Recipe: Paneer Butter Masala

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The Girl and I made Indian Paneer yesterday, and wanted to make a recipe with it tonight.  Enter my own version of Paneer Butter Masala.  I used a combination of three spice mixes from Teeny Tiny Spice Company, but you could use your own spices.

The Girl adored it, mostly because she helped make the cheese!  She couldn't get enough of it.  The Boy ... well, he just wanted ranch dressing.  Can't win them all.


Paneer Butter Masala

2 onions
1 batch paneer (~250 g)
2 Tbsp oil (or ghee if you have it)
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp Teeny Tiny Spice Tandoori Masala
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp curry powder
1 can tomato puree
2 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Vadavan
1/2 c water
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp cream

Heat a pot of water, skin the onions, and blanch for 2 minutes.  Remove from the water, cut into quarters, and puree.  Reserve blanching liquid.

Paneer in a pan

Nicely browned

See?  All browned

Cube paneer. Heat oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium high heat, and brown the paneer on one side.  Paneer will not melt when heated. 

Soaking

Yummy marinated paneer

In a small bowl, combine about a cup of the onion blanching liquid along with tumeric, tandoori masala, and salt.  Remove the browned paneer from the pan and soak in the spiced water for about 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the paneer.

Meanwhile, in the same sautee pan that was used earlier, melt 2 Tbsp butter.  Stir in the onion puree and sautee until lightly browned.  Stir in garlic powder and dried ginger and fry for about 3 minutes.  Add peanut butter and curry powder and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Whisk in the can of tomato puree, along with the Garam Masala and Vadavan.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the soaked paneer, along with about 1/2 c water.  Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Melting butter

Just a little cream

To finish, add an additional 3 Tbsp butter to the pan and stir until melted.  Whisk in the cream and serve with basmati rice and a vegetable.