms or elaichi
- 1 inch cinnamon or dalchini
- 2 cloves
- 1 green chili (slit & deseeded)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or ¾ tsp ginger paste)
- ¾ to 1 ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust as needed)
- salt as needed
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (or haldi) (optional)
- 1¼ teaspoon garam masala (adjust as needed)
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (or fenugreek leaves)
- ¼ cup cream (adjust to suit your taste)
How to make the recipe
Preparation for paneer makhani
- If using store bought paneer, then soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 mins.
- Drain the water and use. This will keep the paneer soft.
- Blend together tomatoes and cashews to a smooth puree.
- If you do not have a powerful blender then just soak cashews for 10 to 15 mins in hot water.
- The tomato puree has to be smooth.
- If you find your puree coarse, then pass it through a strainer.
How to make paneer makhani
- Heat a pan with butter. saute cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and green chili.
- Then saute ginger garlic paste for 2 mins until the raw smell has gone.
- Transfer the tomato puree to the pan.
- The tomato puree will begin to splash so be cautious.
- Cover partially and cook until the puree thickens.
- Add chili powder, turmeric and salt.
- Saute until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
- Next add garam masala and saute for 1 to 2 mins.
- Pour 1 cup water and sugar. Adjust the amount of water as needed to make a gravy.
- Cook until the paneer makhani gravy thickens & you see traces of butter or grease on top.
- Add the paneer & kasuri methi to the makhani gravy.
- Stir gently and cook covered for 2 mins on a low heat.
- Pour the cream and allow to bubble.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cream and coriander leaves.
- Serve paneer makhani with roti, naan or jeera rice.
NUTRITION
Notes
- If you are making ahead then just make the makhani gravy and refrigerate. When needed allow the gravy to bubble and then add paneer and cream.
- To use almonds, soak them in hot water for 30 mins. Peel off the skin and blend along with tomatoes.
- You can totally skip the cream in the recipe.
Preparation for paneer makhani
1. Chop tomatoes and add them to a blender jar along with cashews. If you do not own a powerful blender then soak the cashews in little hot water for 15 mins. Drain the water and add them to the blender. I do not soak them.
2. 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.
How to make paneer makhani
4. Heat 1 tbsp butter. Add slit & deseeded chilli, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1 small cinnamon stick. If you do not have the whole spices then just skip them.
5. When they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste (or ginger paste). Saute until the raw smell goes away.
6. Pour the tomato puree.
7. It will begin to splash immediately, so cover the pan partially. Continue to cook until the tomato puree thickens.
8. Add red chili powder and salt.
9. Stir and cook until it begins to leave the sides. You can adjust more or less chili powder now. I added about 1 ¼ tsp red chili powder since mine was not hot, adjust as needed to suit your taste.
Add 1 ¼ tsp garam masala. If your masala is very strong, then use ¾ tsp garam masala and ½ tsp coriander powder. Mix and saute for a minute or 2.
10. Add about 1 cup water, sugar and mix. You may need to adjust the amount of water slightly.
11. Cover and cook on a medium flame until the gravy thickens. You can now see butter begins to float on the gravy slightly. There is not much butter used, so you will only see little traces of butter.
Adding paneer
12. Add paneer (Indian cottage cheese).
13. Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi. Gently stir, cover and cook on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
14. Add cream as desired. I add about ¼ cup of cream and cook until it begins to bubble. This quantity goes well for our taste and it balances the sour taste from tomatoes. You can add more or less to your liking.
Serving suggestions : Paneer makhani can be served with
Indian flat breads like – naan, roti or plain paratha.
Plain or Flavored rice like
Jeera rice
ghee rice
pulao
Rita says
I was pleasantly surprised this tastes exactly like my favorite restaurant’s paneer makhani! Thank you!
swasthi says
Welcome Rita,
Glad you liked it.
🙂
Lesle says
Oh my god! This paneer makhani was out of this world. Turned out fabulous!!! My husband and 70 year old MIL couldn’t stop appreciating this dish. I bought some frozen naans and made grilled tikka broccoli. All together was delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Lesle says
ThAt was a
swasthi says
Hi Lesle
Awesome! So glad to know your paneer makhani turned out delicious. Thank you so much for the comment.
🙂
Neha says
Perfect recipe! Thanks! I tried out your paneer makhani recipe & it was a tasty success!
swasthi says
Welcome Neha
Glad you liked it.Thank you!
Jessie says
Excellent recipe- tastes like restaurant. I didn’t have Garam masala so ended up using MDH kadhai paneer masala. Yummy!!
Amber says
Hi there, this recipe looks amazing.
One question – can I use canned diced tomatoes?
swasthi says
Hi Amber
Thank you. Yes you can use if the tomatoes are not too sour.
Ritika says
Hi
Just a question can I use readymade tomato paste instead
swasthi says
Hi Ritika,
Yes you can use if it is not too sour. I haven’t used ready paste any time. Just add more cream if needed to adjust the sourness.
Ritika says
Thanks so much
Nami says
Thanks so much for sharing such an “awesomely” simple recipe and yet, palatably delicious! Loved it!!
swasthi says
You are welcome Nami
Thanks for the comment
🙂
James says
Hi Swasthi
Love this blog for the simple recipes with awesome results. I follow your recipes when ever i long for Indian food. Very good recipes. Kudos!
Sarah A. says
Pakistani-Canadian woman here. I made this a couple nights ago and it was absolutely delicious. My husband loved it. His (indian) coworker had some leftovers the next day and she said it was restaurant quality. Thank you for this excellent recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Sarah,
So glad to know paneer makhani turned out delicious. Thanks for the comment.
🙂
radhika says
yesterday there was a get together in my house. prepared the same it turned a super duper hit everyone loved it .thanks a lot for your receipe
swasthi says
You are welcome Radhika
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know it turned out good.
HM says
Hi Swasthi ,
Firstly great job on the blog and the recipes . You are doing an amazing job of sharing your skill with others .
I am planning on making this for 12 people and am wondering how to upscale the quantities . Your input will be much appreciated. Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome HM,
Thanks for the appreciations. You can just triple the recipe and cut down ginger garlic paste to 2.5 tsps . Hope this helps
Amy says
I am eating this as I type. It is absolutely delicious; it tastes exactly like the restaurant dish. I married into an Indian family, love Indian food, and cook it often, but I never was able to find a recipe for Paneer Makhani that tasted authentic. Thank you so much, I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
swasthi says
Welcome Amy.
So glad to know you liked it. Thanks for trying!
Morgan says
Absolutely in love with this recipe, and this blog in general. I’ve made this recipe for family and friends whom are very familiarized with restaurant quality Paneer Makhani, and they prefer mine (this recipe) over the restaurants! I would make this everyday if I had endless time!
swasthi says
Thanks Morgan, You made my day!!
🙂
Happy to know you all like the paneer makhani
sagar says
Wow…
Really awesome taste.. yummyy…..
Same like restaurent taste… Wondered with it..
Very simple method…
Thanks for posting madam
swasthi says
Welcome Sagar garu
Thanks for sharing the outcome
Archana says
So Beautyful in test … I can’t explain. But i have a question on my mind that what should we use replace of cream ??? Plzz reply me …
swasthi says
Thanks Archana
Just use more cashews in the recipe to skip cream. May be another 5 to 6 whole cashew nuts will do the job.
Anu says
Awesome recipe. Followed the exact measurements you gave. It came out fantastic. Better than restaurants. Low oil, healthy & tasty. The only thing which i changed was that i added milk powder instead of cream since I didn’t have it. But it gave the same creamy taste. Thanks a lot for posting this.
swasthi says
Welcome Anu
So glad to know paneer makhani turned out good. Thanks a lot for writing
shadab says
Yesterday i prepared paneer makhani with this recipe….taste is better than restaurant….thanks
Neha says
Your recipees are just osamm….
Everytime wenvr I try ..I get lotsa appreciations …
Thanks..keep posting more..?
swasthi says
Welcome Neha
Thanks a lot. Glad to know you are appreciated.
🙂
Sam says
Hello Again!
Please can you advise if I can make sauces ahead of cooking and keep in the refrigerator a day earlier? Is there a rule for sauces like this for chicken and Paneer ie Makhani or Butter sauces? For example is it different for sauces using onions and not using onions?
swasthi says
Sam all these dishes taste best when made freshly with fresh ingredients. To reduce the work on the day, you can keep all the spices powders & tomato puree ready on the previous day. You can also marinate the chicken the previous night. Refrigerate and use them the next day. It doesn’t take much time to cook these dishes if you are done with .preparation well ahead. Hope this helps
Sam says
Hello, can I use Fenugreek Powder instead of dry crushed? Also, if want to double paneer, would I double the powder spices & use 1.5tbsp of Kasoori Methi & 1.5tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste as in Butter Chicken?
swasthi says
Hi Sam
To double the recipe you can use 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste, generous pinch of fenugreek powder and then 2 tsps garam masala.
Please note it is tsp and not tbsp as u mentioned in your comment.
Sam says
Thank you! It was amazing if I say so myself! I am really enjoying cooking your recipes!
(Just a quick reference to the tsp vs tbsp. I asked this question about the same dish with chicken. You said “tbsp” in your reply. Is it different for Paneer or a typo error? Just so you know I followed it with tbsps of K.Methi and Garlic Ginger Paste and that was amazing too!…I use cubed frozen Kasuri Methi available from British supermarkets. I blotted it witha paper kitchen towel.
swasthi says
Welcome Sim. So glad to know it turned out good. Thanks for trying.
Yes for paneer it is different for 2 reasons
Firstly for chicken there is marination while paneer no marination since we want to remove the meat smell.
Secondly chicken needs much more spices and all other ingredients than used for paneer. Though this paneer recipe is roughly adapted from chicken makhani, all the quantities differ and the recipes cannot be used interchangeably.
1 tbsp of kasuri methi would be a lot even if you double this recipe but since you used the frozen cubes and then blotted them as well, probably they are less bitter. So worked out.
Have a lovely week ahead
🙂
Sam says
Thanks so much! I will be making this again very soon!
Vishal says
Hi Swathi, I cooked the dish but i did little edit on your recipe, not added ginger & garlic paste (as i not like the taste) but still it tastes good. I want to ask you if there is any big diffrence in taste by not add ginger garlic paste compare to your original recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Vishal
Making without garlic may not impact the taste mush but without ginger the flavor would be missing. But depends on the personal choice, since this is a paneer dish it will still taste good. Actually ginger garlic is used to make a dish masaledar and this is not such recipe so you can skip it if you do not like. Thanks for rating the recipe