- To prepare the Paneer Tikka: Cut the paneer into 1/2 inch cubes (or as big as you want!). Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and coat the paneer cubes with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray (0r brush with oil). Place the paneer cubes, 1 inch apart and spray the top also with cooking spray (0r brush with oil).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, removing once to turn the paneer cubes upside down.
- Keep checking the paneer after 10 minutes, each oven is different. Adjust the oven temperature accordingly.
- For the Makhani Gravy: Soak the cashews in some hot water for 15-20 minutes. Coarsely chop the onions into big cubes. Boil the onions in some water until they are soft. Drain and cool the onions, and grind into a paste. You won’t need to add any water. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil plus 1 Tbsp of butter in a heavy bottom pan and add the shahi jeera, cinnamon, cloves, mace, green cardamom and black cardamom. Saute on low heat for about a minute, until aromatic.
- Add the boiled onion paste and cook for for about 10 minutes, until slightly brown. Mix in the ginger garlic paste and cook, stirring often until the raw smell goes away, and the mixture starts leaving the pan (the fat separates).
- To make your own tomato puree, make a cross marked slit on one side (not on the eye, the other side) of the tomato. Drop the tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then drain and drop the tomatoes in ice cold water. Wait for 5 minutes and peel the tomato skin. Grind the peeled tomatoes into a puree.
- Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder to the onions and saute for a minute, taking care not to burn the masala. Then add the tomato puree to the onions. Cover and cook, stirring every 5 minutes (be careful, tomato puree splutters like crazy), until the raw smell of tomatoes goes away and the gravy starts leaving the sides of the pan and separates the oil.
- Grind the cashews into a smooth paste adding water/milk as required and keep aside.
- Then add the milk and some water, about 1 cup to the gravy. Mix in garam masala and salt. Cook for another 10 minutes. Take care to add water if the gravy becomes too thick. (let the gravy be thin at this time, it will thicken upon the addition of cashew-almond paste)
- If you are planning to freeze the gravy, do not add milk at this point. Proceed without milk. Cool to room temperature and freeze in airtight containers. When you are ready to make the curry, thaw the gravy overnight in the fridge and use milk to thin the gravy.
- Next, reduce the heat to low and add the cashew paste and 2 Tbsp of butter to the gravy and cook covered, stirring frequently for another 8-10 minutes, until the gravy thickens and the raw taste of cashews and almonds disappears. Take care to stir frequently, or the gravy can get stuck to the bottom of the pan and burn very quickly.
- Crush the Kasuri Methi leaves between your palms and add to the simmering gravy. Add in the paneer cubes and a Tbsp or two of butter and cook, stirring frequently for another 5 minutes.
- Switch the heat off and finish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot!
Paneer Makhani, a mouthwatering Indian delicacy to enjoy with crispy butter naan. Do try and let us know your feedback.
Paneer Makhani
By Foodism Team
Nov, 7th
766
Servings
3 persons
Cook Time
1 hr and 30 minutes
Ingredients
27
- 29
Ingredients
- Paneer 250 grams
- Red chilli powder 1 teaspoons
- Yogurt 2 tablespoons
- Coriander powder 1 teaspoons
- Chat masala 1 teaspoons
- Salt as per taste
- Ginger garlic paste 2 teaspoons
- Onions 2 units
- Tomato puree 3 cup
- Green chilli 2 units
- Red chilli powder 2 tablespoons
- Shahi jeera 1 teaspoons
- Green cardamom 2 units
- Black cardamom 2 units
- Cinnamon stick 1 units
- Dry bay leaves 2 units
- Mace 1 units
- Cloves 3-4 units
- Garam masala 1 teaspoons
- Coriander powder 1 tablespoons
- Cumin powder 1 teaspoons
- Kasuri methi 1 tablespoons
- Cashew nuts 1/4 cup
- Oil 3 tablespoons
- Butter 1 tablespoons
- Coriander leaves 2 tablespoons
- Milk 3/4 cup
- Water 1 cup
- Salt as per taste
