The Best Vegan Paneer Butter Masala Ever!

Here is a lip smacking Vegan Paneer Butter Masala,that is going to turn you into a tofu fan. Trust me! This recipe is great for any time of the week, weeknight, weekend, lunch etc.

Origin and Meaning

Paneer makhani (popularly known as Paneer butter masala) is a creamy dish with sweet and spicy tones based on Paneer (Indian soft cheese), in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter, tomatoes, cashews or cream. Spices such as red chilly powder and garam masala are also used to prepare this gravy.

The word makhan is a Hindi word, meaning butter. Therefore, makhani means buttery. The origin of this dish was in the 1950s, when the people from Punjab region created this dish in a popular restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi. The sauce for this recipe was discovered by mixing lot of fresh butter into a tomato based curry.
Fun fact: Paneer Butter Masala is one of the top 5 foods ordered at night in India.

How to Make Vegan Paneer Butter Masala (tips and science)

For this vegan paneer butter masala recipe, I replaced the dairy-based Paneer with Tofu, to make it vegan. By using this little hack, you can make the tofu taste like paneer: start by boiling the tofu in salted water for about 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. This makes the tofu’s texture chewy and very close to that of paneer!

You can also opt to keep the tofu crispy like I did while making it and air-fry or bake it for 15 minutes.

This recipe calls for little to no chopping, the best kind of recipe in my books ;).

The masala base: Add whole spices, (here, cardamom seeds, bay leaf and a cinnamon stick) and sauté them in some oil for 30 to 60 seconds. Essential oils in spices are oil soluble, so make sure not to skip out that tbsp of oil! . Then, add the blended onions with aromatics. Here, you can slow cook and reap the most flavour out of this onion mix, or be quick choose to sauté just a bit.

The tomato cashew base: This adds richness and creaminess to the gravy. I add the powdered spices (except garam masala which goes in the end) and let it infuse for a bit. Once the gravy thickens, add garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves for a flavour punch. Then, add the tofu paneer. Make sure not to add the garam masala before, since they are pre cooked. Add them towards the end.

At the end, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top (to add a zing and bring everything together) and some chopped fresh coriander/cilantro. This vegan paneer butter masala is flavourful, hearty, high in plant protein and perfect for week night or weekend dinners! It goes really well with some basmati rice or Indian flatbreads like roti or naan.

How to Store Paneer Butter Masala

This vegan paneer butter masala can easily sit in the refrigerator in an sir-tight jar for up to 4 days. You can also batch prep it and freeze it for the future. Just take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator section the night before consumption.

If you are not a fan of tofu and still want a hearty Indian meal, check out this 1-pot daal recipe and this chana masala recipe. Also, super comforting and easy to make!

Let me know if you give this recipe a go, tag me on Instagram if you do! Feel free to ask me questions regarding the recipe.

Tag @beextravegant if you make this and follow for more bomb-ass recipes!