If you love Indian restaurant-style dishes that are deliciously flavored yet not too spicy, you should put my vegan Paneer Butter Masala on your list of recipes to try. Paneer Butter Masala is a popular dish often served at dhabas, makeshift, salt-of-the-earth eateries that are a common sight along north India’s highways. Dhabas originated as food and rest stops for tired truckers hauling cargo up and down the dust-smothered roadways and the food, meant to satisfy their lusty appetites hungry for the flavors of home, was hearty, rustic, spicy, and inordinately tasty. Because Punjab, billed in Indian textbooks as the land of milk and honey, is also a prolific producer of dairy, the offerings at dhabas were more likely than not to be drenched in some milk product or other, including butter, ghee, cream and buttermilk. Most Indian restaurants here in the United States and in other parts of the globe tend to lean rather heavily on north Indian cuisine of the kind you’d find in a dhaba, and you are likely familiar with many of these foods. For instance, if you’ve had a lassi or palak paneer or dal makhani, you’ve eaten dhaba food. A favorite dhaba offering is Paneer Butter Masala. The name of this dish leaves little to the imagination, and it really is what it claims to be: cubes of paneer, an Indian cottage cheese, in a sauce of spices (or masala) with butter adding creaminess and richness. As you can imagine, it’s quite vegetarian friendly, but all that cheese and cream and butter makes it a no-no for a vegan. Cut to the modern vegan kitchen, where paneer and butter and cream are easily substituted, meaning the only thing we have to cut out from this dish is the unwelcome cholesterol. And we get to keep all the flavor! My vegan Paneer Butter Masala is a dish to fall in love with. The cubes of tofu are perfectly coated by a flavorful, creamy, visually appetizing orange-red cashew sauce. Scoop it up with vegan naan or roti or serve atop basmati rice for a delicious food experience right in your own home. What you’d also likely appreciate is how easy this dish is to make. And no matter when you make it, or for whom, it’s sure to disappear within minutes of serving. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Tips for making the perfect vegan Paneer Butter Masala
Whether you’re vegan or not, try subbing out tofu (super firm, if you can find it) for the paneer. Tofu, like paneer, is rich in protein, but it’s better for you, and you’ll hardly notice a difference. (If you’re soy-free, you can try a mushroom-based version of this dish, my mushroom makhani or mushroom butter masala). The sauce comes together quickly, but take a couple of minutes to blend it for best results. The masala sauce needs to be really creamy – the creamier the better. Some cooks strain the sauce after blending – I don’t, but I’ll leave that to you. Use vegetable stock rather than water. This is not necessary, but it helps build layers of flavor into your dish. The Paneer Butter Masala sold in restaurants is a deep orange because the cooks add food coloring to make it appear more appetizing. You’ll get a really nice, rich orange color with the tomatoes and paprika alone, and that’s the route I prefer to go. But your homemade butter masala will likely not be as deep orange as what you’d find in the restaurant. This recipe is much healthier than a restaurant version, but I do use a couple of tablespoons of vegan butter to give it that authentic flavor and mouth-feel. Do use it for best results.
Ingredients for the tofu paneer masala
Vegan butter Onion Garlic Ginger Tomatoes Raw cashews Coriander powder Paprika Turmeric Garam masala Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) Sugar Super firm tofu (or extra firm, drained) Cilantro
More restaurant-style Indian vegan recipes
Chana Masala Navratan Korma Vegetable Biryani Vegan Tofu Palak Paneer Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Tofu Vegan Dal Makhani
Vegan Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
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