paneer makhanwala recipe

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for the makhani gravy:

1 medium to large onion, 80 gms, cup roughly chopped onions
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, 160 to 170 gms, 1.5 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
inch ginger/adrak, chopped
3 to 4 medium garlic/lahsun, chopped
2 single strands of mace/javitri
2 to 3 green cardamoms/hari elaichi or choti elaichi
1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
2 to 3 cloves/laung or lavang
2 tbsp whole cashews/kaju, about 10 to 12 cashews
1 cup water
rest of the ingredients:
250 to 300 gms paneer/cottage cheese, cut into cubes or squares
1 to 1.5 tsp kashmir red chili powder or deghi mirch (if using a hot variety of red chili powder, then add
to tsp)
cup low fat cream ( i used amul cream)
1 tej patta/indian bay leaf
1 green chili, slit
1.5 cups water or as required
tsp kasuri methi/dry methi leaves, crushed
tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp honey or tsp sugar - or add as required as per your taste
2 to 2.5 tbsp butter at room temperature,
1 tbsp cream for garnishing
1 tbsp grated paneer for garnishing (optional)
inch ginger, julienne
salt as required
few chopped coriander leaves for garnish (dhania patta)
INSTRUCTIONS
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first mix chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cashews, mace, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms
with 1 cup water.
cook everything til the tomatoes and onions soften without a lid. cook for about 14 to 15 minutes on a
medium flame. allow this mixture to cool.
then add everything including the stock in a good blender or grinder. grind to a smooth paste.
remember there should be no small pieces of cashews. everything should be ground very well till smooth.
heat butter in the same pan.
add tejpatta (bay leaf) and saute for a few seconds.
add the ground makhani paste. stir well.
sprinkle red chili powder. ( i have used kashmiri red chili powder which gives a good color. you can
also use deghi mirch).
stir well and saute the masala on a medium flame.
keep on stirring often. you have to saute the masala till you see the butter leaving the sides. it has to
sauteed so well. this takes time but patience is the key. takes about 20 to 22 mins on a medium to high
flame. check the step by step pics (picture no 9) for the consistency of how the masala paste should be
before you proceed to the next step.
now add slit green chilies, salt and water.
again stir very well. cook for 2 to 3 mins.
then add honey or sugar and again stir.
add the paneer cubes and simmer for 2 mins.
add the cream, kasuri methi and garam masala.
stir and switch off the flame. check the taste and add more salt, honey or red chili powder as required.
serve paneer makhanwala garnished with cream, grated paneer, ginger julienne, and coriander leaves,
hot with naan or rotis.

NOTES

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as per ayurveda, honey should not be added to hot drinks or anything hot or heated above 40 degrees C/104
degrees F. the honey become toxic. for this paneer makhanwala recipe, you can let the gravy cool down a bit and
then add honey. you can also add sugar instead of honey.

kadai paneer gravy recipe below:

kadai paneer gravy recipe - slightly spicy and tangy recipe of cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes and freshly
ground coriander and dry red chilies in a kadai.
INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

main ingredients:
250 to 300 gms paneer/cottage cheese/0.55 to 0.66 lb of cottage cheese
1 small to medium capsicum/green bell pepper/0.22 lb bell pepper, julienned
1.5 inch ginger, chopped + 7-8 medium sized garlic, chopped, crushed in a mortar-pestle to a fine paste.
1 to 2 green chilies, chopped
2 medium sized onions, 100 gms/0.22 lb onions, finely chopped
7 medium to large tomatoes, 500 to 550 gms tomatoes/1.21 lb (2 tomatoes, finely chopped and 5
tomatoes, pureed in a blender)
to 1 tsp garam masala powder
tbsp crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
to cup water
2 tbsp cream (optional)
2 to 3 tbsp oil or ghee or butter
a few chopped coriander leaves for garnish
salt as required
for the kadai masala:
5 tsp coriander seeds
4 to 5 dry kashmiri red chilies, if using any other variety of dry red chilies, then reduce to 2 to 4
depending on the heat and pungency of the chilies.
INSTRUCTIONS
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first roast the coriander and dry kashmiri red chilies in a pan on a low flame till aromatic.
when the spices cool, grind both of them in a grinder to a semi fine powder. keep aside.
finely chop the onions. julienne (cut into very thin strips) the capscium/green bell pepper.
finely chop 2 tomatoes. roughly chop 5 tomatoes and add them to the blender. make a puree of the
tomatoes. keep the tomato puree aside.
crush the ginger-garlic to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle.
in a pan heat oil or ghee or butter. then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma
disappears.
then add the chopped onions and saute till transparent.
add the ground coriander and kashmiri red chilli powder that we made. also add green chilies.
stir well and saute for few seconds. add the tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 mins. then add tomato puree.
stir well and continue to saute till you see oil leaving the sides. about 9 to 10 mins on a low flame.
add the capsicum/green bell pepper julienne. stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium
flame.
add water and salt and continue to simmer for some 7 to 8 minutes.
later add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves and garam masala powder and stir.
add the paneer cubes or slices. stir gently. cook the paneer for about 2 to 3 mins.
you can also 2 tbsp of cream toward the end. just stir the cream gently in the gravy.
garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve kadai paneer gravy with rotis, naan, steamed rice or
jeera rice.

achari paneer recipe below:

achari paneer recipe - creamy as well as robust flavored paneer gravy with achari masala or pickling spices.
INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)
pickling spices:

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1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf

1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds/rai or sarson
tsp nigella seeds/kalonji
tsp fenugreek seeds/methi dana
other ingredients:
200 to 250 grams paneer, choppped in cubes or squares
1 cup fresh whole milk curd, 240 grams
1.5 tsp ginger-green chili paste or inch ginger + 1 or 2 green chilies
2 dry red chilies
a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 medium tomato, chopped about cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes, 75 to 80 grams of tomatoes
10 to 12 cashews or 2 tbsp cashews or 2 tbsp cashew powder
tsp turmeric powder
tsp red chili powder
tsp coriander powder
tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 or 2 tsp of mango pickle masala (optional)
1 to 1.5 tbsp besan
tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
3 tbsp low fat cream
2 tbsp rice bran oil or sunflower oil or mustard oil or ghee
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp chopped mint leaves
salt as required
INSTRUCTIONS
roasting pickling spices:
1.
first take the achari or pickling spices in a pan - 1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf, 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera, 1 tsp
mustard seeds/rai or sarson, tsp nigella seeds/kalonji and tsp fenugreek seeds/methi dana.
2.
heat the pan and on a low flame roast the spices till they are fragrant. don't brown them.
3.
once cooled, add the spices in a small dry grinder or spice grinder and grind to a semi fine powder.
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remove the achari masala powder and keep aside in a bowl.
rest of the preparation:
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in the same grinder, add 10 to 12 cashews.
2.
grind to a fine powder. if oil releases while grinding then its fine.
3.
in a bowl, take 1 cup fresh whole milk curd/yogurt and whisk it till smooth. use fresh curd and not sour
curd.
4.
heat 2 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil or ghee in a pan.
5.
on a low flame, add 2 dry red chilies and a generous pinch of asafoetida. saute for some seconds till the
red chilies change color.
6.
then add 1.5 tsp ginger-green chili paste - about inch ginger + 1 or 2 green chilies crushed to a paste
in mortar-pestle. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.
7.
then add cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes.
8.
stir and add tsp turmeric powder, tsp red chili powder, tsp coriander powder and tsp cumin
powder (optional).
9.
again stir very well and saute the tomatoes till the tomatoes soften completely and become pulpy. you
should also see oil releasing from the sides.
10.
now add the cashew powder. if using store brough cashew powder, then add 2 tbsp cashew powder. do
check the shelf life of store brought cashew powder before adding.
11.
on a low to medium flame, stir and saute the mixture for 2 minutes after adding cashew powder.
12.
reserve 1 tsp of the ground achari masala and add the rest. stir very well.
13.
add 1 tbsp besan. we are adding besan so that the curd does not curdle.
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stir the besan very well and incorporate it into the rest of the masala.
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keep the flame on a low and add the beaten curd.
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as soon as you add the curd, begin to stir the mixture quickly and fast. stirring quickly, incorporate the
curd well into the rest of the masala.
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add salt as per taste.
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simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
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add the paneer cubes. 200 or 250 grams paneer chopped in cubes.
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cook the paneer cubes for about 1 to 2 minutes.

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then add 3 tbsp low fat fresh cream and tsp kasuri methi, which has been crushed. stir very well.
switch off the flame and add 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 1 tsp chopped mint leave & stir
again.
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while serving sprinkle the reserved achari masala from top and garnish with a coriander or mint sprig.
serve achari paneer with tandoori rotis, chapatis or naan.

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