Makhani Masala / Butter based Tomato Cream Sauce
Makhani Masala is the very aromatic butter based tomato cream sauce seasoned with spices and herbs – the base gravy for most of the tomato based creamy dishes in the Indian restaurants. If you are familiar with the lip smacking, finger licking Paneer Makhani/Paneer Butter Masala (Indian Cheese in a Butter Sauce), Malai Koftas (Cheese balls stuffed with nuts raisins and spices cooked in a creamy sauce), Dal Makhani (Creamy buttery lentils) or the internationally famed Murgh or Chicken Makhani/Butter Chicken served in the Indian restaurants, this is one sauce they are all based on. The Makhani masala can be adapted to form a gravy/sauce with a thick tomato base or with more cream/milk added, it makes the more popular light orange creamy sauce usually found in the restaurants.
The word ”makhani” comes form “makhan” which means butter. The origin of this sauce is in the northern regions of India (Punjab). Traditionally fresh butter and cream were used to cook this basic sauce. If you do not want to indulge the butter/ghee may be replaced with cooking oil ( I usually use Canola) and the cream may be substituted with half & half, or even regular whole milk.
I have been using this recipe for many years now. The recipe has been a very trusted friend. A few cups stored in the freezer have allowed me to whip up very delicious dishes in few minutes. It has been handed down to most of my friends and relatives. During the first years of our marriage I had written down a recipe some “Bombay Palace” cookbook. The original recipe has gone through some changes to adapt to our needs and taste over the years, but I will assure you that this is the best makhani sauce I have ever tasted. Once you have mastered this, you can really cook any of those famed dishes that appear in the menu of the Indian restaurants.
Few notes here: The amount of cream added to this at the end will depend on the recipe you are going to make with this. The proportions I have written here makes a base sauce. The more popular “makhani” dishes will need more cream/milk to be added after you add the chicken/meat (for Murgh Makhani) or Paneer ( for Paneer Makhani) or Lentils (for Dal Makhani). It also depends on your personal taste. Sometimes when I want a less creamy and more tangy sauce I add only a little bit of cream. The days to indulge and have a restaurant style menu we do the regular amount of cream. This is a great recipe for parties and you can really hear the “wow” when the dishes cooked with this sauce looks and tastes so professionally done.
Makhani Masala/Butter based Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients: (yields about 2.5 – 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup ginger paste
- 1/4 cup garlic paste
- 2 inch stick of cinnamon
- 2 black cardamoms
- 2 small green cardamoms
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek/methi seeds (This is a MUST)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves; Available in Indian Groceries)
- 5 cups pureed fresh tomato (or about 1/2 the amount of tomato paste) – it is ok to use more tomato
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 hot green peppers slit (optional)
- 1/2 cup melted butter/ghee (I substitute it with cooking oil for obvious health reasons)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream/whipping cream
- 1/2 cup milk
Preparation:
Heat butter/ghee/oil & add cinnamon, cardamoms and fenugreek seeds.
Once the seeds start to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste, salt, chili powder and stir and fry till fat (butter) separates, and starts to form small bubbles.
Add tomato paste, green chili, cinnamon powder and kasuri methi (Mix the tomato paste with double the amount of water to make it like a puree of use Tomato Puree).
Cook/simmer and reduce the tomato sauce, till done. (you will know which the fat/ and the spice mix/masala leaves the sides of the pan and the oil separates and you will definitely smell it!). Make sure to cover the pan as the sauce will bubble and splatter.
(At this stage the sauce can be frozen for later use. If you are cooking anything with the sauce right away, go ahead and add the cream and milk.)
Add heavy cream and milk. Boil/simmer for about 10 minutes.
After the sauce is done, proceed to cook whatever dish you have decided.
The masala/sauce can be frozen in airtight containers for quite a few months. BUT if you want to freeze it, DO NOT add the cream and the milk. Add the cream and the milk when you want to use it to prepare the final dish.
I will gradually post the recipes of all the above mentioned dishes; just to give you a head start:
Murgh/Chicken Makhani: Boneless chicken pieces are marinated and grilled on the stove top or grill or tandoor and cooked in the makhani sauce.
Paneer Makhani: Cubes of paneer (Indian cheese) are simmered in the makhani sauce.
Dal Makhani: Lentils are slowly simmered in the makhani sauce.
Malai Kofta: Paneer/Indian Cheese is mashed and formed into balls which are stuffed with nuts, raisins etc. These are then deep fried and thereafter simmered in makhani sauce.
Related Posts:
What is Tarka/Chhownk/Baghaar?
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December 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I tried this out today. Made Chicken makhani ! It turned out delicious !
Thanks a lot.
I am so glad that u got to try it out. Thank you so much for letting me know!
May 15th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
haa..Thanks for lretting me know Soma..I’ll try this..My doubt is..this heavy cream means normal whipping cream or is there heavy cream in market?
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:47 am
Oh dear Soma this looks heavenly and I do love the idea of keeping something like this in the freezer for quick starting a wonderful meal!
And I even just found black cardamoms at Penseys!!
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:42 am
butter and cream?! im in!!
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
The Soup looks wow:) Will surely try it out:)
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Wow, this soup sounds amazing and rich in flavour.
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
You got me at butter and cream…Looks and sounds so delicious! Great flavours.
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:55 pm
That looks so delicious… I found a butter cream sauce recipe I really love but I am going to try this one for sure!
January 23rd, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Lovely recipe and it looks so colourful and vibrant.
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Wonderfully spicy! An interesting tomato sauce.
Cheers,
Rosa
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Wow…that looks so colorful….just need some nan and ghee rice !!
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Love that rich beautiful red color. Glad you posted this wonderful recipe for masala, I was on the lookout for one. I used the tomato paste from Sprouts and loved it. Do you have any recommendation for tomato puree?
any store bought brand will do; i usually get from costco in large scale if I need it. For this recipe I had meant fresh tomatoes, and I have updated the post. It takes longer to cook the fresh ones.You can chop fresh tomatoes too, but with a blended/pureed the consistency of the sauce is smooth.
January 24th, 2010 at 1:45 am
WOW, this looks fabulous…. I can find the paste but not the — I wonder where the Indian Grocery is around me….. some of the paste I can find in the local super… = (
January 24th, 2010 at 2:54 am
Love love this sauce and i am sure bookmarking them. Just made a chicken from you place. I love it that i can make this sauce in bigger quanities and freeze them .
January 24th, 2010 at 3:41 am
Mmmm … this explains why all the creamy paneer dishes I’ve eaten in restaurants are so good.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:56 am
oh, that’s the secret to good makhani!
January 24th, 2010 at 7:39 am
I’m really looking forward to your dhal makhani! Yum!
Coming soon:-)
January 24th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Gravy looks very rich!
January 24th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Rich color and a good basic tomato sauce..I use it only for paneer shoulg try makhni..
January 24th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Great recipe Soma. Your blog is such a great resource
January 24th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Love the vibrant look of the sauce. The ingredients are so interesting I can only imagine what a wonderful taste it has.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I usually freeze the butter chicken- Freezing the base sauce is great idea! The color is vibrant!
January 25th, 2010 at 2:34 am
hmm..looks interesting..
ll give it a try..:)
January 25th, 2010 at 4:50 am
Wow,can’t take the eyes off the pic.I love makhani thgh freezing the sauce is never tried.Love it Soma and am waiting for your makhni dishes
January 25th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
this is a wonderful recipe and freezing it is such a cool idea… am waiting for the other recipes that use this sauce as the base!
January 25th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
I absolutely love everything about this! So rich and spicy. I can’t even imagine how delicious it must be.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Is it okay to replace the fresh pureed tomato with store bought canned pureed tomato?
Yes it definitely is!!
January 27th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I need to eat this as soon as humanly possible. Im wondering if you could replace the milk and cream with coconut milk or cream and still maintain sort of the same result?
I have never used coconut milk or cream in it. Are you thinking of a vegan version? It is definitely doable but I am not sure that it will have the same “authentic” taste; You could give it a shot. I am thinking it will taste good, if not traditionally good. Use less amount than the regular milk or cream if you have to use coconut milk/cream.. may be half the amount or less. Coconut milk/cream has strong flavor and it will overwhelm the expected flavor of the dish.
I am thinking if you could use cashew or almond paste (may be 1-2 tablespoons) while cooking and not use the cream or milk at all if you do not want to. Don’t know if i could provide a satisfactory answer
.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
For the Chicken Makhani what do you marinate the chicken with? Also, do you add the heavy cream after the chicken is cooked in the makhani sauce or before adding the chicken?
I marinate the chicken in yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, salt, garam masala (if available), kasuri methi and some orange food color just for good looks…kind of similar spices as in this recipe – http://www.ecurry.com/blog/meat-poultry/murg-malai-tikka-kabab/
but not the cheese cream etc… if I have to use it quick I use a little bit of meat tenderizer ( I get the papaya extract from the Indian groceries). This breaks down the fiber of the Chicken Breast pieces and makes them soft and succulent which works best in a makhani.
grill the small pieces of chicken. I usually use my stove top grill with or without skewers, but just cooking them on high heat in a pan will work too. Make sure they are done, but not falling apart, and slightly browned (not a whole lot as it will stiffen and will not absorb any sauce).
Take the cooked pieces and simmer it in the sauce for about 15 minutes at low heat. You can add some water or milk if the sauce gets too thick. after simmering add the cream or milk ( the amount is as per your taste.. for a very creamy yellowish color add more; if you want a slight tang and want it to stay more on the red side add less cream) and some sprinkle of some more kasuri methi and simmer for 10 more minutes. switch off the heat.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:36 am
1/2 cup ghee? isn’t that a lot?
Yes it is! The measuring cup; not regular coffee cup). This is makhani masala, remember:-). This is also the base sauce for anything that you are going to cook later in a larger quantity… and will not need to add further oil/ghee for cooking. Since you do not eat the sauce by itself, it does turn out to be just right along with chicken/paneer/dal/kofta etc.
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I found your murgh sauce right before you sent the email. It looks fantastic. Thank you!
March 12th, 2010 at 10:09 am
One word to describe this sauce: WOW. This is the recipe that I have been looking for. Today we finally had butter chicken that actually tastes like the one in our favourite take away in Sydney. And I can tell you that I have tried at least 20 recipes to match that taste after we left Sydney, but they were one disappointment after another. But thanks to you and this recipe, butter chicken is once again the number one in my family. I’ll be a fan of this blog forever!
I am very very happy that it worked out for you. This recipe became a keeper in our family too, after a lot of trials. Thanks for letting me know.
July 10th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Am I supposed to leave the chilis and cinnamon stick in it? I am making the dal makhani and they are just floating on top.
They are supposed to stay in their as they impart the flavor during cooking. if it annoys you, you can remove them after the dish is cooked.
HTH
Cheers
Soma