PANEER MAKHANI (PANEER BUTTER MASALA)

INGREDIENTS:----

Paneer --- 250 Gms cut in to cubes
Tomato puree ---- 2 cups
Thick cream --- 1/2 cup
Onion --- 1 cup cut in to cubes
Ginger garlic paste --- 1tea sp
Coriander and cumin powder (dhaniya, geera powder) --- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder ---- 1/2 tea sp
Garam masala powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Red chili powder – 1 tea sp (especially Kashmiri chili powder that gives a nice color to the gravy)
Kasuri methi --- 1 tab sp
Cashew nut paste --- 1 tab sp
Butter 2 tab sp
Salt to taste
Here one tip I want to share with you all. How I make tomato puree is, select nice red colored ripe tomato, boil water in a big pan and make a cross slit on the top of the tomato, and drop them in to the boiling water and leave for 5- 7 min. then remove the skin and chop tomatoes.
Now in a other pan take these chopped tomatoes with 2 bay leaves and a small piece of nutmeg and few mace pieces and 2 cardamoms and cook for 2-3 min. Then remove from the heat let it cool, and grind in to a smooth paste and strain through a strainer. Store this tomato puree in a clean bottle in the fridge. This tastes good till 1 week then again make and store.
This tomato puree is very help full in making paneer makhani like dishes and non vegetarian dishes also.

For coriander and cumin powder ----- In a fry pan roast 1 tab sp coriande seeds and 1 and 1/2 tab sp cumin seeds with out oil cool nd grind in to a fine powder and store. this makes your curry aromatic. Yeehh now comming to the recipe....

METHOD:----
1. peel, wash and cut onion in to cubes, and cook till soft in little water (cook in 1 cup water, and strain the water and leave a side. This water you can use in the gravy). Cool and grind in to a smooth paste.
2. dry roast Kasuri Methi and crush with your hand and leave a side.
3. If you are using the paneer loaf then cut into cubes and fry them in ghee and soak paneer in salted hot water for 1/2 hour, to keep paneer soft and tasty.
4. Now heat butter in a pan and add onion paste and fry till light brown color. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir for a min.
5. Then add all powder masalas like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala powder and mix well then add cashew nut paste and tomato puree, salt to taste and cook till butter leaves from the sides of the pan.
5. Now add paneer cubes mix well and add cream and kasuri methi mix well and cook for 2 more min. and remove from the heat.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.
Serve with Naan or tandoori roti and lassi.
Enjoy your meal.
You can make the same recipe with chicken also.