Name: Paneer Butter Masala
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp butter; 1 onion; 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 700 g tomatoes; 1/3 cup cashew nuts; 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup water; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/3 cup double cream; 1 tbsp kasuri methi; 1 tsp caster sugar; 300 g paneer; a handful coriander leaves

3 tbsp

1 Fry gently, without browning 8m No colour on the onions here — this gravy should be red, not brown.

2 Simmer until everything is completely soft 20m

3 Blend smooth, then pass through a sieve 8m Sieving is the difference between good and restaurant-smooth.

4 Return the strained gravy to the pan and simmer 10m

5 Finish with butter, cream and crushed fenugreek 5m Crush the kasuri methi between your palms as it goes in — it releases far more aroma.

6 Fold in the paneer and warm through, 4 minutes 4m

2 tbsp

700 g

1/3 cup

2 tsp

1 1/2 tsp

1 cup

3 tbsp

1/3 cup

1 tbsp

1 tsp

300 g

a handful

Cashews do the work cream is credited for

Blended cashews contribute both fat and starch, thickening the gravy and giving it body that cream alone cannot. They also mute the tomato’s acidity. This is why the dish tastes rich at a level of dairy that would not otherwise justify it — and why a vegan version with cashews and coconut cream works better than you would expect.

Notes

No browning on the onions. Colour here means a muddy gravy.
Soak the paneer in hot salted water while you cook. Shop-bought paneer is firm and this softens it considerably.
Kashmiri chilli is for colour. Use a hotter chilli and you have a different, much fiercer dish.

Method

Fry gently, without browning

Simmer until everything is completely soft

Blend smooth, then pass through a sieve

Return the strained gravy to the pan and simmer

Finish with butter, cream and crushed fenugreek

Fold in the paneer and warm through, 4 minutes

Cashews do the work cream is credited for

Notes