the one that makes it
makhani
tomato, cashew, a pinch of kasuri methi. the gravy you grew up on — rebuilt lighter, without the cream-and-ghee overload.
watch it made
no wok theatre. just the build.
every component prepped from scratch, assembled cold to order. this is the actual makhani bowl, start to finish.
the story
where it comes from
the trick with makhani isn't butter, it's the slow-cooked tomato and cashew that make it taste rich. we lean on those, not on litres of cream.
makhani was invented in delhi in the 1950s as a way to use leftover tandoori — the gravy was the hack, not the hero. we brought the hero back and lightened the gravy.
the 97 / 3
what we changed
restaurant makhani hides behind cream and butter. ours gets its body from cashew and tomato, so it's the taste of home without the 4 pm coma.
97% familiar · 3% you've never had
how it's built
cold-makeline, no frying
ghee rice, dal mash spooned alongside.
makhani paneer and masala potato over the rice.
papad, a little herb, and it's done.
lil nuggets
things to say at dinner
'makhani' means 'buttery' in Hindi/Punjabi — but the richness really comes from cashew and slow-cooked tomato.
the dish was born at Moti Mahal in Delhi in the 1950s, reportedly to use up unsold tandoori paneer and chicken.
kasuri methi — dried fenugreek leaf, crushed between the palms at the end — is the smell everyone recognises but can't name.
make it at home
a home version
2 bowls · 35 min
ingredients
- ·1 cup ghee rice
- ·150g paneer
- ·4 tomatoes
- ·10 cashews
- ·1 tsp kasuri methi
- ·1 tsp garam masala
- ·splash of milk (not cream)
- ·dal + masala potato to serve
method
- 1simmer tomatoes with cashews, ginger and garlic until soft; blend smooth.
- 2cook the purée down with garam masala until it darkens and thickens.
- 3add paneer and a splash of milk; crush in kasuri methi at the end.
- 4serve over ghee rice with a spoon of dal, masala potato and papad.
the secret we keep
cashews, not cream, and cooking the tomato purée until it turns brick-red — that's where the richness actually lives.
what's in it
every dish is veg · swap paneer for chicken, same price · air-fried falafel on request
allergens
our kitchen isn't allergen-free — tell us what you can't have and we'll tell you exactly what's in it.
pairs well: a tahini-and-dates milk — dessert and drink in one.
the numbers
25g+
protein
~500
kcal
- ·comfort food, macro-balanced
- ·paneer + dal protein
- ·less cream than a restaurant makhani
numbers approximate · base-dependent
why it's good
the comfort of ghar-ka-khana without the slump that follows a heavy thali.
protein-forward, so it fills you up instead of just filling you out.
have it your way, or ours.
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