Paneer butter masala

This is authentic paneer butter masala recipe. It is as close as you can get to restaurant taste. This will take 30 to 40minutes to cook which is not bad for the end result.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Tomato: 8 medium size
Red onion: 1 large or two medium
Cashew nut: 1/2 cup
Ginger paste: 1.5 table spoon
Garlic paste: 1.5 table spoon
Kashmiri red chili powder: 1-2 table spoon depending on your taste.
Green cardimom powder: 1/2 table spoon
Garam masala powder: 1/2 table spoon
Dry fenugreen / Kasoori methi: 2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Butter: 4 table spoon
Cream: 1/2 cup (or as needed) [For low cal option, use milk]
Paneer: Diced 1.5 cups

Preparation:
For gravy:
Peel and cut onions into medium sized pieces.
Wash and remove eye from tomatoes and cut it into medium sized pieces.

Heat pan and add 2-3 table spoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add nuts and let it go golden brown, add onions and tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat until onions and tomatoes are soft.

Allow them to cool off and blend it until you get smooth paste. Using slightly large whole sieve filter the paste. This is to get rid of tomato skin and other large bits which didn't get crushed.

Gravy is ready to be cooked.

For dish:
Heat the pan, add butter and once butter is melted add ginger garlic paste. Cook it for 1 minute. Add chili powder and just cook for few seconds. Do not let it go brown. Add the gravy and mix well. Add salt to taste. We will be cooking this for at least 20minutes. Keep it on low flame and cover it and let it cook.

In the mean while, chop paneer into cubes and keep them ready.

Heat another pan and dry roast kasoori methi for 1-2 minutes.

Keep stirring the gravy so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Add green cardamom powder and garam masala. Take kasoori methi in your palm and crush it into powder and add it to gravy. Mix well. Take a taste and adjust the salt / masala according to your taste.

Once the gravy is ready add cream and paneer. Cover and let it cook for 3-5minutes with lid cover.
Serve hot and enjoy with paratha of your taste. I tried it with assorted paratha like plain, ajwain(carom seeds) and methi (fenugreek).