Paneer Makhani is a delicious North Indian recipe of soft pieces of paneer in a creamy, rich tomato, onion and cashew nuts gravy.
The gravy is called ‘Makhani’ as it means ‘like butter’ or ‘silky smooth like butter’. The inspiration for this recipe comes from Murg Makhani or Butter Chicken. Butter Chicken is my husband’s favourite dish, and while I prepare it for him at home, I make a vegetarian Paneer Makhani for myself (as I am a pescatarian). It is very rare that I find the perfect balance of flavours in Paneer Makhani when eating out as either it too oily, or creamy or sweet!
This creamy, tangy gravy is made mostly with tomatoes, onions and spices. In contrast to traditional ‘Makhani’ gravy wherein the tomatoes are cooked in a pan, I prefer to roast the tomatoes as it enhances the flavour of the gravy by adding some smokiness. My recipe packs a punch without using loads of butter and cream. In my recipe, I have not added any cream or milk or extra butter as I prefer a lighter version of Makhani gravy. Saying that, if you want to make it more sumptuous you can add some cream while adding paneer. I would highly recommend spending some time making the makhani gravy and getting it perfect as it can make or break the dish.
Other Paneer recipes you might enjoy are Paneer Lababdar, Kadai Paneer, Paneer Jalfrezi, Methi Lasuni Paneer and Paneer Pakora.
