Are you craving that rich, creamy, and indulgent restaurant-style Paneer Butter Masala but want to recreate it right in your own kitchen? If so, you’ve landed in the perfect place. This homemade version turns out irresistibly delicious—smooth, buttery, and bursting with authentic flavors that rival your favorite Indian eatery. The paneer cubes soak up the velvety, tomato-based gravy, creating a dish that’s luxurious yet surprisingly easy to prepare. Whether you’re making it for a special family dinner or to impress guests, this Paneer Butter Masala will quickly become a go-to favorite. Once you taste it, I guarantee you’ll be reaching for seconds—and you might just keep going until the bowl is clean!
❤️About This Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
This rich and flavorful restaurant-style paneer butter masala, also affectionately known as butter paneer, is one of the most iconic and beloved North Indian dishes. It features a luscious, creamy, and buttery onion-tomato-based curry that’s mildly spiced yet packed with deep, bold flavors. The sauce is a perfect balance of tangy tomatoes, aromatic spices, and a touch of sweetness, all blended together into a velvety, vibrant gravy.
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth paneer cubes (Indian cottage cheese) are gently simmered in this indulgent curry, soaking up all the delicious flavors. The dish is visually striking with its deep orange-red hue and irresistibly creamy texture, often garnished with a swirl of fresh cream and a sprinkle of crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for that signature restaurant aroma.
Paneer butter masala pairs wonderfully with a variety of Indian breads such as garlic naan, butter naan, tandoori roti, or even flaky lachha paratha. It also makes a comforting combination when served alongside jeera rice, peas pulao, or simple steamed basmati rice.
Despite its rich and restaurant-quality taste, this dish is surprisingly easy to prepare at home using simple, pantry-friendly ingredients. Whether you’re cooking for a special occasion or just indulging in a comforting meal, this paneer butter masala promises to deliver a taste that rivals your favorite Indian restaurant — if not better!
🧾 Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of restaurant-style paneer butter masala recipe fixings. All the fixings are effortlessly accessible in any Indian basic supply store.
- Paneer( Indian cabin rubbish): Paneer is the heart of this dish, offering a soft, delicate texture that absorbs the rich flavors of the sauce beautifully. You can find paneer fluently in the frozen section of utmost Indian grocery stores. Although I sometimes prepare fresh paneer at home for a more authentic sense, I generally calculate on good- quality store- bought paneer for convenience. This step helps to keep the paneer soft and tender when added to the hot gravy.
- Whole Spices( Cloves, Cinnamon, Green Cardamoms): A many whole spices are gently sautéed in melted adulation or ghee at the morning of the cuisine process. This pivotal step infuses the adulation with warm, sweet notes and forms the scrumptious base of the sauce. These spices are n’t just for scent — they produce depth and a subtle complexity that elevates the final dish.
- Tomatoes( rather Roma/ Plum Tomatoes): Tomatoes form the backbone of the gravy, giving it body and a slight tanginess. For the most balanced flavor, I explosively recommend using ripe Roma( or Plum) tomatoes. They’ve lower water content and are naturally sweeter, which complements the uproariousness of the dish. I tend to avoid other tomato kinds because they can occasionally advance an exorbitantly sour or sharp note to the sauce.
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: This vibrant chili greasepaint is one of my secret munitions in creating a stunning color without overpowering heat. Kashmiri chili greasepaint is mild in spice position but rich in natural red color. When added to the adulation and sautéed compactly, it imparts a gorgeous deep red tinge to the dish, giving it that hand eatery- style look. It’s all about the visual appeal and subtle layering of flavors.
- Heavy Cream( trouncing Cream or Malai): To achieve that hand delicate, luscious texture, I use heavy trouncing cream with a fat content of 35 – 40, which is fluently available in the USA. It brings a smooth, satiny uproariousness to the curry. When I am in India, my mama uses Amul fresh cream, which works wonderfully as well. Another excellent traditional volition is manual malai — the thick cream that forms on top of boiled milk.However, just add a splash of milk and whisk it until smooth and pourable before incorporating it into the curry, If using malai. It lends an old- fashioned manual charm and creaminess.
👩🍳 How To Make Paneer Butter Masala? (Pics)
1) Begin by warming a couple of soupspoons of oil painting in a heavy- bottomed visage over medium heat. Once the oil painting is adequately hotted , add finely diced onions along with diced gusto, garlic, and a small sprinkle of cashew nuts. Stir everything well so the constituents are carpeted with oil painting.
2) Sauté the admixture gently, stirring sometimes, until the onions come soft, turn translucent, and acquire a pale pink tinge. This step helps develop a rich base flavor and softens the sharpness of the raw onion and garlic.
3) Next, add roughly diced ripe tomatoes to the visage. Give it a good stir so the tomatoes are well combined with the onion admixture. Let the admixture chef unperturbed for a couple of twinkles to allow the tomatoes to start breaking down.
4) Continue cooking the admixture on medium heat until the tomatoes are fully soft and mushy, releasing their authorities and blending with the onions to form a cohesive base. Stir sometimes to help sticking or burning at the bottom.
5) At this stage, sprinkle in the ground spices — a pinch of turmeric greasepaint for color and earthiness, red chili greasepaint for heat( acclimate to your spice preference), and coriander greasepaint for a subtle citrusy depth. Mix completely to insure the spices cover the onion- tomato base unevenly. Let the admixture chef for another nanosecond or two to let the spices bloom and release their aroma.
6) Mix everything thoroughly and continue to sauté for another minute, allowing the spices and aromatics to infuse together. Once done, switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down for a few minutes so it becomes easier and safer to blend.
7) Once the mixture has slightly cooled, transfer it into a blender jar. Add a small amount of water—just enough to help with blending—and secure the lid tightly.
8) Blend the contents into a smooth, lump-free puree. Ensure the consistency is velvety and well-blended, scraping down the sides of the jar if needed to incorporate everything evenly.
9) Wipe out the same dish utilizing a paper towel and liquefy the butter in it on medium warm. Include entirety flavors (cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms). Saute for 40-60 seconds or until you get the decent smell of the spices.
10) Next, sprinkle in the Kashmiri red chili powder and stir it instantly to avoid burning and to release its rich color and mild flavor into the base.
11) Within 30 seconds, pour in the prepared onion-tomato-cashew puree. This timing ensures the chili powder blends evenly without losing its vibrancy.
12) Blend well and cook for 2-3 minutes. If yours is as well watery at that point cook for a small more time until it thickens.
13) After the masala base has thickened to your liking, add water gradually and stir to combine. Let it simmer gently for 4–5 minutes so the flavors meld together beautifully.
14) Include paneer, garam masala, smashed kasoori methi and cardamom powder. Blend well and bring it to a simmer.
15, 16) Include overwhelming cream, blend and cook for a minute.
💭 Expert Tips
- You ought to not stew for longer after including paneer pieces. Something else, paneer will get chewy.
- Sauté kashmiri chili powder for 30 seconds as it were. The longer your cook it will burn and gives off taste to the sauce. You may begin sneezing.
- Always pulverize kasoori methi between your palm some time recently including. By doing so, it discharges its flavor at most.
- Sometimes, kasoori methi catches up dampness (in the event that living in a muggy climate) and you cannot pulverize it into powder. In that case, toast it into the microwave for 45 seconds. Let cool down and at that point crush.
- Please do not cut down the butter sum. It gives the right sum of buttery, wealthy flavor. If making for visitors and needs to make it super wealthy at that point you can include 1-2 tablespoons of more butter.
🍽 What To Serve With Paneer Butter Masala?
- It tastes best with garlic naan (or plain naan) or tandoori roti.
- It can be served with jeera rice or plain basmati rice.
- I would like to have a few onion cuts w/ lemon wedges (or Indian onion serving of mixed greens) on the side.
- It is a great thought to serve chaas or salted lassi on the side to alleviate your sense of taste from the fiery taste of the gravy.
