From what I have researched Butter Paneer is cooked with minimal spice and it really is an easy dish to cook. I made my own Paneer so that took a bit of time but if you use store-bought paneer it really is a quick dish to prepare.
Butter Paneer
What is Butter Paneer or Paneer Makhani
I don’t understand many Indian languages. I am from a telegu speaking home so it’s the only Indian language I can understand well. Any other Indian language is foreign to me so I had to quickly find out what the word Makhani means. It means “buttery”. From my little research I also discovered that this sauce originated in the 1950’s. The Punjabis invented the sauce by mixing fresh butter into a tomato-based gravy. I bet the Punjabis didn’t think their invention was going to be as popular as it is today.
Cooking the Curry ahead of serving time
Curries can be cooked in advance and most often tastes even better. However, I do find that with paneer dishes it doesn’t really work that well. The paneer does absorb a lot of the sauce, especially with the soft homemade paneer. Therefore if I am making a Butter Paneer and not serving it immediately, I cook the sauce but I do not add the paneer to the sauce. I add the paneer during serving time. Just re-heat the sauce and add the paneer.
Spices
I love using freshly roasted spices in my cooking. I usually roast and grind my spices in a coffee grinder. The coffee grinder is perfect for small batches of spice. So for this dish I used my own homemade Garam Masala. The store-bought ground spices doesn’t have much aroma and feels really stale and flavorless. Roasting and grinding your own spices may be a little bit of extra work but it is so worth the effort. Ever since I’ve started using freshly ground spices I’ve never looked back, I could never go back to buying store-bought ground spices. One positive thing about this dish is that you don’t need loads of spice. Minimal spice doesn’t mean minimal flavor, it is still so rich and flavor-filled. If you’re watching your diet I suggest you make this dish on your cheat days or special occasions.
More Indian Dishes to try: Easy Vegetable Makhani Cauliflower with Cumin and Cream Green Bean Curry with Coconut Milk First Posted September 7,2020 Updated 30 May 2023 If you loved this, please share!
