Delhi-Style Paneer Butter Masala
A creamy tomato-based curry with soft paneer cubes, a vegetarian cousin of butter chicken that is a common household and restaurant favourite across Delhi.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- fat
- 31 g
- carbs
- 14 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 400 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat butter in a pan. Fry the ginger-garlic paste until it smells fragrant.
- 2
Add tomato puree. Cook until it thickens and turns slightly darker.
- 3
Stir in the cashew paste, red chilli powder, salt and a touch of sugar.
- 4
Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the gravy is smooth and rich.
- 5
Add paneer (firm cottage cheese) cubes. Simmer gently for 5 minutes without breaking them.
- 6
Pour in cream and mix well. Add a little water if needed to adjust the thickness.
- 7
Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) on top.
- 8
Simmer briefly. Serve hot.
Chef's tips
Lightly fry the paneer cubes before adding them to the gravy so they keep their shape.
Ingredient substitutions
- paneer → tofu for a vegan-friendly alternative
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat gently on low heat, stirring frequently.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the gravy too hard after adding cream, which can make it split or curdle.
Serving suggestions
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