Paneer Makhani aka Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Makhani or Paneer Butter Masala is one of those dishes that would feature in every Indian restaurant that serves North Indian food. A paneer masala that could usually be used to trial an Indian restaurant's food quality. It is again one of those dishes that got twisted quite drastically to suit local palates. I must warn you - this version of the recipe is definitely not the westernized version. While researching for a recipe I found so many different variations each one trying to create a subtle difference to establish their style. Here is my version which is a blend of a few of them but a simpler version to prepare.

Ingredients

Wet Masala

1. Red onions - 2 
2. Tomatoes - 2 
3. Ginger - 2 inch
4. Garlic - 6 cloves
5. Raw Cashews - 6-8
6. Green chilies - 3

Dry Masala

1. Bay leaf - 1
2. Black pepper corn - 1 tablespoon
3. Kashmiri red chillies - 5-6
4. Kalonji seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 tablespoon
6. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
7. Cloves - 1 teaspoon
8. Cinnamon sticks - 2-3
9. Khus khus (poppy seeds) - 2 teaspoons

Other Ingredients

1. Paneer - 250 gms
2. Butter - 150 gms
3. Vegetable oil - 3-4 table spoons
4. Whole milk - half a cup
5. Honey - 2 table spoons
6. Amchur powder (dried mango powder) - 1 tea spoon
7. Cream - 2-3 table spoons (optional - I did not use it actually)

Method

1. Melt about 50 gms of butter in a wok and saute the wet masala ingredients until the onions and tomatoes become soft. Add the cashews towards the end - just about a minute or so before the tomatoes turn mushy. Set this aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients under the dry masala (except the kasuri methi). Set it aside to cool down to room temperature.
3. Blend the ingredients of the wet masala with a few tablespoons of water to a smooth paste. 
4. Filter this paste using a metal sieve to remove any chunky pieces.
5. Blend the ingredients of the dry masala along with the kasuri methi leaves.
6. Cut the paneer into small pieces (about 1 inch cubes). This time I tried a triangular shape - thanks to Sanjeev Kapoor's idea.
7. In a large kadai (wok) heat the vegetable oil and 75 gms of butter.
8. Saute the wet masala for about 10 minutes until the oil separates.
9. Mix about 2-3 table spoons of the dry masala along with amchur powder for about 5 minutes until the masala is blended well.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Add the milk and bring it to a boil.
12. Add about half a cup of water to this mixture and bring it to a boil.
13. Add the honey and mix it well.
14. Add the paneer pieces and cook it for about 5 minutes. (Add more water if needed if the curry is too thick).
15. Garnish with a dollop of the remaining butter and coriander leaves.
16. Serve hot with your preferred choice of bread - roti/naan/chapati.

Enjoy Cooking!!
C