Name: Jain Paneer Makhani
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 125 g Paneer, cut into cubes; 2½ Tomato, large, roughly chopped; 6 Cashews, soaked in warm water; ½ Green Chili Pepper, chopped; 1½ tbsp Butter; 1½ tbsp Fresh Cream; ¾ tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ½ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed; ½ tsp Honey, or sugar, to balance acidity; 1 Green Cardamom; 1 Cloves; ½ tsp Salt, to taste

1 hrtotal

40 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

In a saucepan, combine the roughly chopped tomatoes, soaked cashews, green chilli, green cardamom, cloves, and a splash of water.
Cover the pan and boil on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the tomatoes break down and turn completely mushy.
10–12 min
Allow the mixture to cool down significantly, then blend it into a velvety, ultra-smooth puree. Crucial step: strain this puree through a fine sieve to achieve a true restaurant-grade silkiness.
Heat butter in a kadhai strictly on a low flame. Flash-fry the Kashmiri red chilli powder and immediately pour in the strained tomato-cashew puree to prevent the spice from scorching.
Stir thoroughly and let the gravy simmer gracefully for 8-10 minutes until it thickens and glosses over.
8–10 min
Adjust the seasoning with salt, and introduce honey (or sugar) specifically to cut through and balance the acidity of the cooked tomatoes.
Gently fold in the paneer cubes, allowing them to simmer and soak in the gravy for 3-4 minutes.
3–4 min
Swirl in the fresh cream and crush the kasuri methi between your palms into the pot. Finish with a dusting of garam masala.
Cook for just 1 more minute to unify the fats, then instantly turn off the heat.

How to tell it's done

An incredibly smooth, highly buttery, and deeply creamy gravy cradling soft, melt-in-the-mouth paneer cubes.

Getting it right

Tip

Physically straining the boiled tomato and cashew emulsion is the non-negotiable secret to producing that flawless, rich 'Makhani' (buttery) mouthfeel.

What to serve it with

Unbeatable when served alongside hot Butter Naan or fragrant Jeera Rice.

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