Combine aromatic spices with a creamy cashew and tomato base, gently brown some butter in a pan and create the Makhani-style sauce of your dreams. This is the only way I’ll make Paneer Makhani from now on.

What is Brown Butter?

A wise friend once told me I must strive to be the best version of myself. I think butter has the same friend because along comes brown butter to blow our minds. It’s like regular butter but with a breathtaking glow-up.

Brown butter is richer and even more buttery tasting than its former self. A simple melt, stir and gentle simmer in a pan is all that lies between you and the best Paneer Makhani of your life.

The Maillard reaction

The process of cooking the butter to the point of golden toastiness causes a series of chemical reactions between amino acids and sugars from the lactose in butter. This is an example of a Maillard reaction.

Other examples of foods that under go this same miraculous transformation include toast, viennoiserie like croissants and pain au chocolat, toasted marshmallows, golden cookies, scones, roasted white chocolate and fried dumplings.

It’s a building block of flavour responsible for some of the most delicious foods we know.

How to make brown butter

1. Melt

Melt cubes of butter in a pan. Initially, the butter will be a pale, creamy colour.

2. Bubble & evaporate

Next, the water will begin to cook off, causing the liquid to spit and splutter as the fats and remaining water continue to interact. Large bubbles are visible on the surface. Now the butter will look yellow and erm… buttery.

3. Foam & caramelise

Prepare for a lot of foam. With the water now evaporated, the fats can now begin to caramelise. The pillowy sheet of foam is like a heavy raincloud on a sunny day. Underneath, the butter changing from yellow to amber.

Keep the butter moving the whole time to ensure it doesn’t brown too quickly and deeply. Remember, this is brown butter, not burnt butter.

4. Browning

Once the foaming begins to subside, you’ll notice a grainy sediment at the base of the pan. These are made up of caramelised milk solids, similar to what we see in ghee making. They are pure umami flavour: Salty, caramelised and slightly bitter.

Now keep an eye on your butter as it will reach brown butter nirvana in a matter of seconds. Let it go too far and you’ll have burnt butter. A deep, golden-syrup colour is ideal for this dish.

How to use brown butter to make Paneer Makhani

Instead of cooking our aromatics (ginger, garlic, etc) in regular butter or oil, we will use the umami-rich brown butter. Add a handful of aromatic spices, sweet, boiled cashews and tangy tomatoes.

The process of high-speed blending will cause the brown butter to emulsify into the sauce for a luxurious, silky finish.

I reserve a small amount of brown butter for drizzling on top. The salty hit of butter is out of this world.

Can’t I just use ghee?

You can use ghee but it won’t taste the same. Allow me to clarify (heh). The key difference between ghee and brown butter is that the latter incorporates the milk solids. I call them flavour sand! Brown butter is also cooked for longer, so offers greater nutty aromas.

What spices do we need for Brown Butter Paneer Makhani?

Kashmiri red chilli, green cardamom, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and garam masala. That’s it.

Grab my Homemade Garam Masala recipe

Homemade Garam Masala

Learn how to make a cracker of a Garam Masala blend using whole roasted spices. Here's a list of spices you need to jazz up any North Indian dish, from curry and pulao, to samosas and parathas.

Check out this recipe

What kind of paneer should I use for Brown Butter Paneer Makhani?

The smooth and nutty flavours of this brown butter sauce are a delicious carrier for homemade paneer. The soft cubes simply melt in your mouth.

How to make Homemade Paneer

The Best Homemade Paneer (Softest-Ever Cubes!)

Soft and squidgy homemade paneer for curries, paratha fillings, chilli paneer, samosas and more. This simple recipe includes tips for making fresh paneer that tastes like it just came from the dairywala.

Check out this recipe

Having said this, if time isn’t something you have, you can certainly use shop-bought paneer. I recommend you cut the paneer and soak it in boiling water for 10 minutes before draining, patting dry and pan frying.

You can also add the paneer straight into the sauce without pan frying.

I like to create a golden crust on my homemade paneer cubes for texture and colour.

Brown Butter Paneer Makhani recipe

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Brown Butter Paneer Makhani

I thought I knew love, but then I met Brown Butter Paneer Makhani. Combine aromatic spices with brown butter and a creamy cashew-tomato curry.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword cheese, curry, north indian, paneer, vegetarian

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 450 g paneer cubed
• 15 whole cashews
• 2-4 whole dried Kashmiri red chillies (I used 4 very mild ones)
• 4 green cardamom pods cracked
• 1/2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 small red onion cut into rough chunks
• 500 g tomato passata (sieved tomatoes)
• 500 ml water
• 150 g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic about 3 cloves
• 1 tbsp tomato purée (concentrated tomato paste)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala (recipe linked above)
• 100 ml whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp ground kasoori methi
• 2 tbsp agave or brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

To garnish:

• 1 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tbsp reserved brown butter
• 1/4 tsp kasoori methi
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

To prepare the paneer:

• Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan and pan-fry the paneer until lightly golden brown on all sides. Place on a plate lined with kitchen towel and set aside while you get on with the sauce.

For the brown butter makhani sauce:

• Place a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Do not add oil. Dry-roast cashew nuts, dried Kashmiri chillies, the four whole cardamom pods, whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds and roughly-chopped onion. About 2-3 minutes.
• Add the tomato passata and 200ml water. Stir well and cover with a lid. Simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Switch the heat off and remove the lid. Allow the mixture to cool.
• To make the brown butter, melt butter in a heavy-based pan. Keep the heat low to ensure the butter browns slowly and evenly, without burning. Cook, stirring constantly.
• The butter will go from being yellow, to having large bubbles, then foamy, and finally, a deeply golden colour, rather like golden syrup. Some foam will subside and there will be toasted milk solids at the bottom of the pan. No need to skim off any foam or sediment, this is brown butter, not ghee. The brown butter will smell incredibly buttery and nutty. This is a core building block of flavour in this curry. The process should take around 7 minutes from start to finish.
• Remove two tablespoons full of the brown butter from the pan and set aside. We will drizzle this on top of the finished curry.
• With the remaining brown butter still over a very low heat, add the crushed garlic, grated ginger, tomato purée, turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder. Sauté for one minute and then switch the heat off.
• Stir in the garam masala and prepared tomato, nut and whole spice mixture and 200ml cold water to cool it down quickly for blending.
• Pile the mixture into a high-powered blender and grind until very smooth. Feel free to pass the mixture through a sieve afterwards for an extra-smooth sauce. Since we're using passata, I don't find this is necessary.
• Return the sauce to a pan and rinse the blender jar out with 100ml water to catch every last bit of sauce. Add this to the pan too. Keep the sauce over a low heat.
• Season with salt, agave or brown sugar to sweeten and mellow out the chilli heat, and ground cardamom seeds. Stir well. Finish with a swirl of cream and kasoori methi rubbed between your palms. Add the paneer, reserved brown butter and fresh coriander leaves if you like. Heat through and serve immediately with roti, naan or rice. I love this dish with tandoori roti.

Video

Notes

• Pan frying the paneer is optional. I like using homemade paneer for this dish which benefits from a slight crust to keep the pieces whole.
• If using shop-bought paneer, first cube it and soak the pieces in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and use as they are or pan fry for the softest paneer curry.

Pin this recipe for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Buttermilk Naan

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Love Sanjana

The post Brown Butter Paneer Makhani appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Nothing went to plan. I half expected that to happen because when it comes to babies, nothing is straightforward. The parents amongst you all will know that all too well. Our little guy decided he was no longer going to grow in my belly so was evicted at 37 weeks under our doctor’s advice. And superb advice it was because after a failed induction, he arrived via emergency c-section at a tiny but mighty 4lb 1oz. Yeah. He was serious about getting out of there and getting some real food on the outside. Sounds like my boy. Yep – I had a BOY!

He’s been doing some serious milk guzzling over the past 7 weeks and has put on weight like nobody’s business. Now, at 8lb, he’s alert, smiley and super adorable. You can see his mini series, Daily Cute over on my Instagram Stories.

My little Bodhi Veer is a blessing in every sense of the word. His name means enlightened and brave and it suits him down to a tee. I can’t wait to watch him grow and learn with each day.

To celebrate, we ate Matar Paneer. What else is quite as delicious and indulgent, eh?

I’ve got a sneaky Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer recipe that’ll knock your socks off and it’s easier than you think. The base sauce is made with ground almonds and tomatoes. The spicing is mild but complex, making you wonder if you really just made that at home in the comfort of your own kitchen, without having to go to a restaurant or pick up a takeaway menu. Mad skills.

The secret to making shop-bought paneer butter-soft and like the homemade kind is soaking it in boiling hot water for 20 minutes before popping it naked, under the grill until golden. No need for oil or frying.

If paneer and peas aren’t your thing, my sauce recipe is actually a great base for any sort of curry. Cauliflower, chickpeas or mushrooms are great options too. But let’s be real, who doesn’t love cheese and peas? For a vegan version, swap out the paneer for fried tofu and omit the cream.

A blender is key to getting a super-smooth sauce and be sure to have a lid handy because it needs to simmer for 20 minutes – and it’s volcanic! Turn your back for a minute and you’ll be spending the rest of your evening scrubbing the ceiling free of orange splodges. You have been warned.

Serve with whatever you like. I chose my beloved Garlic and Coriander Naan because there is no restaurant bread greater. If you’re pushing the boat out, bust out a bowl of Pilau rice and your family and friends will love you forever.

Here’s to family ?

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Creamy, Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer

I’ve got a sneaky Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer recipe that’ll knock your socks off and it’s easier than you think. The base sauce is made with ground almonds and tomatoes. The spicing is mild but complex, making you wonder if you really just made that at home in the comfort of your own kitchen, without having to go to a restaurant or pick up a takeaway menu. Mad skills.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword curry, paneer, peas

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil sunflower/vegetable or rapeseed
• 1 red onion peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 cloves garlic peeled
• 80 g ground almonds
• 200 ml + 400ml hot water
• 450 g paneer cubed and soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes and then drained
• 2 black cardamom pods whole
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom pods seeds removed and ground
• 1 tsp 5-spice powder
• 680 g tomato passata
• 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 300 g frozen peas
• 3 tbsp double cream optional
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves kasoori methi, plus more to garnish
• Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Instructions

• Add the ground almonds, onion and garlic to a blender along with 200ml hot water. Blend until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based non-stick saucepan (one with a lid). Add the cumin seeds, black cardamom pods and bay leaves. Allow to sizzle and then add the almond mixture.
• Add the turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder, ground coriander seeds, ground cardamom seeds and 5-spice powder. Stir to combine and cook on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring all the time to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, the paste should come away from the sides of the pan and the oil visible around the edges.
• Next, add the tomato passata and salt. Stir. Switch the heat off and allow to cool a little. Add the mixture to a blender - I used my Nutibullet. Blend until you have a super smooth sauce. Return to the pan, add 400ml hot water and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid on (VERY IMPORTANT) otherwise the sauce with spit and bubble like a volcano.
• Meanwhile, grill the paneer until lightly golden. Carefully add it to the sauce and cook it for a further 10 minutes. Finally, add the peas, garam masala and fenugreek (rub it between your palms to release more flavour). Cook for 5 minutes and switch off the heat. Finish with cream, a sprinkling of fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Serve with Garlic and Coriander Naan and Pilau Rice. I served a red onion, coriander and chilli bowl on the side for extra toppings.

Notes

Head on over to Instagram for a full step-by-step in my Stories.

Head on over to Instagram for a full step-by-step in my Stories.

Pin the image below to save the recipe to your Pinterest board.

Love Sanjana x

The post Creamy, Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.