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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dish / Vegetarian / Butter Paneer (Paneer Makhani)

Butter Paneer (Paneer Makhani)

Published June 30, 2022 by Lauren Vavala

Thanks for sharing!

Butter paneer on a plate of rice and in a pan with text overlay.
Butter paneer on a plate of rice and in a pan with text overlay.
Butter paneer on a plate of rice with text overlay.
Butter paneer on a plate of rice and in with text overlay.
Two images of Butter paneer on a plate of rice and in a pan with text overlay between them.

This easy Butter Paneer recipe, also know as Paneer Makhani, uses simple ingredients yet tastes just as delicious as your favorite authentic Indian takeout. This one-pan vegetarian dinner recipe is perfect for any night of the week.

Butter paneer in a bowl with rice and part of a skillet with more butter paneer in it showing.

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Butter Paneer, also known as Paneer Makhani, is a rich, flavorful, vegetarian Indian dish. This restaurant-quality recipe is made with a similar sauce or gravy as Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani).

There is no need to marinate the paneer, like you would with chicken, so additional spices and yogurt are added to the gravy instead. This also makes the recipe quicker to create.

What is paneer?

Paneer is a firm Indian cheese made from just whole milk and an acid like white vinegar or lemon juice, rather than rennet, to keep it vegetarian. It has a very mild flavor and is an excellent replacement for meat, especially in sauce or gravy-based dishes.

It’s very easy and more cost efficient to make Homemade Paneer, should you want to try your hand at cheesemaking.

Why This Recipe Works

This is a fairly quick, easy recipe that tastes amazing. It’s equally as delicious as your favorite Indian takeout restaurant.

The best part is that you don’t really need any ingredients that are hard to find. I have had trouble finding garam masala seasoning in the past, but it’s almost everywhere these days. And, if you can’t find paneer, all you need is milk and vinegar or lemon juice and you can easily make homemade paneer!

You can keep it mild and family-friendly, or add a chili pepper or two for a spicy version.

This recipe is naturally gluten free and can be made low carb simply by serving it over cauliflower rice or zoodles instead of white or brown rice.

How To Make Butter Paneer

Ingredients

Ingredients to make butter paneer on a marble background with text overlay.

  • 1 pound of paneer (cut into bite size cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (minced or grated)
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 14 ounces tomato puree
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1-2 red chili peppers (optional for a spicy dish)
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (more or less to taste)

Chef’s Tip: you can use diced tomatoes, if preferred. I use tomato puree so that the finished gravy is pretty creamy without the need to use a blender.

The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.

Prep!

Mince the garlic and ginger and finely dice the onion.

Cut the paneer into bite size cubes.

Create!

Finely diced onions cooking in butter in a skillet.

Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes.

Finely diced onions and spices cooking in butter in a skillet.

Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and garam masala. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Thickened spiced tomato sauce in a black skillet.

Stir in the tomato puree and paprika. Lower the heat and simmer until the puree darkens and thickens, about 10-15 minutes.

If you are using a chili pepper, add it with this step.

Indian butter sauce in a black skillet.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may want to add more yogurt and/or heavy cream.

Chef’s Tip: if you want a creamier sauce, you can puree it in a blender prior to adding the paneer.

Cubes of paneer on top of butter gravy in a black skillet.

Stir in the cubes of paneer.

Present!

Overhead of a white bowl of rice and butter paneer with the skillet of butter paneer partially showing.

Serve hot over rice.

For a lower carb option, serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.

Tips and Techniques

  • For a spicier version, add a diced red chili pepper or two.
  • Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles for a low carb option.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days for best results.

FAQ’s

What Is Butter Paneer Sauce Made Of?

Butter paneer sauce, or gravy, is made from a combination of tomato, cream, butter, and spices. The spices vary from recipe to recipe but typically include garam masala, cumin, paprika and more.

Is Butter Paneer Healthy?

The term “healthy” is relative.

Butter Paneer is fairly high in calories and fat due to the amount of dairy in the recipe so some would say it’s really not healthy at all. It’s also traditionally served over rice which also increases the total calories and carbohydrates.

However, if you are following a low carb, high fat diet and serve this dish over cauliflower rice, one could say it’s healthier. It is also vegetarian.

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Love this Butter Paneer recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!

If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!

A white bowl of rice and butter paneer close up.
Print

Butter Paneer (Paneer Makhani)

This easy Butter Paneer recipe, also know as Paneer Makhani, uses simple ingredients yet tastes just as delicious as your favorite authentic Indian takeout. This one-pan vegetarian dinner recipe is perfect for any night of the week.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Gluten Free, Indian, Low Carb
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 687kcal
Author Lauren Harris

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (minced or grated)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 14 ounces tomato puree
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1-2 red chili peppers (optional for a spicier dish)
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or to taste)
  • 1 pound paneer (cut into bite size cubes)

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
    3 tablespoons butter, 1 medium onion
  • Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and turmeric. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
    4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Stir in the tomato puree and paprika. Lower the heat and simmer until the puree darkens and thickens, about 10-15 minutes. If you are using a chili pepper, add it with this step.
    14 ounces tomato puree, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1-2 red chili peppers
  • Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings, yogurt and heavy cream as needed.
    1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Stir in the cubes of paneer.
    1 pound paneer
  • Serve hot over rice.

Notes

Tips and Techniques

  • You can use diced tomatoes in place of the puree, if preferred, but will the need to use a blender prior to adding the paneer to get the gravy smooth and creamy.
  • Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles for a low carb option.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days for best results.
** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 626mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2027IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 644mg | Iron: 3mg

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Filed Under: Gluten Free, Low Carb, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Comments

  1. ramona says

    August 15, 2022 at 9:35 am

    This looks super creamy and smooth and just delicious! I cant wait to try this out, thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    August 15, 2022 at 5:10 am

    I made the spicy version with some chillies and oh my goodness!!! It’s crazy delicious! The flavour is fantastic, and it has become a regular meal on our weekly menu!

    Reply
  3. Jamie says

    August 15, 2022 at 1:04 am

    This is a dish I would always order at my local restaurant but after trying this homemade version, I’ll be making this at home! The spices were just right for the sauce and it was deliciously creamy!

    Reply
  4. Katie Crenshaw says

    August 14, 2022 at 10:13 pm

    This dish has always been a favorite of mine at the restaurants. I decided to try this at home and so glad I did. It turned out fantastic.

    Reply
  5. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    August 14, 2022 at 2:35 pm

    What an awesome and easy recipe for paneer! I love how simple this is yet it’s so incredibly flavorful! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Ksenia says

    August 13, 2022 at 8:17 pm

    Making simple Indian recipes like this one is probably my favorite thing to do in the kitchen – and you’re recipe was incredibly easy and delicious. Loved this and will be making again for sure!

    Reply
  7. Tracy says

    August 12, 2022 at 11:53 pm

    We are always looking for new paneer recipes and this one was so so good. We all loved it! So much flavor and my kids loved it – which means it’s a total win!

    Reply
  8. Mikayla says

    August 12, 2022 at 8:55 pm

    Paneer is new to me, but we had to give it a try. It really had a great creamy flavor enhanced with the spices!

    Reply
  9. Jade says

    August 11, 2022 at 11:52 pm

    I made this Butter Paneer for the first time, and it was excellent! It’s delicious and simple to prepare. I’m grateful you shared your recipe.

    Reply
  10. Maggie says

    August 11, 2022 at 11:07 pm

    This was much easier than I thought, and it was delicious!

    Reply
  11. Gloria says

    August 8, 2022 at 9:33 am

    What a great recipe for paneer. Skip takeout for sure. This is so easy and delicious.

    Reply

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Welcome, I'm Lauren!

Delicious Little Bites is where I share all types of recipes from appetizers to desserts. You will also find plenty of keto, gluten free, and vegetarian recipes here to help you put a delicious meal on the table every night that the whole family will love! Read More...

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