How to Make Paneer Butter Masala
You will have to do some light prep work before you begin making this delicious recipe. It starts with soaking your cashews, making tomato puree and blending soaked cashews.
Preparation
1. Soak 18 to 20 cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. While the cashews are soaking, you can prep the other ingredients. It’s time for chopping tomatoes, chopping and preparing the ginger-garlic paste, and slicing paneer into cubes.
3. To make the ginger garlic paste, crush a 1 inch piece of peeled ginger with 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic cloves in a mortar & pestle. Continue crushing until it is a semi-fine or fine paste. Keep aside.
Note: Don’t add any water while crushing ginger & garlic.
4. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain the water and add the soaked cashews to a blender or mixer-grinder.
Also, add 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh water (or as much as is required to blend to a fine paste).
5. Blend to a smooth paste without any tiny bits or chunks of cashews. Remove the cashew paste from the blender and set it aside.
6. In the same blender, add 2 cups of diced or roughly chopped tomatoes.
Note: There’s no need to blanch the tomatoes or to wash the blender pitcher before blending.
7. Blend to a smooth tomato puree. Set aside.
Note: Don’t add any water while blending the tomatoes.