Paneer Butter Masala (My style)

Paneer butter masala goes really good with nan and is a popular curry. "Paneer" is a soft Indian cheese which you can find in Indian grocery stores. My mom makes paneer at home, but I think its easier to just buy a block from the store.  If you google paneer butter masala, you will most likely find recipes that are loaded with butter, oil and therefore CALORIES. I wanted to prepare a delicious curry without extra calories. Of course, the paneer itself has several calories, and we don't want to add more than necessary.

I imagined this recipe out in my head this morning and with a little help from my mom, I have here for you a delicious recipe. This recipe takes time to prepare, because of the several steps involved. It took me about 40 minutes, which is more than twice the amount of time I like spending preparing a curry. But this is a curry for special occasions, and the time spent is surely worth it.This recipe will make 6-8 generous servings!

Have fun preparing paneer butter masala, my style, and let me know how it turned out and if you liked it.

So here we go...step 1...

 


Step 1: Brown paneer in a non-stick skillet without any oil.

Note: You can add oil or butter to brown the paneer, if you like. You can also buy fried paneer at the Indian grocery market. I used a 14oz bar of paneer and cut it into rectangular pieces.




Step 2: Soak about 20 almonds in water for about an hour and peel the skin off and blend the almonds to make a thick paste.

Step 3: In a skillet brown 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds and 5-6 cloves in about 1 tbs of olive oil.

Step 4: Add 3 cups of finely sliced onions and saute until golden brown. (I used 1 extra large onion).

Step 5: When the onions have browned slightly, add 1 tbs of fresh minced garlic, 1/2 tbs of fresh ginger paste and 2 cups of sliced tomatoes. Add salt to help the tomatoes cook faster.

 

Step 6: When the tomatoes have cooked, turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the stove, and let the mixture cool down for about 5-8 minutes. Then transfer the onion-tomato mix and the almond paste to a blender and make a paste. Do not add water. 

Step 7: Return the skillet to the stove and add about a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. 

Step 8: Next add 1 tbs of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1/4 tsp of chilli powder and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder. Stir the spices well in the melted butter. Be careful not to burn the spices. Turn down the heat if you need to.

Step 9: Add the onion-tomato-almond paste to the pan and stir around to let the spices mix well in the mixture. Turn the heat up to medium-high.

Step 10: Stir in 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and 1 cup of hot water.

Step 11: Finally add the browned paneer. Let the masala come to a boil and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Garnish with 2 tbs of fresh cilantro and serve with warm chapathi or nan or rice. Yum!