Mughlai Style Paneer Makhani | Restaurant Style Recipe

Hey everyone, do you want to have an authentic restaurant-style paneer makhani dish from the comfort of your own home? Then be sure to give this recipe a try! I use the same gravy as from my butter chicken recipe, but this recipe is a fantastic vegetarian alternative to butter chicken! Paneer is also known as Indian cottage cheese. If you're looking for a change or want to experience the same great flavours from authentic butter chicken, then you'll be sure to love this!

Ingredients

• 7-8 green cardamom
• 3-4 small pieces of mace
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon salt + salt to taste
• 5 tablespoon kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1.5 tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons honey or 1-2 tablespoons of sugar
• 500 g paneer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions 

1. To prepare the sauce, heat up 2 tablespoons of butter to melt over medium heat in a heavy bottom saucepan/kadai and add your cardamom and mace. When it starts to become fragrant, add in rest of ginger garlic paste and stir until slightly golden brown.
2. In the meanwhile, puree your can of tomatoes in a blender/food processor.
3. Once oven has preheated, lay out a sheet pan with aluminium foil put your marinated chicken on it. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes/until cooked.
4. Add in tomatoes into your saucepan/kadai and mix well.
5. Once sauce starts simmering, add in 1 teaspoon of salt, rest of chilli powder and cook until you see oil disperse on the sides of the pan.
6. Next crush the dried fenugreek leaves between the palm of your hands and add to your sauce. Mix and cook for 2-3 more mins. Then blend in the rest of your butter and add in your honey/sugar. Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes
7. Now take your sauce and transfer it into a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
8. Over a sieve, transfer the blended sauce back into your saucepan/kadai and use a spatula or a wooden spoon to sieve out your sauce.  Discard the remain dry parts remaining in the sieve. You should now be left with a smooth looking sauce.
9. Finish the sauce by adding your cream and a teaspoon of garam masala. Taste and correct for salt.
10. Cut the paneer into 1inch cubes and add to sauce and let simmer with the lid for 5-10 minutes. Your excellent paneer is ready to serve with naan/rice.