Butter Paneer is a creamy, exotic, satisfying treat. The body of the curry is onion and tomato puree simmered with spices and cashew butter. Paneer, cream, butter and fresh cilantro are added later to finish it.

Paneer is a fresh cheese made from milk. It can be purchased from Indian or Pakistani grocery stores or it can be made at home. This is a very good Instructable to make paneer. I have successfully substituted chicken for paneer with this recipe and it is just as delicious. I have also made Butter Chicken with this recipe in a crockpot. I browned the chicken first, added the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer on low for about 3 hours or more. Then I added the finishing cream, butter and cilantro at serving time.

Step 1: Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 bay leaf
2 cloves

2 large onions, puree
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tbsps cashew paste

1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
2 tsp garam masala powder
sea salt and black pepper to taste

6 - 12 ounces paneer
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp fresh cream
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Step 2: Get the Ingredients Ready

Mince enough garlic for a heaping tablespoon. I used minced ginger from a jar. If you are using fresh ginger, mince enough for 1 tablespoon.

Skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 minutes or until cooked, then puree in a blender them to form a paste.

I used canned, diced tomatoes. You could use 3 large fresh tomatoes, blanch in same hot water as the onions and puree in a blender.

Measure the spices fenugreek, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.

Step 3: Brown the Onion Paste

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, add the bay leaf and the cloves, then add the onion paste and saute till light-brown.

Step 4: Add Garlic and Ginger

Add minced ginger and minced ginger. Simmer 3 minutes.

Step 5: Add Tomatoes and Chili Powder

Add tomato puree and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Simmer for 5 minutes.

I used Aleppo Pepper from the Spice House. It isn't a very hot red chili pepper. If you prefer it spicy, choose a different chili powder or add more.

Step 6: Cashew Butter and Spices

Add cashew butter and mix in. Add spices and mix in. Simmer for 20 minutes. Check often to make sure the bottom doesn't burn. If you find that it did burn on the bottom, add some of the water used to boil the onions to thin it out. Use a spoon or metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan.