• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Rice Recipes
    • Paneer Recipes
    • Snacks Recipes
    • Dal Recipes
    • Veg Curry
    • Indo-Chinese Recipes
    • Latest
    • Recipe Index
  • ABOUT

Swasthi's Recipes

Home >> Recipes >> vegetarian

Paneer makhani recipe, How to make paneer makhani

By swasthi , on August 21, 2019, 133 Comments, Jump to Recipe

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.

paneer makhani

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.

Advertisement

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.

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

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.

adding tomatoes to blender jar to make paneer makhani

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.

tomato cashew puree to make paneer makhani

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.

tempering spices in butter

5. When they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste (or ginger paste). Saute until the raw smell goes away.

adding ginger garlic paste to make paneer makhani

6. Pour the tomato puree.

adding tomato puree to make makhani gravy
Advertisement

7. It will begin to splash immediately, so cover the pan partially. Continue to cook until the tomato puree thickens.

cooking gravy to make paneer curry

8. Add red chili powder and salt.

adding chilli powder to make paneer makhani

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.

adding garam masala to make paneer makhani
Advertisement

10. Add about 1 cup water, sugar and mix. You may need to adjust the amount of water slightly.

pouring water to make paneer makhani

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.

adding paneer and kasuri methi

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.

adding cream to paneer makhani

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

paneer makhani

Tips to make paneer makhani

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. This paneer makhani recipe uses cashews to make the makhani gravy creamy. Feel free to replace them with soaked and blanched almonds.
  4. 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.
  5. Choose ripe tomatoes and avoid the unripe or green ones as they ruin the taste of the paneer makhani.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Avoid over cooking paneer in the makhani gravy as overcooked paneer turns hard, rubbery & chewy.

Related Recipes

Paneer recipe...

paneer recipes

Paneer butter...

paneer butter masala

Malai kofta r...

paneer recipes

Paneer tikka ...

paneer tikka masala

Palak paneer ...

palak paneer

Matar paneer ...

matar paneer mutter paneer

Paneer makhani recipe

Advertisement
paneer makhani

Paneer makhani recipe | How to make paneer makhani

Paneer makhani is a delicious, creamy & rich dish made of paneer in cashew tomato gravy. Serve paneer makhani with plain rice, flavored rice or any Indian flat breads like roti, naan or plain paratha. 
Pin Recipe Print Recipe

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US 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 (optional, but recommended)
  • 2 cloves (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 green chili (slit & deseeded)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or crushed (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)
Advertisement

Instructions

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.
Advertisement

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. To use almonds, soak them in hot water for 30 mins. Peel off the skin and blend along with tomatoes.
  3. You can totally skip the cream in the recipe.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Paneer makhani recipe | How to make paneer makhani
Amount Per Serving
Calories 503 Calories from Fat 369
% Daily Value*
Fat 41g63%
Saturated Fat 24g150%
Cholesterol 109mg36%
Sodium 300mg13%
Potassium 437mg12%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 680IU14%
Vitamin C 13.8mg17%
Calcium 599mg60%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

WhatsApp
Share2K
Pin1K
Reddit
Tweet
Email
3K Shares
FOR MORE RECIPES

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.


Paneer makhani recipe, How to make paneer makhani
Advertisement
WhatsApp
Share2K
Pin1K
Reddit
Tweet
Email
3K Shares

Related Posts

Advertisement

FEATURED RECIPES

Breakfast Recipes

Upma recipe (r…

upma recipe

Cake Recipes

Banana cake re…

banana cake recipe

Breakfast Recipes

Aloo paratha r…

aloo paratha

vegetarian

Paneer recipes…

paneer recipes

Dal Recipes

Dal makhani (S…

dal makhani recipe

Rice Recipes

Veg biryani re…

veg biryani

Advertisement

POPULAR RECIPES

Idli recipe (S…

soft idli

Samosa recipe …

samosa

Pav bhaji reci…

pav bhaji

Eggless chocol…

eggless chocolate cake

Palak paneer r…

palak paneer

Rajma recipe (…

rajma

Advertisement

Paneer butter …

paneer butter masala

Kadai paneer r…

kadai paneer

Paneer tikka r…

paneer tikka

Advertisement

About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Recipe Rating




Recipe Rating




133 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Geeta Sood
April 9, 2021 12:51 pm

5 stars
OMG so delicious and easy to make!!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Geeta Sood
April 10, 2021 8:18 am

Thank you

Reply
Advertisement
Kim
March 16, 2021 12:42 pm

5 stars
Totally Delicious!! So easy to follow the recipe instructions. This is definitely going to be a regular favourite meal in our home!!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Kim
March 19, 2021 12:05 pm

Glad to know Kim
Thank you

Reply
Sandy
January 15, 2021 10:38 am

5 stars
Swasthi, even better this time. Cooked the masala down to the consistency of the paste you showed in the pictures which i did not quite achieve last time. A much deeper flavour this time, where last time it had a little ‘green’ tinge from the tomatoes. Absolutely fantastic!! Glad I made a double batch of the gravy 🙂 More for the crew to watch the again tomorrow with your vegetable kurma.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Sandy
January 16, 2021 3:35 am

Hello Sandy,
Yes you are right. Glad to know it turned out good. Thank you so much for leaving a comment.

Reply
Sandy
Reply to  swasthi
January 31, 2021 12:19 am

5 stars
Swasthi, just an update. I cooked this again last night with your Ghee rice, though this time with a 400g can of Mutti Polpa (pureed tomatoes) to replace fresh tomatoes. Had to add maybe a 1/4 cup of water to loosen it up in the early stage but it worked out just fine (again:))

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Sandy
February 1, 2021 2:59 am

Hi Sandy,
Thank you so much for sharing this. It will help the other readers.
🙂

Reply
Christian
January 9, 2021 5:39 pm

5 stars
Great recipe and blog! Way to go with all the detailed instructions and photos, they really help making it the right way.
We skipped the sugar and cream altogether to make it a little healthier, and it still tasted amazing.
Thanks for sharing your recipes, we are inspired now to try out more Indian cooking 🙂

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Christian
January 10, 2021 2:05 pm

Welcome Chirstian
Glad to know it tasted good! Thank you!
🙂

Reply
Laura
September 19, 2020 11:35 am

5 stars
This was outstanding! We loved it.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Laura
September 21, 2020 5:29 am

Thank you

Reply
Sandy
September 10, 2020 11:52 pm

Hello Swasthi, if I was to make this to step 11, then refrigerate and complete later, then how long might it stay fresh in the refrigerator? Also, could it be frozen for later use?

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Sandy
September 11, 2020 6:25 am

Hello Sandy,
It keeps good in the refrigerator for 2 days and for 2 months in the freezer. I haven’t tried freezing it beyond that. To retain the best flavors, refrigerate or freeze it within 2 hours of cooking. Cool down immediately and freeze in glass containers. Hope you all enjoy it.
🙂

Reply
Kim Heber-Percy
June 10, 2020 9:02 am

5 stars
Hi. I cannot find a way to print out the recipe – is it possible to do? Thanks, Kim

Reply
Advertisement
Lalitha Venkatesh
June 5, 2020 9:16 pm

5 stars
Great recipe. Thanks so much. Tried it last night and the family loved it!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Lalitha Venkatesh
June 6, 2020 8:13 am

Welcome Lalitha
Glad to know!

Reply
Amrita
May 25, 2020 10:11 pm

5 stars
I just happened to stumble upon your blog Swasthi and I must say that I’ve tried the Paneer Makhani recipe and Chana masala. These dishes have been highly appreciated and loved by my family. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Keep up the fantastic work!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Amrita
May 26, 2020 1:59 pm

Hi Amrita
Glad to know your family loved the food. Thank you

Reply
Hetal
May 19, 2020 9:08 am

5 stars
After many months I am here and I am so glad to share my experience. Today I prepared this mouthwatering dish and my family enjoyed it very much. Thanks a lot.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Hetal
May 20, 2020 3:02 pm

Hi Hetal,
You are welcome! Happy to know your family liked it.
Thank you!

Reply
Monica
May 18, 2020 3:31 pm

4 stars
Hi 🙂 I made this yesterday and it turned out good in spite of one step not working. Where the tomato mix should turn into the concentrated masala it never did. Could you tell me why that happened? Thank you! And thank for your recipes. We are making one a week and loving them!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Monica
May 19, 2020 5:23 am

Hi Monica,
Glad to know! It should be the kind of tomatoes. Some are very juicy and not pulpy. It takes very long to get to that thick consistency with juicy tomatoes. May be adding a few more cashews will help.

Reply
Dharminder Sharma
May 16, 2020 9:22 pm

5 stars
Hi Swathi,

I became you fan, I just started cooking at home in this lockdown with only yours recipes. Trust me all recipes are well explained and rich in taste.

Thanks

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Dharminder Sharma
May 20, 2020 3:27 pm

Hi Dharminder,
Thank you so much! Glad to know the recipes are working out well for you!

Reply
Sunayana
April 23, 2020 3:48 pm

Finally the exact restaurant- style dish I’ve been looking for. Came out perfect.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Sunayana
April 23, 2020 3:52 pm

Thank you Sunayana

Reply
Advertisement
Marcelo de Oliveira
February 25, 2020 4:34 pm

5 stars
I was initially reticent to make this, since I was missing so many optional spices. However, I decided to go ahead and make it, with my own homemade paneer and naan.
It was great! In fact, it was my parents’ first time trying any kind of Indian food and they were delighted!
So, all in all, a simple and exquisite recipe!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Marcelo de Oliveira
March 2, 2020 3:06 am

Hi Marcelo de oliveira,
Thank you so much! Glad to know you all liked it.
🙂

Reply
Jhuma
February 20, 2020 3:02 pm

5 stars
I have tried this recipe twice and everytime it tasted fabulous. I am giving it permanent place in my fav dishes list.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Jhuma
February 20, 2020 3:05 pm

Thanks Jhuma
Glad you liked it!
🙂

Reply
Neelu
February 13, 2020 11:39 am

How far ahead can we make this? Thanks.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Neelu
February 13, 2020 12:19 pm

Hi Neelu
You can keep it in the fridge for 3 days and upto 3 months in freezer. Add the paneer when you reheat the makhani gravy

Reply
Lalita
February 5, 2020 9:15 am

5 stars
My family totally loved this recipe. It indeed tastes like a restaurant style makhani. We all absolutely loved it. Ypur tips on soaking storebought paneer and adding it last to the gravy was spot on. Thanks so much.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Lalita
February 5, 2020 3:38 pm

Welcome Lalita,
Glad you all loved it! Thank you so much for the comment!

Reply
Aditi Mathur
Reply to  Lalita
July 13, 2020 9:12 pm

One more gem… Awesome recipe and best part is it’s not so time consuming!!
Love it.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Aditi Mathur
July 14, 2020 12:31 am

Thanks Aditi

Reply
Mansi
January 3, 2020 1:45 pm

5 stars
Such a simple recipe and came out delicious! Thank you 🙂

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Mansi
January 4, 2020 3:24 am

Hi Mansi,
You are welcome! Thank you!
🙂

Reply
Rebecca Halstead
January 2, 2020 10:09 am

5 stars
Made tonight and was absolutely delicious. My family’s eating and commenting on how good it is this very moment! Simple, well written, soul soothing deliciousness .

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Rebecca Halstead
January 4, 2020 3:21 am

Hi Rebecca
Glad you all loved the paneer makhani. Thank you!
🙂

Reply
Advertisement
tripti
November 17, 2019 11:14 pm

5 stars
Thank you ? my family loves this recipe

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  tripti
November 18, 2019 2:45 pm

Hi Tripti
You are welcome. Glad you all loved it. Thank you so much for the comment!
🙂

Reply
Pawan kumar
October 24, 2019 1:46 pm

Good mam

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Pawan kumar
October 29, 2019 4:05 am

Thank you!

Reply

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

DIWALI RECIPES

JALEBI RECIPE
RASGULLA RECIPE
RASMALAI RECIPE
GULAB JAMUN
BESAN LADOO
KAJU KATLI
RAVA LADDU
Advertisement

CATEGORIES

DINNER RECIPES
SANDWICH RECIPES
BREAKFAST RECIPES
RICE RECIPES
CHUTNEY RECIPES
Advertisement

HEALTH CORNER

RAGI RECIPES
OATS RECIPES
MILLET RECIPES
Advertisement
Advertisement

© 2012 - 2020 - Swasthi's Recipes. The content is copyrighted to SWASTHI'S and may not be reproduced in any form.