Brown Butter Paneer Makhani Indian Curry Recipes

Combine aromatic spices with a creamy cashew and tomato base, gently brown some butter in a pan and create the Makhani-style sauce of your dreams. This is the only way I’ll make Paneer Makhani from now on.

What is Brown Butter?

A wise friend once told me I must strive to be the best version of myself. I think butter has the same friend because along comes brown butter to blow our minds. It’s like regular butter but with a breathtaking glow-up. Brown butter is richer and even more buttery tasting than its former self. A simple melt, stir and gentle simmer in a pan is all that lies between you and the best Paneer Makhani of your life.

The Maillard reaction

The process of cooking the butter to the point of golden toastiness causes a series of chemical reactions between amino acids and sugars from the lactose in butter. This is an example of a Maillard reaction. Other examples of foods that under go this same miraculous transformation include toast, viennoiserie like croissants and pain au chocolat, toasted marshmallows, golden cookies, scones, roasted white chocolate and fried dumplings. It’s a building block of flavour responsible for some of the most delicious foods we know.

How to make brown butter

1. Melt

Melt cubes of butter in a pan. Initially, the butter will be a pale, creamy colour.

2. Bubble & evaporate

Next, the water will begin to cook off, causing the liquid to spit and splutter as the fats and remaining water continue to interact. Large bubbles are visible on the surface. Now the butter will look yellow and erm… buttery.

3. Foam & caramelise

Prepare for a lot of foam. With the water now evaporated, the fats can now begin to caramelise. The pillowy sheet of foam is like a heavy raincloud on a sunny day. Underneath, the butter changing from yellow to amber. Keep the butter moving the whole time to ensure it doesn’t brown too quickly and deeply. Remember, this is brown butter, not burnt butter.

4. Browning

Once the foaming begins to subside, you’ll notice a grainy sediment at the base of the pan. These are made up of caramelised milk solids, similar to what we see in ghee making. They are pure umami flavour: Salty, caramelised and slightly bitter. Now keep an eye on your butter as it will reach brown butter nirvana in a matter of seconds. Let it go too far and you’ll have burnt butter. A deep, golden-syrup colour is ideal for this dish.

How to use brown butter to make Paneer Makhani

Instead of cooking our aromatics (ginger, garlic, etc) in regular butter or oil, we will use the umami-rich brown butter. Add a handful of aromatic spices, sweet, boiled cashews and tangy tomatoes. The process of high-speed blending will cause the brown butter to emulsify into the sauce for a luxurious, silky finish. I reserve a small amount of brown butter for drizzling on top. The salty hit of butter is out of this world.

Can’t I just use ghee?

You can use ghee but it won’t taste the same. Allow me to clarify (heh). The key difference between ghee and brown butter is that the latter incorporates the milk solids. I call them flavour sand! Brown butter is also cooked for longer, so offers greater nutty aromas.

What spices do we need for Brown Butter Paneer Makhani?

Kashmiri red chilli, green cardamom, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and garam masala. That’s it.

Grab my Homemade Garam Masala recipe

What kind of paneer should I use for Brown Butter Paneer Makhani?

The smooth and nutty flavours of this brown butter sauce are a delicious carrier for homemade paneer. The soft cubes simply melt in your mouth.

How to make Homemade Paneer

Having said this, if time isn’t something you have, you can certainly use shop-bought paneer. I recommend you cut the paneer and soak it in boiling water for 10 minutes before draining, patting dry and pan frying. You can also add the paneer straight into the sauce without pan frying. I like to create a golden crust on my homemade paneer cubes for texture and colour.