Paneer Makhanwala is a famous Indian gravy made from cottage cheese in rich cream, buttery sauce. This dish used to be a part of Mughal meals and hence comes the richness and creaminess. If you know me, I substitute tofu for paneer in every dish. I really wanted to keep it authentic, and incidentally, I also had paneer in my freezer. I added sour cream to my gravy to make it rich and creamy and it worked great. Try this recipe and pass on your comments. Preparation time – 15 minsCooking time – 45 minsDifficulty level – medium
Ingredients to make Paneer Makhanwala - Serves 6
The ingredient list is quite long, but don’t change your mind yet. This dish is absolutely yummy!!
Paneer – 1 block (around 400gms) Butter – 2 tbsp Oil – 1 tbsp Dhania jeera powder – 1 tsp Chili powder – ½ tsp Garam masala – 1 tsp Sour cream – 2 tbsp Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp Honey – 1 tbsp
Grind together for masala with no water
Onion – 2 Tomatoes – 3 Red chilies – 3 Ginger – 1-inch piece Garlic – 3 cloves Grated coconut – 2 tsp Poppy seeds – 2 tsp Cashews – about 10 Cinnamon – 1 stick Cloves – 4 Cardamom – 3 Saunf/fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Procedure –
Cut the paneer into 1-inch pieces and shallow fry it in oil until lightly golden.
Grind the above-mentioned masala into a smooth paste, without adding any water.
Heat the butter in a pan and add the ground masala. Fry the masala in medium flame, until it thickens and the oil separates. Be patient, this takes about half an hour, but it is really worth it. The more the masala fries the better it tastes.
Now add the dhania jeera powder, garam masala, and chili powder. Fry for 2-3 more mins.
Then add salt, honey, kasoori methi, and sour cream and stir well to combine.
Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add the fried paneer pieces to it and let it simmer for about 5-8 mins. Add some water if needed to get the right gravy consistency.
Remove from flame and garnish with butter.
Serve the Paneer Makhanwala hot with Chapattis, parathas, or naan!!!
Flatbreads That Pair Well With This
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