This is the easiest way to make paneer butter masala. Mix a few ingredients together on the stovetop and you’ll have this restaurant-worthy dish ready in minutes.
What is Paneer Butter Masala?
Paneer butter masala might be the most popular paneer dish ever. If you haven’t heard of it, think soft paneer in a creamy and buttery, well-spiced, tomato-based sauce. You may also know this dish by another name: paneer makhani.
Paneer butter masala is similar to my popular Butter Chicken and my Butter Chickpeas, but it’s also a bit different in that I add cashews to this sauce. I like adding cashews with the paneer – it makes the sauce a little thicker and a little richer. If you don’t like cashews, you can use almonds or leave the nuts out if you want.
“This paneer butter masala is better than restaurant quality! And so easy, too!!!!! 😍”
Vidya
Why Use Onion Masala
The great thing about this particular recipe for paneer butter masala is that it’s easy. It takes minutes, thanks to my premade Onion Masala. All you need to do is heat the ingredients and add the paneer. That’s it.
By making a big batch of onion masala one day, you can prepare meals like this one with very little effort. You don’t need to cook down tomatoes daily, just do it once and keep the masala in the freezer and use it as needed. If you don’t have Onion Masala handy, then you can try using canned tomato sauce as that’s already cooked down though I haven’t tested it this way for the blog.
Serve this paneer makhani with Indian flatbread (naan or roti) or Basmati Rice. To make this more of a complete meal, add one or two of these dishes too:
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 ¼ cups frozen or thawed onion masala
Spices
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika or kashmiri chili for color
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- Pinch of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- 1 14 ounce block Paneer, cubed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream OR full-fat unsweetened coconut cream, to taste
Instructions
- Add the water and cashews to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside for now.
- Add the ghee, onion masala and spices to a saucepan over low heat and allow it to simmer for a couple minutes (if using frozen masala then simmer until the masala melts).
- Pour the blended cashews into the saucepan along with the paneer and cook until the paneer is heated through.
- Stir in the cream and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is part of my onion masala series – be sure to check it out!
Caroline says
How can I substitute the nuts as I’m allergic to them?
Sara says
Amazing!! I made it with frozen Indian onion masala on a weeknight. It took no time at all and it was soooo delicious! Ate it with naan!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sara, I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kate says
This is one of my go-to weeknight dishes, especially when we haven’t been to the grocery store in awhile (paneer keeps so nicely in the fridge!).
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kate, so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this! And I agree – I always have a pack of paneer in the fridge or freezer, great for unexpected visitors too!
Karen says
I made this and it was delicious! Was I supposed to soak the raw cashews before blending with the water? Thanks!
Amanda says
Hi Ashley! Can’t wait to try this. My son is allergic to cashews – can I use almonds instead? Is there anything you would change to sub almonds?
Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Amanda, I would use whole almonds, soak them overnight, and peel them then blend – that should turn into a nice paste with a similar consistency to the cashews.
Markus says
Easy and fast recipe. Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that!
Chancita says
I make this recipe, sub avocado oil for the ghee and use cauliflower instead of paneer. I use this recipe instead of the butter chickpeas because it uses the onion masala (which – again – is pure genius). I always have cashew butter on hand as well, so I mix the cashew butter with water instead of blending soaked cashews (just because it comes together quicker for me. Sometimes I pre-steam the cauliflower and sometimes I cook it in the sauce. Either way, this is a delicious sauce that comes so fast with the onion masala. Thanks for another great recipe!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Chancita, that’s great to hear – thank you for sharing!
Vidya says
This paneer butter masala is better than restaurant quality! And so easy, too!!!!! 😍
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Vidya! So happy to hear that you like it so much 🙂
Senthurselvi Aravinth says
I cooked it and it was so yummy. Your recipes are all amazing and every time I try it, they comes so well.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Senthurselvi, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you liked this recipe – thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Erin Beaulac says
Love this recipe, it turns out amazing every time!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Erin, I’m happy to hear that! Glad you like the paneer butter masala so much 🙂
Helen says
This was totally delicious! I used almond flour (ground almonds) instead of cashews because that’s what I had on hand. This was my first onion masala recipe and the flavour are really impressive — I can’t wait to try more!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Helen! Happy to hear that you liked this so much 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of other onion masala recipes you try!
Emily says
Love it! I hate cleaning my blender, so I make extra cashew/water blend and freeze it for next time—works great. Thanks for sharing!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Awesome! Also, a great tip – I don’t like cleaning my blender either, lol.
Neetal says
Another excellent recipe
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Neetal! I’m so glad you liked the dish 🙂
Hema says
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.
My Heart Beets says
Hema, so happy to hear that!
Shadow says
Basket of gratitude from England!
I came across this recipe when looking for an authentic Indian flavor. And boy, does it get more authentic than this! You’ve put together a fantastic combination of the onion masala recipe and this. Simply can’t say enough “thank yous”. Only thing I struggled with was, being English, I had to work out what the American cups were in grams. It would be nice to have the metric measurements in brackets but this recipe is worth the extra work!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you liked this dish! Thank you for the kind words 🙂 I’m looking into getting a new recipe card so hopefully this feature will be available soon!
Ashley says
Amazing!! So fast to come together with frozen onion masala!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ashley! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Jasmine says
So easy and quite flavorful! My family never ate paneer growing up but I made this today and they really liked it! I added mattar to this since I prefer a thicker gravy and your other recipe showed a thinner gravy. The consistency of this one was closest to a restaurant style mattar paneer I’ve ever tried (I’ve cycled through maybe 4 or 5 recipes so far). I did add about a teaspoon of sugar; in the future maybe I’ll try upping the cream? I was looking for that kind of sweet flavor that restaurant MP often has. Any idea what that might be?
All in all, a keeper with some tweaking of spices to suit my personal tastes. 👍🏽
My Heart Beets says
Jasmine, so glad you and your family liked this recipe! As for a sweeter flavor, I’m pretty sure most restaurants add sugar. Hope that helps 🙂
Vidya says
Random question: I’m not a fan of the hassle of frying anything in oil, but I feel like paneer recipes just aren’t the if not fried. Have you ever tried air fryer paneer????
My Heart Beets says
Hi Vidya, you’ll never go wrong taking the extra step to pan-fry paneer though I normally skip this step when making a curry. I do suggest pan-frying paneer when using it in a recipe like my palak paneer or my Indo-chinese paneer I haven’t tried air-frying paneer – let me know how that goes if you try!
Rebecca says
Can this be frozen if the paneer is had been frozen and is now defrosted?
Gouri says
Hi Thanks for the recipe. Can i use cashew butter instead of Cashew and water blend?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Gouri, I’ve tried cashew butter as a substitute for blended cashews and water, but for some reason, the taste isn’t quite the same. If you try it though, let me know what you think!
AKB says
I am so happy I stumbled on the onion masala recipe.
Once you have the onion masala, making the paneer makhani is absurdly easy and quick. It only took about 10 minutes to put together. And it has better depth of flavor than other makhani recipes I’ve tried.
I can’t wait to try the other onion masala recipes.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you found the onion masala recipe too! Glad you liked this paneer dish so much 🙂 Let me know what you think of other onion masala recipes that you try!
Ash says
Could you make this with chicken instead of paneer?
Swagata says
Hi!
Does this serve 4-5 people more as a side dish, or as an entree?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Paneer is pretty filling so I’d say an entree but would also suggest serving a side with it as well.
Dagmara says
This is a wonderful recipe, and easy once you have the onion masala! I even made my own paneer, so it’s extra-homemade 😉
My Heart Beets says
Dagmara, I’m so happy to hear that! Love that you made your own paneer – yum!
mary says
wow this was absolutely amazing, just like everything else I’ve tried on your website! Ashley you are just incredible for sharing all of these recipes and I am sooo thankful I found your site. It’s the only site I go to now for indian food. Your recipes are spot on and easy! Whenever someone gives me credit for something I’ve made, I ALWAYS tell them to check out your blog. Thank you thank you thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Mary, that’s so great to hear! Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing my blog with others – I appreciate it so much 🙂
Deepi says
Hi Ashley, I never leave comments, EVER! But you have changed my life. My husband and I work full-time, have no family around, and have a lovely toddler at home. As vegetarians (and kids-at-heart who miss their mothers’ cooking), we just can’t survive without Indian food. We tried, but ended up eating variations of pizza/pasta and never felt satiated. I also had an instant pot, but couldn’t get the hang of it and hated scrolling the internet for recipes that may or may not work.
Your masala series changed my life. It tastes like mom’s food, it’s SOOOO easy, and super quick. Currently, we are stuck at home during the pandemic, which means more meals together, I can’t rely on outsourced food or social eating, and we need variety. Luckily I made/froze masala before it fully hit and am pretty much using the masala series full-time. For example, after a crazy day at work and balance a child at home, I was able to throw minimal ingredients in the instant pot for langar dal and still go for a walk with my family before dinner. I couldn’t have done it without you. Keep adding to the series and then publish, I’ll be the first to buy that cookbook 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Deepi! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment and for the kind words! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the onion masala series and that you’re finding it helpful during these tough times. I hope you and your family are doing well!
Gitali says
Thanks for sharing this delicious Paneer recipe. I am not a good cook but your recipes make me feel so proud of myself. Made this recipe for our housewarming party & guests loved it. They actually took some leftovers with them. Super delicious & so quick to make. Thanks for making our lives easier with onion masala preparation too!
My Heart Beets says
Gitali, that makes me so happy to hear 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know how much you and your guests liked this recipe!
Jenita says
This recipe is so easy to make…. had 2 vegetarian friends drop in on superbowl sunday without much advanced notice and i made this recipe with firm tofu (coz I didnt have any paneer on hand) and they loved it. I served this along with Ashley’s lemon rice. Dinner was ready in 30 mins and it was delicious… I am now out of onion masala and that’s my weekend activity
My Heart Beets says
Jenita, that’s so great to hear! Good to know it works well with firm tofu!
Lee says
One word: WOW! This recipe rocks. I made a big batch of onion masala and had about a cup and just a smidge more than a quarter that wouldn’t fit in my freezer, so I decided to try this.
And it’s amazing!! I did make it with the cashews. I didn’t have any heavy cream or coconut milk/cream, so I subbed a heaping spoonful of Greek yogurt mixed with enough milk to make it “cream-like”… and it was phenomenal. The closest taste-match I have ever gotten to my favorite Indian restaurant. I am already dreaming of leftovers… I anticipate I will make this again sooner than I should!
My Heart Beets says
Lee, that’s so awesome to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked the paneer!
Gitali says
Thanks for letting us know the substitute of cream. I had everything except fresh cream today for this recipe. And I added plain yogurt & milk at the end. It just completed the recipe. Delicious!
Ash says
Hi Ashley, I live in UK and we don’t use cups here. Any idea how much 1 cup of onion masala is, in grams? Many thanks 🙂
Melanie says
I love your onion masala and this is my favorite recipe to make with it. It tastes amazing!! Thank you so much for your recipes. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Melanie, I’m so happy to hear that you like the onion masala and this paneer recipe! Thanks for letting me know how much you 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Melanie, I’m so happy to hear that you like the onion masala and this paneer recipe! Thanks for letting me know how much you like it 🙂
Stephanie says
Ohhh so good!! Thanks Ashley!!
My Heart Beets says
Stephanie, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how the paneer butter masala turned out for ya 🙂
Ankita das says
Amazing recipe.. My family loved it and it’s really easy to prepare.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Heena says
Hi Ashley – I would like to make this recipe for 12 people for a Diwali party. Any recommendation on how to adjust measurements? Thanks
My Heart Beets says
I would triple the recipe for a party with that many people – I hope everyone loves it!
Anita Gupta says
Hi Ashley – My nephew is allergic to nuts/cashews what can I use in its place?
Ash says
I’d skip altogether
Pooja says
Hi Ashley, if I do not have onion masala already made, then what’s the quantity of onion, ginger, garlic, tomato to saute? Thanks!
U Sen says
Hi Ashley – I’ve just discovered your blog and I’m so excited to try your recipes. Do you happen to have an instant pot version of this one, or an easy formula for converting regular recipes to instant pot? Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Hi! Paneer really doesn’t need to be pressure cooked and the onion masala is already cooked so if you still want to make this in an IP then I’d just do everything on saute mode 🙂 Hope that helps!
Sam Gupta says
Amazing. Family loved it!!
My Heart Beets says
Sam, so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Karen A-K says
This was so easy and fantastic! The entire family loved it. A new family favorite. Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Karen, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kishan says
Hey Ashley,
Tried this recipe today and it turned out to be perfect. Well received by the family at dinner table!
Thanks for sharing.
– Kishan
My Heart Beets says
Kishan, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
sandeep kataria says
Lovely recipe. Nice I will also try.
Sonu kataria says
Lovely recipe. Nice I will also try.