Paneer Butter Masala (Instant Pot and Stovetop)

Paneer butter masala is a very popular vegetarian Indian curry served in restaurants. It is usually served with Indian bread like naan and roti. It is quick and easy to make restaurant-style paneer butter masala at home in a pressure cooker like an instant pot.

It is gluten-free and can easily be made vegan by substituting a few ingredients. It can be made ahead of time for meal planning and can be stored in the fridge or freezer for a longer duration.

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• Ingredients
• Instant Pot instructions
• Stovetop instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
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Ingredients

Making paneer butter masala requires few ingredients and is very easy to make at home. The main ingredient is paneer or Indian cottage cheese. You can make paneer at home in the instant pot or use the store-bought one. Paneer cubes can be cut into the desired size, an inch wide and a centimeter thick is a good size.

The paneer butter masala gravy is made of onion, tomato, raw cashews, ginger garlic, and some spices like red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Since we blend all the ingredients to make a smooth puree, you can just chop the onions and tomatoes into large chunks.

The paneer butter masala sauce is creamy in texture because of cashews and heavy cream. Fenugreek leaves, also known as kasuri methi, give a nice flavor to the curry.

Instant Pot instructions

The first step after chopping all the ingredients is to start the instant pot on saute mode. Once the liner is hot, add oil followed by ginger and garlic. You can also use ginger garlic paste as well. Add the onions and saute for a few seconds until they are translucent. Then add the tomatoes, cashews, and all the spices.

Add a little water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.

Now using an immersion hand blender or a blender like Vitamix, blend the ingredients into a smooth puree. If you are using Vitamix or another blender, allow the mixture to cool down a little and then blend it.

Add the heavy cream, crushed fenugreek leaves, and a little bit of sugar and mix well. Finally, add the paneer cubes into the gravy and gently mix it. Adjust the salt if needed. If you prefer, you can shallow fry the paneer in some oil in a pan but it is not required.

Stovetop instructions

To make paneer butter masala on the stovetop, blend all the gravy ingredients including onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and soaked cashews into a smooth puree.

Next, heat a saucepan on medium heat and add some oil. Once the oil is hot, add the puree and the dry spices. Cook it until it starts releasing oil and this can take up to 5 minutes. Continue stirring intermittently and scraping to the bottom of the pan to avoid it from sticking.

Add the water, salt, and sugar and mix well. Add the cubed paneer pieces into the gravy and stir well and then turn off the flame.

Serving suggestions

Paneer butter masala is best served with Indian bread like naan, roti, poori, or paratha. It is served on an Indian platter called thali along with other Indian curries, dals, rice, appetizer, a dessert, and a drink like Indian buttermilk.

It goes well with plain rice or rice dishes like peas pulao, quinoa pulao, or mushroom pilaf. While serving, garnish it with some chopped cilantro and a little bit of heavy cream.

Substitutions

Paneer butter masala is a gluten-free Indian curry. It can be modified to suit your dietary needs

• Tofu - if you do not have paneer or if you are looking for a vegan substitute, you can use extra firm tofu.
• Coconut milk - heavy cream gives this gravy a rich and creamy texture, however, to make it vegan, you can use coconut milk instead.
• Spiciness - this curry is mild in spiciness, if you like it spicier, you can add some serrano pepper along with onion and tomato.

Equipment

This instant pot paneer butter masala recipe is made in the 6 qt. instant pot. It can easily be made in the 3 qt. instant pot as well.

The gravy is very smooth and you will need an immersion hand blender or another blender like Vitamix to blend it into a fine consistency.

A stainless steel spatula comes in handy to mix all the ingredients and also to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Storage

Paneer butter masala is a great dish to make in advance and plan your meals ahead of time. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an air-tight container.

You can also freeze paneer butter masala for up to 2 months. If you are preparing in bulk, you can portion it and store it in freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags. When you are ready to serve, you can keep it in the fridge overnight or defrost it in the microwave.

Paneer butter masala can be reheated in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the instant pot using the saute mode.

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