Paneer butter masala

Before you start

• a blender
• soak the cashews in hot water first, or the gravy stays grainy

Ingredients

Serves 2 · dimmer marks are storecupboard

• 200gpaneer
• 30gcashews
• 20gbutter
• 40mlcream
• 1 tintinned tomatoes
• 1onion
• 1 thumbginger and garlic
• 2 tspkashmiri chilli and garam masala
• 1 tspsugar

Method

7 steps

1. soak · 20m walk away

   Cashews under just-boiled water while everything else gets going.

2. simmer · 15m

   Tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic simmered in a splash of water until every piece falls apart when pushed.

3. blend · 7m

   Blitzed with the drained cashews, then pushed through a sieve. The sieve is the whole difference between smooth and nearly smooth, and this gravy is judged on nothing else.

4. fry · 3m

   Butter melted gently with the chilli and garam masala, kept below a sizzle — butter browns long before the spices are ready.

5. simmer · 10m

   Purée back in and cooked until it thickens and darkens a shade, with the sugar to settle the edge off the tomato.

6. fold · 3m

   Paneer cubes and the cream folded through off the heat.

7. finish · 1m

   Salt, and a little more cream drawn across the surface with a spoon.