4.8 from 98 votes
Paneer Makhani Recipe (Easy & Tasty)
Paneer Makhani is a creamy tomato-based curry featuring paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a spiced buttery sauce with green chilies, fenugreek, and light cream. This recipe builds flavor through a slow-cooked tomato gravy enriched with butter and cream, delivering a smooth, mildly spiced dish with a slight sweetness. The gentle cooking brings out the richness of the paneer and the depth of aromatics, making it a comforting main course option.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings:
3
Calories:
314 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Indian
Ingredients
- 200 grams paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
- 250 grams tomato or 4 to 5 medium-sized
- 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream (low fat 25%) or whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 small garlic crushed to paste in a mortar
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or kashmiri red chilli powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1 to 2 green chili slit or sliced
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala or tandoori masala powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar - add as required* check notes
- ½ to 1 inch ginger - julienned
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek leaves kasuri methi, crushed, dry
- 1.5 cups water
- salt as required
Instructions
Making tomato puree
- First rinse and chop the tomatoes. Use the tomatoes that are ripe with a sweet tangy taste and not overly sour.
- In a blender or grinder make a smooth puree of the chopped tomatoes. No need to add any water while blending the tomatoes.
- Keep the tomato puree aside.
Cup of Yum
Making paneer makhani
- Melt butter in a pan. First add the tej patta (Indian bay leaf) and saute for a few seconds till aromatic.
- Then add the crushed ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add the tomato puree and stir well.
- Now add the red chili powder and saute this mixture till the fat begins to leave the side of the tomato paste. Takes about 14 to 15 on a low heat. Keep on stirring often.
- When you see the tomato mixture clumping together and the fat leaving the sides, then add water.
- Stir and simmer till the gravy or sauce thickens a bit. Takes about 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame.
- Then add the slit green chilies and ginger julienne. Stir and simmer for a minute.
- Add sugar, salt as required and crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves).
- Stir and then add the paneer cubes.
- Mix gently and switch off the heat. No need to cook the paneer as then they can get hard or chewy and won't taste good.
- Lastly add cream and gently stir. Switch off the flame and then sprinkle with garam masala. Give a gentle stir again.
- Serve the paneer makhani with roti, naan, paratha or jeera rice or saffron rice or biryani rice or plain steamed basmati rice.
Notes
- Taste and adjust sugar according to the tomato's tanginess to balance the curry's flavor.
- The recipe can be increased proportionally to serve more people.
- Select ripe tomatoes that are not sour but slightly sweet for ideal taste.
- Light cream is recommended, but whipping or heavy cream can be used as substitutes, adjusting quantity to taste.
Nutrition Information
Calories
314kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
7g
(2%)
Protein
10g
(20%)
Fat
28g
(43%)
Saturated Fat
17g
(85%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
75mg
(25%)
Sodium
475mg
(20%)
Potassium
221mg
(5%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
1130IU
(23%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
1mg
Vitamin B6
1mg
Vitamin B12
1µg
(42%)
Vitamin C
13mg
(14%)
Vitamin D
1µg
(5%)
Vitamin E
1mg
Vitamin K
8µg
Calcium
343mg
(34%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
13µg
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Magnesium
12mg
(3%)
Phosphorus
30mg
Zinc
1mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 314
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 314kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 75mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 475mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 221mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 1130IU | 23% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B12 | 1µg | 42% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Vitamin D | 1µg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 1mg | |
| Vitamin K | 8µg | |
| Calcium | 343mg | 34% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 13µg | |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 12mg | 3% |
| Phosphorus | 30mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.