Mutter Paneer Recipe / Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

How to make paneer butter masala recipe (gravy in a restaurant style) with step by step photos

I love simple recipes and easy cooking that have fewer ingredients and fewer steps. This restaurant style mutter paneer butter masala is so simple, easy, creamy and delicious. It is best served with chapathi, roti, naan, paratha or any rice varieties like Plain rice, Jeera rice, ghee rice, pulao or biryani rice.

 You can also make this mutter paneer butter masala without onion and garlic, just skip them and follow the recipe. The only thing you would miss is the amount of gravy. This also gives a delicious tastes than the one made using raw onion paste or tomato puree.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped onions
1.5 cups finely chopped tomatoes
salt as needed
10 to 12 cashew nuts
1 tsp. coriander powder
¾ tsp. garam masala powder
¾ tsp. red chili powder
½ tsp. sugar
1 ½ tbsp. butter
1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon stick
2 to 3 cloves
1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
250 grams paneer (2 heaped cups)
1 cup green peas(mutter)
3 tbsp cream( for restaurant style)
coriander leaves for garnish

Lightly fry paneer in oil or butter and set aside.
Add 1.5 tsp oil to a hot pan, Saute cubed onions on a medium flame until they turn light pink in color.

Add finely chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, cover and cook till mushy.
Add red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cashews.

Fry till the mix begins to leave the sides of the pan. You will begin to get a nice aroma of the mix.

Cool it and add it to a blender along with 1 cup of water and blend to smooth.
Blend to a very smooth paste, adding little more water if needed.

Heat the pan on a low flame with 1 ½ tbsp. butter and add jeera (Cumin seeds), cardamom,  bay leaf, 1 small cinnamon stick and 3 cloves. Fry till they are lightly roasted.
Add ginger and garlic paste, saute until the raw smell goes off.
Add green peas and cook until raw smell is gone(it should cook properly)
Add the pureed onion tomato mix.

Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium flame to get a nice color. Open the lid and cook until the gravy turns a bit more thick.
Make sure the gravy reaches the desired consistency then add paneer. You can add 1 tbsp cream, also finely chopped coriander leaves  for garnish. Serve with naan, roti, butter naan or jeera rice with a veg salad.

Notes:

• To get the right color without using food colors, choose red ripe tomatoes and good red chili powder.
• If you do not have coriander powder in hand, add 1 spn Coriander seeds and ½ tsp. garam masala to a blender jar and make a fine powder. Using a strong garam masala doesn’t make the dish taste good. 
• You can skip using garlic and onion and make a no onion no garlic paneer butter masala recipe

This is also one of the popular paneer recipes like paneer tikka masala, paneer butter masala, kadai paneer, shahi paneer and tawa paneer masala.