This is my updated recipe for vegan Paneer Makhani, a north Indian classic and family favorite. This dish will always remind me of my first to trip to India in 2001, and all the back alley eateries in Delhi’s Pahar Ganj, the backpacker neighborhood– which still exists, and I’ve been back to literally dozens of times in the last two decades. On my last visit to Delhi and Pahar Ganj I think I did find one of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants from way back then, but you can never be sure. Through the dusty maze of winding alleys, it’s so easy to get lost… or unsure if a place is the same or different than one you saw an hour ago… or years ago!
For the original edition of The Lotus and the Artichoke – Vegan Recipes from World Adventures, my brother Adam asked me if I could make a vegan version of this one dish his family used to love at a local Indian restaurant in the New Jersey suburbs. I got to work and came up with a very decent interpretation of the classic dish, which is very heavy on cream and butter (hence the name, which basically translates to ‘Cheese Butter’ or ‘Cheesy Cream’!) But as with Indian naming conventions, this dish may be found with the names ‘Shahi Paneer‘ (which is what I remember from the Delhi Pahar Ganj menus), or in many parts of India,especially if cooked at home – Paneer Butter Masala, or just PBM. (This is what it was called in most places in Amravati, Maharashtra where I lived for a year – it often appears on menus in abbreviated form.) I’ve come to understand that Paneer Makhani is most commonly used outside of India, especially in restaurants.
Whatever you want to call it, this dish is hands-down a pleaser and a delicious curry to serve friends and families, it’s a hit with children of all ages, too. When making it for adults I’ll often dial up the spices and heat – you can just double the amount of ground cumin, coriander, Garam Masala spice mix (see my INDIA cookbook for my own homemade recipe), and red chili powder. I also love to add fresh (or dried) curry leaves, a bit of ground fenugreek (or methi – fenugreek leaves – at the end) and a black cardamom pod… for that delicious smokey flavor.
Instead of using dairy (cream and butter) I use blended cashews, which is very common in India, too, and used as a base in many creamy curries. And of course, I’m using my infamous tofu-paneer recipe, implementing lightly batter-fried tofu cubes instead of traditional paneer, or homemade cheese cubes.
Paneer Makhani
North Indian creamy tomato sauce with tofu paneer
serves 2 to 3 / time 45 min +
recipe from The Lotus and the Artichoke – WORLD 2.0
(Rezept auf Deutsch unten)
tofu paneer:
- 7 oz (200 g) tofu
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 Tbs soy sauce
- 2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes or chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 Tbs corn starch
- 2–3 Tbs coconut oil or vegetable oil
- Cut tofu in slabs and wrap in a dish towel. Weight with a cutting board for 15–20 min to remove excess moisture. Unwrap and cut into triangles or cubes
- Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, nutritional yeast flakes (or chickpea flour), and corn starch in bowl. Add tofu cubes, mix well, coat all pieces.
- Heat oil in a small frying pan on medium high. Fry battered cubes evenly in batches until golden brown, turning regularly, 4–6 min. Remove, drain, set aside.
tomato cream curry:
- 2/3 cup (80 g) cashews
- 2 medium (180 g) tomatoes chopped
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water
- 1 in (3 cm) fresh ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped optional
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 4–6 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp coriander ground
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) optional
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder or paprika ground
- 3/4 tsp turmeric ground
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- fresh coriander leaves chopped, for garnish
- Soak cashews in a bowl of boiling hot water for 30 min. Drain and discard water.
- Blend chopped tomatoes with 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. After they start to pop (20–30 sec), add chopped garlic (if using), ginger, curry leaves or bay leaves, ground coriander, cumin, Garam Masala, and asafoetida (if using). Fry, stirring often, until richly aromatic, 2–3 min.
- Stir in blended tomatoes. Bring to simmer and reduce to medium low heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce is reduced and turns dark red, 10–15 min.
- Blend soaked cashews with 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water until smooth. Stir into simmering tomato sauce.
- Stir in tomato paste, red chili powder (or paprika), turmeric, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Return to simmer. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens and oil begins to separate, 5–8 min.
- Stir in fried tofu cubes. Continue to simmer on low, stirring occasionally, 4–5 min. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander. Serve with basmati rice, chapati (roti), or naan.
Paneer Makhani
Nordindisches cremiges Tomatencurry mit Tofu-Paneer
2 bis 3 Portionen / Dauer 45 Min. +
Rezept aus The Lotus and the Artichoke – WORLD 2.0
Tofu-Paneer:
- 200 g Tofu
- 2 EL Zitronensaft
- 1 EL Sojasoße
- 2 EL Hefeflocken oder Kichererbsenmehl (Besan)
- 2 EL Speisestärke
- 2–3 EL Kokos- oder Pflanzenöl
- Tofu in dicke Scheiben schneiden, in ein sauberes Geschirrtuch wickeln und 15 bis 20 Min. mit einem Schneidebrett beschweren, um überschüssige Flüssigkeit herauszupressen. Auswickeln und in Dreiecke
oder Würfel schneiden. - Zitronensaft, Sojasoße, Hefeflocken oder Kichererbsenmehl und Stärke in einer Rührschüssel verrühren. Tofuwürfel hinzufügen und mit der Mischung überziehen.
- Öl in einer kleinen Pfanne auf mittlerer Flamme erhitzen. Mit Teig überzogene Würfel in mehreren Durchgängen 4 bis 6 Min. gleichmäßig goldbraun braten, dabei regelmäßig wenden. Aus der Pfanne nehmen, abtropfen lassen und beiseite stellen.
Cremiges Tomatencurry:
- 2/3 Tasse (80 g) Cashewkerne
- 2 mittelgroße (180 g) Tomaten gehackt
- 2 1/2 Tassen (600 ml) Wasser
- 3 cm frischer Ingwer fein gehackt
- 2 Knoblauchzehen fein gehackt wenn gewünscht
- frisches Koriandergrün gehackt, zum Garnieren
- 2 EL Pflanzenöl
- 1 TL schwarze Senfsamen
- 4–6 Curry- oder 2 Lorbeerblätter
- 1 TL Koriander gemahlen
- 1 TL Kreuzkümmel gemahlen
- 1 TL Garam Masala
- 1/4 TL Asafoetida (Asant) wenn gewünscht
- 2 EL Tomatenmark
- 1 TL Chili- oder Paprikapulver
- 3/4 TL Kurkuma gemahlen
- 1 EL Zitronensaft
- 2 TL Zucker
- 1 1/4 TL Salz
- Cashewkerne 30 Min. in einer Schüssel mit heißem Wasser einweichen. Abgießen und Einweichwasser wegschütten.
- Tomaten mit 1 1/4 Tasse (300 ml) Wasser in einem Mixer oder einer Küchenmaschine glatt pürieren.
- Öl in einem großen Topf auf mittlerer Flamme erhitzen. Senfsamen hineingeben. Nach deren Aufplatzen (20 bis 30 Sek.) Knoblauch (falls verwendet), Ingwer, Curry– oder Lorbeerblätter, Koriander, Kreuzkümmel, Garam Masala und Asafoetida (falls verwendet) zugeben. 2 bis 3 Min. unter Rühren anschwitzen, bis es aromatisch duftet.
- Pürierte Tomaten einrühren und zum Köcheln bringen. Flamme herunterstellen und das Curry 10 bis 15 Min. unter häufigem Rühren köcheln lassen, bis die Soße reduziert und dunkelrot ist.
- Eingeweichte Cashewkerne mit 1 1/4 Tasse (300 ml) Wasser glatt pürieren und in das köchelnde Curry rühren.
- Tomatenmark, Chili– oder Paprikapulver, Kurkuma, Zitronensaft, Zucker und Salz einrühren. Erneut zum Köcheln bringen und unter häufigem Rühren 5 bis 8 Min. köcheln, bis die Soße eindickt und das Öl sich trennt.
- Tofustücke unterheben. 4 bis 5 weitere Min. auf niedriger Flamme unter gelegentlichem Rühren köcheln. Vom Herd nehmen.
- Mit gehacktem Koriandergrün garnieren und mit Basmati-Reis, Chapati (Roti) oder Naan servieren.