Paneer Makhini Recipe
Cheese in a creamy tomato sauce with crushed nuts. Served with rice.
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Ingredients
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Sauce
Paneer & Garnish
Rice (to serve)
Method
Sauce
- 1
Soak cashews and prepare tomatoes
Place cashew nuts in a small bowl and cover with hot water; soak for at least 15 minutes while you prepare other ingredients. If using fresh tomatoes, roughly chop them; if using canned crushed tomatoes, measure them out.
- 2
Sauté aromatics
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 20 g butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. When butter melts, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them sizzle ~20 seconds. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden (8–10 minutes). Add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste and sauté 1–2 minutes until raw smell disappears.
- 3
Cook tomatoes with spices
Add the chopped or crushed tomatoes to the pan, stirring to combine. Add 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp red chili powder, 0.25 tsp turmeric powder, and 1.25 tsp salt and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and oil begins to separate from the mixture (8–12 minutes). Add 1 tsp sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic.
- 4
Make smooth nut-tomato puree
Drain the soaked cashews and transfer them to a blender with the cooked tomato-onion mixture and 150 ml water. Blend to a very smooth puree (use extra water by tablespoon if needed). The cashew puree adds body and creaminess to the sauce.
- 5
- 6
Finish with cream and aromatics
Lower heat to low, stir in 120 ml heavy cream, 1 tbsp kasuri methi (crush between your palms before adding), and 1 tsp garam masala. Simmer 2–3 minutes more, stirring constantly so the cream is fully incorporated and the sauce is silky. Keep the sauce warm on the lowest heat while you prepare paneer and rice.
Paneer & Garnish
- 7
Prepare paneer
Cut 400 g paneer into 1.5–2 cm cubes. If the paneer is very firm or refrigerated, you can soak the cubes in warm water for 10 minutes to make them tender, then drain well.
- 8
Shallow-fry paneer (optional but recommended)
Heat 1 tbsp oil or butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add paneer cubes in a single layer and shallow-fry until all sides are lightly golden, 2–3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. This step gives the paneer a firmer texture and a light crust so it holds up in the sauce.
- 9
Combine paneer with sauce
Gently fold the fried (or raw, if skipping frying) paneer cubes into the simmering makhini sauce. Cook together on low heat for 3–5 minutes so the paneer warms through and absorbs flavor. Taste and adjust salt, cream, or kasuri methi as desired.
- 10
Rice (to serve)
- 11
Rinse and soak rice
Rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then soak the rice for 15–20 minutes to improve texture. Drain well just before cooking.
- 12
Cook rice
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp butter (optional). Add the drained rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 12–15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork.
- 13
Plate
Spoon rice onto plates or a serving dish and ladle Paneer Makhini alongside or over the rice. Garnish as instructed in the Paneer & Garnish section.
