Butter Mutter Paneer, also known as Paneer Makhni is the vegetarian version of the popular Butter Chicken! The mild flavors of the sauce go really well with Paneer. Serve Butter Mutter Paneer with hot Chapatis or Naans.
Ingredients:
- 500 gms Paneer cut into 2" cubes (to make your own Paneer see recipe below)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
- 1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
- 2 tsps garam masala (see recipe below)
- 2 tsps coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 8-10 peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- 1" stick of cinnamon
- Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 8-10 almonds
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 tsps garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 litre vegetable stock
- 3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
- 3 tbsps butter
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Preparation:
- Mix the paneer, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
- Roast the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly and then grind into a coarse powder.
- Mix the yoghurt, whole spice powder and all the other spices (including the garam masala) together and add them to the paneer. Allow to marinate for another hour.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry till golden brown and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
- Add only the paneer from the marinated mix and fry till pale golden.
- Now add the peas, stock and remaining part of the marinade mix to the pan.
- Cook till the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
- Melt the butter and pour it over the mutter-paneer.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Chapatis or Naans and Kaali Daal.
- For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavor: Heat a briquette of coal till red hot and when the dish is done, put the coal in the pan and cover immediately. Remove just before serving.
