Paneer Butter Masala: What It Is, and How It Differs From Paneer Tikka Masala

In short: Paneer butter masala (paneer makhani) is soft paneer in a silky, mildly spiced tomato gravy enriched with butter, cream and cashews, a little sweet. Paneer tikka masala is bolder and smokier, with capsicum. Our Paneer Butter Masala (₹200, 300 g, serves about 2) is ready in 3 to 4 minutes, and there is a Jain version without onion or garlic.

What goes into paneer butter masala?

A makhani gravy of tomato cooked down with butter, cream and cashews, spiced gently with whole spices and kasuri methi, with paneer cubes simmered in it. Ours is built on slow-cooked onion, tomato and capsicum, and contains milk and cashew nuts.

Paneer butter masala or paneer tikka masala?

• Butter masala: mild, creamy, a little sweet; children usually love it.
• Tikka masala: the flavours of grilled paneer tikka in a thicker, bolder tomato-onion masala with capsicum. Try our Paneer Tikka Masala.

What do you eat it with?

Naan, rotis or parathas, or over Jeera Rice. See all our paneer curries.

How do you heat it?

Drop the sealed pouch into boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or empty it into a pan for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame. It keeps 12 months at room temperature, so there is nothing to thaw. Once opened, eat it straight away, or refrigerate it and finish within 24 hours. More in how to heat a ready-to-eat pouch.

It is cooked in small batches in our family kitchen in Morbi, sealed in a foil pouch at 121°C with no preservatives, and delivered across India (2 working days in Gujarat, 3 to Mumbai, 3 to 5 elsewhere; free delivery above ₹799).

Questions people ask

Is paneer butter masala the same as paneer makhani?

Yes, they are two names for the same dish.

Is paneer butter masala spicy?

It is mild and a little sweet, one of the gentlest North Indian curries.

Is there a Jain paneer butter masala?

Yes: our Paneer Butter Masala Jain is made with no onion and no garlic. See all Jain dishes.

How long does ready-to-eat paneer butter masala keep?

12 months unopened at room temperature, with no preservatives.