I’m Jayalakshmi Rangarajan, a software engineer by profession and a food photographer by passion. I’m currently based out of Memphis, Tennessee. A winner of 16 international food photography awards, I enjoy styling and photographing food and produce. I’ve worked with leading brands to create images and videos that convey a food story.
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a little bit about the recipe
Paneer Butter Masala, a popular dish in Indian restaurants, is a rich and creamy curry made with paneer, spices, onions, tomatoes, cashews and butter. The gravy is cooked in butter which gives it the characteristic buttery flavor. Paneer dunked in a creamy flavourful curry goes well with Naan/Rice.
ACTIVE: 25m
INACTIVE: 10m
TOTAL: 35m
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directions
Heat butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick.
Once the flavors arise, add roughly cubed white onion (white onion imparts a natural sweetness to the gravy) garlic cloves and ginger.
Stir and cook until onions turn light golden brown in color.
Then add the tomatoes (roughly cubed).
Add whole cashews, chili powder, tomato paste and salt as needed.
Stir and cook the tomatoes until soft and completely cooked.
Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down. Once cooled, transfer to a blender and blend to a very smooth paste.
Now put the pan back on medium heat. Add a little butter to it. Add Kashmiri red chili powder (this step adds a good color to the curry).
Now add the pureed curry to it. Add 1 cup water (or more depending on the gravy consistency required). Mix and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the cubed paneer in the curry.
Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust salt as needed. Slightly crush dried fenugreek leaves between the palms and add it to the curry.
Turn off the heat. Add fresh cream to the curry for a rich flavor.
Commonly used in Indian and South Asian cuisines. It has a distinctive fragrance and a warm, slightly sweet flavor. NOT to be confused with bay laurel bay leaves.
Cassia cinnamon sticks are rigid and difficult to break making them ideal for aromatic crafting or for use as flavor-imbuing stirrers for festive beverages.
