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Makhani is referred to gravy, which is cooked in ghee and with tomatoes. Never mix up paneer butter masala and paneer makhani. both are different. Paneer makhani gets a little bit of tangy taste from tomatoes and there are whole spices and garam masala in it. You will find the difference, once you try this absolutely delicious paneer gravy!

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Never compromise on few ingredients to make this gravy, like kasuri methi, fresh cream and kashmiri red chilli powder(for the colour of the gravy)!

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Paneer Makhani

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serves                |                 preparation and cooking time
2 or 3                |                   less than 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

Paneer - 100 gms (cut into cubes)
Onion - 1 (very finely chopped)
Ginger - 1' inch size (very finely chopped)
Ghee - 2 tsp's
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 and half tsp
Corriander powder - 1tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi / Dried Methi leaves - 1 tsp
Fresh cream - 3 tsp's

To Blanch the tomatoes:

Tomatoes - 2
Cinnamon - 1"inch size
Bayleaf - 1
Cardamon - 2
Water - 1 cup

Method:

1. First to blanch tomatoes, in a cup of water, add cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cardamon and boil it for 5-7 minutes, till the skin of tomato puff's up. cool the tomatoes, peel it's skin and grind the tomatoes alone into a fine puree.

2. Heat a pan, add 2 tsp's of ghee, add finely chopped onions and ginger. saute till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add corriander powder, cumin powder and saute them along with onions for at least a minute.

4. Now add Tomato puree to the pan and let it boil. add little bit of water and mix well. add chilli powder and garam masala to the pan and mix well. add salt to taste. let the gravy boil for 2 minutes in medium flame.

5. Add the paneer cubes to the gray and give a mix. Crush the kasuri methi with your hands and add to the gravy. Switch off the flame and add 2 tsp of  fresh cream to the gravy and mix well. see to that the gravy is not too runny.

6. Take  a small cover. to one of  it's inside corner, drop a spoon of fresh cream. just cut a very small nick of the corner of the cover, as we cut our mehendhi cone and draw lines over the gravy!

Serve with Chapathi, or with pulao.


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Notes:

Add chilli powder and kasuri methi, according to your taste. add little salt, kasuri methi may have salt sometimes.

If you are serving the gravy little late, it is better to add the paneer just an hour before serving. otherwise the paneer get's sour with the tanginess of tomatoes.

To de-frost the paneer, put them in warm water and let it rest for about 10-15 mins.

I made few changes to Paneer butter masala and got this recipe. its so simple recipe and also it tastes so so good. my words and the pictures may not do justice to the dish. You have to try and find how tasty this gravy turns out.


Oh this time i'am trying out with step by step pictures. i am finding very difficult to handle the camera on one hand and ladle on other. sometimes hot smoke hits the camera lens, it was a new experience to me. i salute blogger's who make step wise pictures on every post!! without any more excessive talk, i will take you straight to the recipe.




Ingredients:

for 100gms of Paneer and 1/4 cup of Green peas.

set 1:

2 medium sized onions
2 medium sized tomatoes
1/4 cup corriander leaves
4 - 6 cashews (depending on size)
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp of kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp oil
1/8 cup water
salt to taste

set 2:

1 onion of very small size (or) 2 tbsp's finely chopped onions
1/2 + 1/2 tsp of kasuri methi
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp butter
1 tsp fresh cream
1 tsp oil
chopped corriander leaves to garnish

Method:

(1) De-frost the Paneer either by soaking the paneer with its wrapper in a bowl of water for about 30 mins or microwave the paneer for 1 minute at high power.

(2) Boil 1/4 cup of green peas in 1/4 cup of water or alternatively microwave for 4 to 5 minutes.

with set 1:

(3) Heat a deep pan, add one tsp of oil, add onions and fry till it turns light pink and translucent. Add cashews to the pan and saute it for a minute.


(4) Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute it together with onions. add salt to taste, turmeric powder and kashmiri chilli powder. mix them all together till they become soft. remove it from flame, add corriander leaves and mix all together. then let all cool down for 10 minutes.


(5) On cooling, transfer them to a mixie jar and grind into a smooth paste by adding 1/8 cup of water.


with set 2:

(6) Heat another pan, add one tsp of oil, following it add very finely chopped onion. fry it till it turns light brown. Add 1/2  tsp of kasuri methi, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder and mix them all together.


(7) Now add the grounded smooth paste to the pan and give a mix. Gravy changes in colour. Now add Paneer cubes and green peas to the pan and give a mix. also wash of the mixie jar with little water so that not even little grounded paste is left-over, and add it to the pan. (anjali, i updated this line for you, sorry for not including earlier, i assumed every one will do that).


(8) Add 1 tsp of butter and mix. close the pan with its lid, put the pan in medium flame for about 5 minutes.

(9) After 5-6 mins, oil seperates from the gravy and the gravy changes colour, switch off the flame. add 1/2 tsp of kasuri methi and 1 tsp of fresh cream.

Garnish with corriander leaves and fresh cream.


Serve with chapathis or roti's.

Notes:

- Key taste maker of this gravy is kasuri methi and butter. so do not skip it.
- Adding fresh cream and cashews is optional. though the gravy wont be creamy.
- No spices are added to the gravy which makes easy on digestion.
- I also suggest you not to skip corriander leaves.