Paneer Butter Masala

PBM as I fondly call it has been and will always be one of my favorite paneer dishes. There is no further discussion on it! If you are from Salem and if you've eaten in this small place called Argees, they have one of the best PBM's - everytime I go back home, I have to eat it atleast twice a week! Their PBM and fried rice, and Gobi 65 that comes parceled in a green banana leaf and then an outer newspaper cover. Man...is that good or what? I miss Argees and their PBM.

If you've read my previous post on Homemade Garlic Naan, (what..you've haven't - the whole world of 15 people have already read it - go read it here!), this is what I prepared to go along with those soft naans.

There are a few different methods of making this - some people add only paneer, some add onions and bell peppers, some add way too much butter that there is a whole lake of it on top. A lot of people add cream at the end to make it richer and creamier. This however is a simple version with not too much butter or ghee and no cream at all. But, still rich and flavorful!

Chop up a couple of green chillies and some ginger. Heat a tsp of oil and when hot, add Jeera and the chopped ginger and green chilli. You can also add garlic if you like. Add some coriander seeds to this too. Fry for a min.

The add chopped onions and a few tomatoes. Cook till completely soft and done.

 

Cool down the onion, tomato mixture and grind into a smooth paste.In a pan, add about 1 tbsp of butter or ghee and then add the smooth paste to it. If you like small pieces of onions in your PBM, you could add it to the butter and saute before adding the paste.

 

Add salt, turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder for the wonderful color. You could add garam masala or any other masala if you'd like. I added about 1 tsp of pav bhaji masala - my favorite flavor.

 

In another pan, add a tsp of butter or ghee and cook the cut paneer pieces till soft and the sides are brown. Now, my husband is not a big paneer fan - yes - not a fan - tell me about it. I can't believe it myself even after all these years! So - for him, I sauteed some red pepper for about a min separately.

 

Now, when the sauce has cooked for about 5-8 mins, add the sauteed paneer and bell peppers to the pan. Let the whole thing cook for another 10 mins in slow flame.

 

Add some cilantro on top to garnish and you are done!

 

Tada..there is my PBM.

 

Enjoy hot with Garlic Naan or rotis or chappathi or even fried rice!

Enjoy. Peace out!