Creamy Paneer, Cashew and Spinach Curry (Paneer Makhani / Butter Paneer)

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Jasmine

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Today we’re doing my signature ‘takeaway at home’ dish! Think of it as a riff on Butter Paneer, though I’m sure it’s inauthentic (and it’s probably imitating more of a British curry house version of the dish), cooking at home means you can tweak the dish to your personal preferences.

INGREDIENTS

Gravy base:

Garlic

Ginger

Shallot

Tinned tomatoes (I usually go for finely-chopped as the tomato isn’t really the ‘star of the show here, but you can blend plum or chunkier chopped tomatoes if you can’t get hold of these)

Butter, ghee or vegetable oil

Cashews (to add a creamy, nutty quality)

Vegetable stock cube (optional)

A dash of sugar (optional)

Spices:

Garam Masala

Cumin

Turmeric (which gives it that gorgeous orange colour with the cream and tomatoes)

Kashmiri Chilli Powder (or a generic chilli powder)

For the filling:

Spinach (and / or peas – if using frozen, add them in when the blended sauce returns to the pot)

Paneer (I like the firm kind)

To finish:

Fresh coriander

Greek yoghurt with lemon juice

Serving suggestions:

Cardamom basmati rice

Naan breads (you can use my easy no yeast flatbread recipe)

TIPS & NOTES

This ‘takeaway at home’ recipe is all about adapting things to your preferences, so I’ve made a few tweaks to the version of this dish I usually order at a curry house. For starters, I like using firm paneer and I actually pan-fry it until it’s golden before adding it into the main curry, because this just gives a firm and crispy texture I love. That’s not everyone’s preference, though, so use softer paneer if you prefer (in which case, I don’t recommend frying it beforehand since it might disintegrate).

I also hate peas with a passion! And they’re pretty common in paneer curries so to keep that added bit of veg and the pop of green in my version, I substituted it out with spinach to make a sort of hybrid with Palak Paneer.

I like to use ghee for this recipe; it just has a higher smoke point for when you’re blooming spices. The milk solids in butter can burn, whereas clarified butter can be heated much more without issue.

The final ‘adaptable’ element of this is the cook time; if you’re strapped for time or impatient, this can come together in 30 minutes of active cooking time, but if you really want to infuse the flavours or if you have guests coming over and you want to have this prepped beforehand (so you can get changed and host a little), you can simmer it for a good hour over the smallest hob on the lowest heat setting (I just recommend adding the spinach and toppings after this simmering time).

Creamy Paneer, Cashew and Spinach Curry

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

A classic veggie curry at home

Blender needed, let the cashews soak in boiling water for at least 30 mins hour before beginning cooking

Ingredients

  • 225g / 200g block of paneer (cubed)
  • 3 cloves of garlic (crushed, minced or finely chopped)
  • 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  • 5-10cm knob of ginger (remove the bark and finely chop or grate)
  • 1 tbsp of ground cumin
  • 2 tsp of Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp of ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp of Kashmiri Chilli powder
  • 50g of cashew nuts
  • 200g of finely chopped tomatoes (1/2 a 400g tin)
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 30g of Greek yoghurt
  • 80g of spinach (roughly chopped)
  • A vegetable stock cube (optional)
  • 10g of ghee or vegetable oil (+ an optional additional 10g of ghee or butter)
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste
  • A sprinkle of sugar or a dash of honey (if not using ghee)
  • A handful (c.3-5g) of fresh coriander to serve (remove the stems and finely chop the leaves)
  • Basmati rice or naan bread to serve

Directions

  1. Melt half the butter / ghee over a medium heat in a large, wide-based lidded pan over a medium-high heat and add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala and chilli powder – allow to bloom for 30-60 seconds before adding the garlic, shallot and ginger with salt and pepper – cook until fragrant (around 5 minutes)
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the finely chopped tomatoes, stir cook down until the moisture is removed for a further 10 minutes
  3. Add the curry base to a blender with the soaked cashews and soaking liquid and optional vegetable stock cube and blend until smooth
  4. Add the paste back into your pot on a low heat and add some extra water, if needed – taste for seasoning and add the dash of sugar, if required
  5. In a separate non-stick pan, fry the paneer over a medium-high heat – keep turning the paneer with heat-proof tongs to achieve a golden colour on all sides of each cube and set aside
  6. Combine the yoghurt and lemon juice, add a dash of water if needed to create a dressing consistency
  7. Add the spinach to the curry base (plus the extra butter or ghee if you’re using it), cover and allow to steam for 3-5 mins before stirring in and adding the paneer (cover and allow to heat through for 3-5 mins if its cooled off in the meantime)
  8. Serve topped with the fresh coriander and the lemon yoghurt drizzled over

And that’s my personal version of my go-to curry house order – let me know if you try this or what your go-to Indian takeaway main is!

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