Name: Baked Butter Paneer
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Canola oil; 17½ oz. hard paneer, cut into 1" cubes; 6 garlic cloves, crushed, divided; 1 ¾" piece ginger, finely grated, divided; 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder; 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice; ¾ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. ground turmeric; 5 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt; 3 Tbsp. canola oil; 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder; 1 tsp. garam masala; 1 tsp. ground cumin; ½ tsp. ground cardamom; ¾ tsp. salt; 2 Tbsp. honey; 2 14-oz. cans chopped tomatoes; ⅔ cup heavy cream; 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. kasoori methi; Butter (optional) and naan (for serving)

Baked Butter Paneer in a shallow skillet

Photo by David Loftus

I used to eat paneer butter masala regularly with an Indian friend, Aditya, at a little place near Russell Square in London until one day something awkward happened that meant we never went back. That day he made the error of wearing a black shirt and black trousers to dinner and, like a rugby player with the ball, was tackled a couple of times on his way to the bathroom as he was mistaken for a waiter. Aditya, this one’s for you.

I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry. Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves, which you can find in South Asian supermarkets or online.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

Paneer

Canola oil

17½ oz. hard paneer, cut into 1" cubes

6 garlic cloves, crushed, divided

1 ¾" piece ginger, finely grated, divided

1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder

1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground turmeric

5 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

Butter Sauce

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground cardamom

¾ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. honey

2 14-oz. cans chopped tomatoes

⅔ cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. kasoori methi

Butter (optional) and naan (for serving)

Preparation

Paneer
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425° and line a deep baking sheet or baking dish (roughly 12x8") with nonstick parchment paper. Brush paper with a little canola oil. Put 17½ oz. hard paneer, cut into 1" cubes, into a large bowl and add 3 garlic cloves, crushed, half of one ¾" piece ginger, finely grated, and then 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder, 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice, ¾ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, and 5 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt. Mix well, tip onto baking sheet, and bake 25 minutes, or until paneer is crisp and starting to blacken ever so slightly at the edges. Take baking sheet out of oven and very carefully remove parchment paper, leaving the paneer on the baking sheet.
Butter Sauce and Assembly
Step 2
Add 3 Tbsp. canola oil, the remaining 3 garlic cloves, crushed, and remaining half of one ¾" piece ginger, finely grated, stir to coat the paneer in the garlicky oil, then add 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder, 1 tsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. ground cumin, ½ tsp. ground cardamom, ¾ tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. honey. Stir to mix, then tip in two 14-oz. cans chopped tomatoes, making sure the paneer is completely covered, and pop back in oven for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Remove baking sheet from oven, stir through ⅔ cup heavy cream, crumble over 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. kasoori methi, then stir again and pop back in oven for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet once more, stir in a pat of butter now if you’d like, then serve straight from pan with hot naan.