Paneer Butter Masala

Fried cottage cheese cubes (aka Paneer) and peas are drenched in a creamy, flavorful, mildly spicy dish with a gravy base of tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, spices, cashews and lots of butter!

Step 1 ingredients
1 tbspn oil
1 cup paneer pieces

Heat oil in pan on high and stir fry the paneer until most sides of paneer are golden brown.
Place on paper towel on a plate to drain.

Step 2 ingredients
1 tspn oil
pinch ajwain seeds
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions, pureed

In same pan, heat on teaspoon oil and add ajwain. When they sizzle and smell comes, add onion puree. Stir fry in oil about 5 minutes.


Step 3 ingredients
3 tablespoons tomato puree
3/4 cup water
pinch turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 red chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup cashew

Add all these ingredients into a blender and puree.
Add this puree to the pan with onions, ajwain and oil. Heat and stir on low-medium heat. (If on high this will splutter out of pan and create a mess. It may splutter on low heat too. Be sure to stand away or wear an apron or 'old clothes' as it could stain.
Stir this mix for 5 minutes.


Step 4 ingredients
2 tbspn butter

Add this butter to the paste/gravy and stir nicely.
This adds additional salt to the gravy which will offset the peas that will go in.


Step 5 ingredients
3/4 cup green peas

To the gravy add the (cooked) peas and the previously fried paneer.

Keep on low heat and stir for next 10 minutes.

Eat with rice or roti (chapati).

If you make homemade paneer, keep the paneer water (whey) and use that to create chapati batter or cook rice. Makes rice or roti fluffy and creamy.



Note: This is most likely a high-fat dish. It definitely tastes rich. In fact, though there are flavorful and hot spices, because of all the creaminess of the gravy, the final product is more flavorful than 'hot and spicy'. In fact, in my opinion, the best taste for this dish is flavorful and creamy rather than hot, spicy and creamy.

This recipe is inspired by Aayi's Paneer Butter Masala.

Related Posts/Sites:
Indian Cooking Made Easier Series by Oldernwiser0

Homemade Paneer - This post has recipe measurements and an alternate video by vahchef at YouTube

Picture Perfect Paneer- Pictures of Paneer made by blog author

Peas Pullao - Peas and rice boiled with paneer water (whey)

Thank you for reading.

Indian Cooking Made Easier Series by Oldernwiser0

Many wonder is Indian cooking easy? Oldernwiser0 would say, if not shout, YES! As with anything in life, it is easy or as challenging as you think it is or make it. I have always found Indian cooking to be fun, jammed packed full of surprises and about a million and one steps in addition to stocking my kitchen with a whole set of utensils and spice mixes (masalas) that I still learn about as I go along!

I have been following the Indian cookery made easier video series on YouTube created by oldernwiser0 for about one year. His style has inspired me to make many dishes. From every third Wednesday on this blog, I will share a video from his YouTube profile and my insights. Hope you also enjoy and are able to pick up some quick and easy Indian cooking tips!

Yes, Indian cooking is both fun and easy- besides being tasty!

Enjoy today's video, Paneer Making Made Easier.



Leave comments for oldernwiser0 at his youtube page, click here.


This video inspires me in a number of ways, which I will simply list in no particular order.
1. There is no need to make a large quantity of paneer. I go overboard and make a lot every time. At the same time, it's impressive how much paneer looks to be made from straining through a tea strainer!
2. I don't need cheese cloth to drain paneer! The tea strainer idea is fantastic, less waste and just as effective. I also like that half-moon shape, it reminds me of mozzarella I buy in small packets in the store. It comes in that same shape.
3. The method of adding the citric acid comes first in this preparation. I have always boiled the milk, then added the vinegar. It's interesting how someone can show you how to make the same exact thing in a way that seems 'backwards' to your usual method but comes out exactly the same! (That can actually be a deep spiritual lesson if one meditates on it long enough!)
4. Reading the text provided with the video on the YouTube page, some ideas of what to use the paneer water for is listed. Some new ideas are there for me to keep in mind for later. How does one make buttermilk from this whey? That will be my next lesson. In the meantime, I like to use the whey to make boil rice in, it makes it fluffy and creamy.

Paneer making made easier by Oldernwiser0 video at YouTube is used by permission of the author. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!


Oldernwiser0, aka Srivats, is a retired senior bank executive who loves various hobbies including making easier pure vegetarian foods who lives in Hyderabad, India. Watch his YouTube channel for more interesting videos!


Related Posts/ Sites:
Oldernwiser0 at YouTube

Earlier posts on this blog:

Homemade Paneer - This post has recipe measurements and an alternate video by vahchef at YouTube

Picture Perfect Paneer- Pictures of Paneer made by blog author

Peas Pullao - Peas and rice boiled with paneer water (whey)

Peas Pullao

Recipe for Peas Pullao/Pilaf made with Paneer Whey Water

Ever wonder what to do with that protien packed whey water from paneer making? One idea I have is to make rice with peas, or peas pullao. If you don't want to put in peas or cumin that is ok, remove those ingredients and make plain rice with whey water, just as tasty and nutritious!

One cup rice
1/2 cup peas
1 tbspn dry fried cumin seeds, crushed in mortar
three cups whey (paneer water)

If you don't have three cups whey water, take what you have and add the remainder plain water to equal three cups liquid

Put all ingredients in a pot and put on low-medium flame. Let cook at a slow pace. Add salt per taste.

This feeds 4-6 people. Takes about an hour or so to cook on low heat.

Final rice will have a more fluffy, milky appearance and have a nice light taste.

Related Posts:
All about Paneer- Questions and Answers about Paneer, recipe and video showing how to make paneer

Homemade Paneer

By: Jennifer Kumar

Yesterday, for the first time, I made homemade paneer, which is homemade cheese cubes.

For those who are wondering, "What is paneer, exactly?" I have an answer for you!
Paneer is tasty, fluffy cheese. It is similar to mozzarella but doesn't melt on pizza like mozzarella would. It is a cheese made in homes mostly in North India with milk and lemon juice. I prefer to substitute vinegar for lemon juice. I have never used lemon juice.

How is paneer eaten?
Once set, it will be fried. Some people like to eat plain, fried paneer. It is very tasty.
It can be added to many dishes, like palak paneer (spinach puree with cheese cubes), shahi paneer or paneer butter masala (onion cashew gravy with cheese cubes), matter paneer (peas and cheese cubes with gravy), paneer fried rice, and others I have yet to learn, also!

I used to purchase ready made paneer from the Indian store and thaw or fry. But, the taste was not really nice as I would like to have. So, I began to ask shop keepers and Indian friends how to make paneer. I was not given a recipe and proper method, but loosely advised that for each quart of milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar is stirred into the milk upon boil. When I did this, few curdles came, but not enough.

So, I searched for a good youtube video which helped me. Basically, it seems this guy doesn't really measure vinegar and keeps pouring little at a time until all milk curdles and the curdles separate from the milk and the liquid left looks slightly greenish or yellowish.

It turns out by the time I got this consistency, about 3-4 teaspoons of vinegar were added. See the helpful video below. Look below the video for update recipe for homemade paneer with details and method!

April 18, 2009
Today I made paneer again. This is how I did it-

1/3 gallon milk (roughly)
2 tablespoons vinegar (or more)

Place milk in a pan and heat.
As it begins to boil, when the froth forms, turn off heat and put in a little vinegar.
What I usually do is take a spoon, stir milk and pour vinegar from the bottle in a thin stream until milk begins to curdle.
The curds will separate from milk, the whey or yellowish water will separate from curds.
Place cheese cloth or old, clean cotton sari or dhoti fabric in a strainer, strain the whey from curds.
Do not throw away the whey. What can be done with paneer water, or whey? Read below.
Press the curds in cheese cloth between two heavy objects and in such a way the moisture will drain from the curds, so that after an hour or so you will have a thick round piece of paneer.
Cut the paneer into cubes and fry in two- three tablespoons hot oil.

Paneer is now ready for your favorite dish or eat hot, fried cheese curds now! YUM!

Ever wonder what to eat palak paneer with? Eat with plain rice, roti, paratha or....rice pilaf. Make a rice pilaf with the left over paneer whey water.

Here's a recipe for Peas Pullao made with paneer water!!

Photos of mouthwatering paneer before and after frying

Delicious Living Magazine - How to Make Cheese in Less than One Hour