As you all know by now, I love re-creating classic Indian dishes to a no onion-no garlic variant as many Indians do not partake of onions or garlic during festivals like Diwali, Navrathri, Ganesh chaturthi etc. as they are considered holy and reverent days when you avoid eating onions or garlic. I remember my family used to crib on those days as they were denied these delectable Indian curries (most of which use onions and garlic to flavor the dish) and served simple dishes without them, which they never enjoyed!! To keep them happy, I decided to make curries without using onions and garlic but adding other spices like ginger, coriander, cloves, cinnamon etc.! Hing or asafetida powder is normally added to substitute for the garlic and onions in most dishes which produces similar flavors.
Shahi Paneer Butter Masala is one of these dishes which I have created. All I have done is make a puree of simple roasted spices along with some slivered almonds (to give richness and thickness) and tomatoes; infused them with some simple garam masala powder to form the gravy and then added paneer and cooked green peas. Cream was added to make it rich and delicious; you can omit this if you are vegan and use only oil instead of ghee or butter and tofu. Omit the butter and it will not be Paneer “Butter” Masala curry, just paneer curry; nevertheless delicious! To get the authentic flavor and richness which you can find in a restaurant dish, added butter is a must. I have heard that a blob of butter is added at the last stage, just before serving to present smooth and shiny gravy to the customers! Hmmm, must try that too 🙂 🙂 Feel free to use vegan butter if you want but I love my regular butter especially Amul Butter!
So, do not fret and fume on days when you have to avoid onions or garlic. Do try this easy and delicious Shahi/Royal Paneer Butter Masala and you will be showered with more compliments and love once you serve this to your family and friends! Just scoop up chunks of soft paneer, encased in creamy rich tomato gravy with some naan, paratha or rotis or eat it the way I sometimes enjoy; with hot steamed Basmati rice. No time to make flatbreads or rice? Just enjoy the rich curry with fresh slices of bread or even toasted bread! When making Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao with Croutons (one of our ultimate favorites; quick and delicious), I had to make this again……the best combo I have had!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
For more no onion-no garlic recipes, check out:
Ragda Patties Creamy Malai Kofta Curry Shahi Gobi Kurma
Step-by-step Method to make Shahi Paneer Butter Masala:
Cut paneer into bite-sized cubes and soak in warm water for about 15 minutes with some turmeric powder; to soften the paneer and give it a gorgeous natural golden color! Drain and keep aside.
Make a fine puree of the large tomato (or 2 small tomatoes) and keep aside.
Boil green peas (fresh or frozen) in water until soft and cooked (do not throw away this water; it can be used to make the gravy later).
To make the masala paste:
Heat butter and ghee/oil in a large saucepan or kadai and once hot, toss in the spices: cumin, fennel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom along with ginger and sauté on medium heat for about a minute. Stir in the sliced, chopped or whole almonds and fry again until roasted and lightly golden.
Add the chopped tomatoes (I had some red as well some tomatoes which were yellow in color!) and sauté again on medium heat until they are slightly cooked and charred.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Once cool, blend to a fine paste and keep aside.
To make the paneer butter masala gravy:
Heat butter in the same pan and once hot, add the bay leaf and fry for a few seconds. Tip in the pureed tomato-spices paste and sauté on medium heat, stirring continuously for a minute or until you see the oil/ghee separating. At this stage, add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and give it a good mix. Fry again for a minute on low heat, taking care not to burn the spices.
Add the tomato puree, mix well and fry again for a minute until it is well incorporated.
Add water (about 1 to 1 ½ cups; you can use the water in which you boiled the green peas as well as the one in which you have soaked the paneer) and mix well. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar and stir. Adjust the consistency and flavor to your liking and bring the gravy to a boil.
Once it comes to a boil, add the cream and mix well. Simmer on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the drained paneer along with the cooked green peas and stir well.
Simmer again for about 3 to 5 minutes and then remove from heat. Garnish with crushed fenugreek leaves and/or chopped coriander leaves. Serve spicy, flavorful and super delicious no onion-no garlic Shahi Paneer Butter Masala with any paratha, roti, naan or even some hot steamed rice!
Enjoy and happy cooking!!
PIN or SHARE for later: Cook Time: 15 minutes
200 gm Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), about 1 cup cubed ¼ tsp turmeric powder 1 large tomato, pureed ½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen) For the masala paste: 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds ¼ tsp saunf/fennel seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 3 cloves 1 inch piece cinnamon 1 green cardamom 1 inch piece ginger, chopped 1 green chilli/serrano pepper ¼ cup slivered almonds (or cashew nuts) 3 tomatoes, cubed 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp ghee/oil For the paneer butter masala gravy: 2 tbsp butter 1 bay leaf ¼ tsp hing/asafetida powder 1 tsp garam masala powder ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 2 tbsp fresh cream Salt to taste Pinch sugar 1 tbsp kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed for garnishing
Instructions Notes Store bought paneer is normally hard, so it is preferable to soak them in warm water or even milk to soften it up. If you like, for a different flavor and texture, you can sauté the cubed paneer in a little ghee/butter/oil until slightly charred to a light golden color on all sides and then add to the gravy. If vegan, omit the butter and ghee; use only oil. Avoid the cream and proceed of course using tofu, a vegan option, instead of paneer. I have made this using canned tomatoes too. Just use a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes. Enjoy!
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