Slow Cooker Paneer Makhani
I first made this dish last fall on the stove-top but quickly decided it should be one that needed to adapted for the slow cooker. In this house we pretty much adore (inhale?) foods that can be served over rice. So any of those kinds of foods that can be made in the slow cooker quickly become MY favorites because I can start dinner in the morning along with programming the rice cooker and my job is done before breakfast.
We love to make up a big pot of a couple of different Indian inspired dishes along with some Basmati rice and naan. I usually try to make about 2x as much as we could possibly eat so that we can have leftovers to last for the week, that’s truly how much we love this stuff.
Are you familiar with paneer? It’s kind of like a cottage cheese except it’s more solid and in bigger pieces. I know it can be homemade but I took advantage of the fact we have several Indian groceries nearby and purchased a couple of premade packages.
The sauce is a simple tomato base with just a bit of tangy yogurt and some cream to round it all out. Lots of spices go in here so your house will smell amazing with this simmering away all day. Although it never hurts if you can crack a window in the kitchen a bit when you are cooking with this many spices 🙂
Slow Cooker Paneer Makhani
Ingredients
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced white onion
- 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon jarred minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 ounces prepared paneer for later (2 packages)
- 1 cup heavy cream for later
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt for later
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for paneer, cream and yogurt to slow cooker
- Let simmer for up to 8 hours on low or 4 on high
- Remove bay leaf
- Add cream and yogurt and stir to combine well
- Add paneer and let heat through for about 30 minutes
- Stir carefully as paneer will fall apart easily
- Serve with rice and naan or as desired
Notes
Nutrition
Can I add fresh tomatoes in the recipe?
That would be delicious as an addition but I wouldn’t use them in place of the crushed tomatoes.
This was a good start but it was much more tomatoey than I’ve had in an restaurant. We ended up adding A LOT more spices… maybe 4 to 5 times more than called for, and it was better. I think a little honey would be good, too, as most paneer makhani I’ve had has a touch of sweetness this one is missing. It was fun to try, and I’m now inspired to try more Indian in the slow cooker!
Thanks so much for the helpful feedback!! I love all of the suggestions!
I am about to start using this tomorrow. Will this too spicy? I am not crazy about spicy part but I like the mild part. Can I omit the cayenne pepper? Will it taste mild without the cayenne pepper?
Hi Crystal, this isn’t super spicy but of course you can leave out the cayenne and just add at the end to taste!
Can this be made in a pressure cooker, instant pot?
Yes, I’m sure it can although I haven’t tried it to offer the specific adjustments that would need to be made. You might try checking with one of the several FB groups as they are pretty experienced with the Instant Pots!! 🙂
This dish is superb. There is a fantastic Indian restaurant, but it’s too far/expensive; every other local Indian place is horrible. This meal is restaurant quality, and my boyfriend and I both went back for seconds (so glad I made a lot!).
I’m sure this dish is balanced enough for most tastes, but I like a lot of punch, so I at least tripled all of the spices. 10/10 will make again, thanks for sharing!
Note: I saw a comment mentioning the lack of salt. If you use canned crushed tomatoes that aren’t low-sodium or sodium-free, it will be salty enough for most tastes. 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback, Cherry! I am so glad you both enjoyed it!!!
Can this be frozen for later? I only have a large slow cooker and don’t know if it would burn out if I make the smaller amount.
Yes! It should freeze and reheat well.
Hi! Thank you for this recipe. I am in the process of making it now, and was wondering why salt isn’t added as part of the recipe?
Hi Sumitha! You can just add salt to taste!
Last night was my second time making this. Great recipe! Even better with Siracha. Thanks 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it!
Jennifer, What is paneer? And, in the red curry chicken dish, is there a substitute for the 2 cans of coconut milk? I love your recipes and tell everyone about your site. Kudos!!!
Hi Reenie! Thank you so much! Paneer is like an Indian cheese, a little bit like cottage cheese except it’s in bigger pieces. I can find it frozen at an Indian market we have locally, but there are also many recipes for making it which I haven’t tried yet. It would be tricky to find something to replace the taste and texture of coconut milk but you may be able to use cashew milk. I would cut back on the amount though as I found the tricky part of this recipe was keeping the sauce from getting too thin.
Hi! Would chicken taste okay in this? I’d like to make this for my hubby but he needs meat in his food. Thanks!
Hi Naomi! Yes, you could sub out a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped up!