No added colour Paneer Butter Masala

Who doesn’t love Paneer Butter Masala? This silky smooth curry of cubes of Indian cheese nestled in creamy tomato is a restaurant favourite. And for good reason too. This is a staple dish from the North of India, best enjoyed on roadside restaurants called “dhabas” if you ask me. My version is a tad healthier perhaps than what you’d get there. It uses cashew cream and a dash of butter to get that delectable rich taste, with no need for added colour or cream. I’ve used 20 cashews in this, but you could totally add twice as much to make it even more regal!

Now, I tend to save paneer making for weekend projects and reach for the ready stuff. But if you want a recipe, here is a good one.

The ingredient list is as follows. Enjoy!

Feeds 2:

For the paneer

• 200gm paneer in bite-sized cubes
• Quarter tsp salt
• Quarter ground turmeric
• Quarter ground chilli powder

For the spice paste

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp ginger paste/grated
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• Heaped tsp ground coriander
• Quarter tsp ground chilli powder
• Quarter tsp turmeric powder
• Tbsp warm water
• 4 tbsp each tomato puree and greek yoghurt mixed together with a cup of water
• 20 cashewnuts with a tbsp of milk
• Dry fenugreek or methi leaves in one tbsp of warm water
• Half tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt to your taste