History Of Paneer Butter Masala

Who decided to combine so many random and different ingredients and indian spices and make the dish that serves as comfort food for you, brings you up when you are feeling horrible, and serves as a reminder of your first date or your childhood days? 

Who decided to make balls out of wheat flour and fry them, and fill them with potatoes, brown chana, add some mint water and imli chutney? It seems such an unlikely thing to come up with organically, yet we are here today, with pani puri being one of the bestselling items under chhats.

Today, we are going to talk about the history of paneer butter masala. In this article we will stick to the recipe and assume that the rest of the ingredients were already invented or discovered.

Persian and Afghan rulers introduced paneer to north India in the 16th century. Made from goat or sheep rennet, these cheeses were the predecessors of modern paneer. They were an immediate hit amongst the vegetarians because of their nutritional value and how energetic they made one feel.

It is said that the origin of the dish was in Delhi in the 1950s, by some Punjabis in Moti Mahal restaurant. That’s the reason why the recipe has the inherent punjabi taste and gravy. The Afghans invaded from the north and hence were able to introduce paneer to the northern states, and Punjabis were quick to adapt it to their staple food.

Chicken butter masala is the non-veg counterpart of this famous veg dish, and both are invented and popularised by Punjabis. They invented the famous punjabi gravy - they mixed fresh butter in tomato gravy and adding chunks of paneer to it or chicken to it gave these famous recipes!

Here’s how you make paneer butter masala -

Fry paneer in ghee, or spray oil if desired and store in a bowl. Keep the bowl aside, this paneer will be used later.

Then, dice and sauté onions with oil in garlic and ginger paste until golden brown. Add water if needed to deglaze the pan as and when needed. Add diced capsicum and tomatoes. You can skip the capsicums if you don’t have any on hand.

In a separate pan mix ghee, hing, cardamom, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, lemon juice, and cumin. You can also procure the ready spice mix available in the market for paneer butter masala. It is quite handy and makes the job quick and easy.

Now, fry this mixture for 2 minutes, then add yoghurt to it. Cook on medium heat for five minutes.

Now, add the onions, diced capsicum, tomatoes, and paneer. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes occasionally stirring.

You will smell the aroma of the dish! Voila, your paneer butter masala is ready! You can also choose to add some black pepper to the spice mix, it totally depends on your taste.

Enjoy!