So like, if ur craving some paneer butter masala but dont wanna use the store bought jar sauce (coz lets be real they’re full of preservatives and kinda meh sometimes), no stress. U can totally make it from scratch and it’s honestly not even that hard. Here’s how u can do it step by step — no fancy chef skills needed .
What You’ll Need (aka ingredients lol)
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Paneer – about 200-250g (cut into cubes)
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2 big tomatoes (roughly chopped)
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1 onion (chopped)
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1–2 green chillis (if u like it spicy)
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1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
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2 tbsp butter (hence the name lol)
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2 tbsp oil
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1/4 cup cream or malai (can use milk if u dont have)
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Spices:
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1/2 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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1 tsp garam masala
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1 tsp red chilli powder (or less, ur choice)
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salt to taste
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1 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves – optional but makes it )
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How to Make It
1. Prep the Sauce Base (no store sauce, just vibes)
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Heat oil + 1 tbsp butter in a pan
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Add cumin seeds, let em crackle
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Toss in onions and fry until golden (dont burn them tho)
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Add ginger garlic paste and green chilli — sauté for like a min
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Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and red chilli powder
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Cook until tomatoes r mushy and oil starts separating a bit
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Let it cool a bit and then blend it into a smooth paste (very important or it’ll be chunky and weird)
2. Cook the Gravy
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Pour the blended sauce back into pan
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Add little water if too thick
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Toss in the garam masala and kasuri methi (crush it in ur hand before adding)
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Let it simmer for 5-6 mins
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Add cream (or milk if ur broke lol), stir slowly
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Now add the paneer cubes
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Let it cook for like 3-4 mins on low heat (dont overcook or paneer gets chewy eww)
3. Finish it Off
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Add the rest of the butter on top (yes, more butter = more better)
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Taste and add more salt or spice if needed
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Garnish with coriander if ur fancy
Serve With
Goes perfect with naan, roti, or even jeera rice. Also don’t forget a lil salad or some pickles on the side if ur into that.
Final thoughts
Making paneer butter masala without using store sauce is actually super doable. Plus, it tastes way better and u know what’s going in it. Give it a try next time u feel like cooking something a lil extra but not too much.