Butter Paneer with Garlic Naan
“There’s a reason butter paneer is one of the most popular dishes at Indian restaurants worldwide. It’s rich, mildly spiced, creamy, and universally pleasing. I make mine slightly more tomato-forward than the sweetened restaurant version, but you can always add a bit more cream or a pinch of sugar to your taste.”
What You’ll Need
- 300g paneer, cubed
- 1 can tomato puree (400g)
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2cm ginger piece
- 2 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp kashmiri chili powder (for the red colour)
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- Salt
- Fresh coriander
- FOR NAAN: 300g plain flour, 7g yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 150ml warm water, 2 tbsp yoghurt, butter for brushing, garlic
Let’s Cook — Step by Step
- Step 1 — Blend onion, garlic, and ginger to a smooth paste. Fry the paneer in oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
- Step 2 — In the same pan with butter, fry cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Add the onion paste and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until golden.
- Step 3 — Add tomato puree, coriander powder, chili powder. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes until thick and the butter separates.
- Step 4 — Add 200ml water, stir to combine into a smooth sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Step 5 — Add fried paneer, cream, garam masala, and salt. Simmer gently 5 minutes.
- Step 6 — For the naan: make a soft dough, prove 1 hour. Roll into ovals. Cook in a hot cast-iron pan 2 minutes each side. Brush with garlic butter.
- Step 7 — Serve the paneer with the warm naan, scattered with coriander.
Kitchen Tip: The kashmiri chili is what gives butter paneer its orange-red colour without making it too hot.
Made with fresh ingredients & kitchen love ♥ — meozmedia.com
