I keep buying a head of broccoli for a stir-fry and finding it still in the crisper on Thursday. That is how this broccoli makhani started. I wanted the same tomato-cashew gravy I make for paneer, but I needed the florets to stay bright and keep a little snap.
The first time I dropped raw broccoli straight into the simmering makhani, it went khaki and soft in eight minutes. Nobody at the table reached for seconds. Now I roast the florets until the edges brown, then fold them into the gravy for two minutes only.
If you want a broccoli indian recipe that tastes like restaurant butter masala, this is that bowl. Let’s make it together.
What is broccoli makhani?
Makhani means buttery. The gravy is tomatoes, cashews, butter, cream, and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), cooked until it coats a spoon. Paneer butter masala and butter chicken sit in that same family. Here broccoli is the hero instead of paneer.
This is not malai broccoli. Malai broccoli is florets in a thick yogurt-cream marinade, then grilled or air-fried as a starter. Broccoli makhani is a gravy dish. You eat it with naan or rice, the way you would a butter masala.
It is also not a mixed gobi-matar sabzi with a splash of cream. The florets stay the main vegetable. Cauliflower or paneer can join if you want, but the recipe is built around one head of broccoli.
Broccoli adds fiber and vitamin C to a gravy that is usually paneer-only, so the bowl eats more like a vegetable dinner than a cream-only takeaway.
Broccoli makhani vs broccoli butter masala
Home cooks use the names interchangeably. In my kitchen, makhani leans creamier and more buttery. Butter masala often tastes a little more tomato-forward and spice-forward. This recipe is the creamier bowl. If you searched for broccoli butter masala, you are in the right place.
Why you’ll love this
- Roasted florets keep color and a little crunch
- Cashew-tomato gravy blends silky if you soak the nuts
- Naturally gluten-free
- Gravy freezes well; roast fresh broccoli when you reheat
- Mild enough for kids if you keep Kashmiri chilli as color
- Uses the broccoli you already bought
How to keep broccoli from going mushy
Test note: I roast medium florets at 425°F / 220°C for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tips are browned and a stem piece bends with a snap, not a collapse. Then they sit in the finished gravy for 2 minutes only. When I blanched first and simmered 6 minutes, the color faded and the stems turned watery. When I roasted 18 minutes, the tips tasted bitter. Browned edges, still-green stems, short simmer: that is the cue.
Cut florets on the medium side, not tiny. Tiny pieces overcook before the gravy is ready. Peel the thick stem and slice it into coins. Those coins roast well and you waste less of the head.
Pan-char works if you do not want the oven. A hot skillet, one layer, 6 to 8 minutes, flip once. Crowding steams the broccoli and you lose the brown bits.
Perfect for
- A restaurant-style dinner with naan or instant pot jeera rice
- Meal prep: make the gravy on Sunday, roast broccoli when you reheat
- A thali where you want one rich gravy and one lighter dal, like palak dal
- Using the head of broccoli that did not become a stir-fry
Roast the florets first, then fold them into the gravy for two minutes so they stay bright.
Broccoli Makhani
Equipment
- Oven, air fryer, or heavy skillet
- Blender
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
For the roasted broccoli
- 1 head broccoli large, about 500 g, cut into medium florets, thick stem peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch Kashmiri chilli powder optional, for color
For the tomato-cashew base
- 15 cashews about 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup hot water for soaking
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion small, sliced, optional for body
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 3 garlic cloves minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 3 tomatoes medium, roughly chopped, about 2 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 cup water for simmering
- salt to taste
For finishing the gravy
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2-3/4 cup warm water as needed
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, balances tomato acidity
- 3 tablespoons fresh cream or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon butter or cream to swirl at the end
To garnish
- 1 tablespoon cream
- fresh cilantro chopped, optional
- pinch kasuri methi crushed
Instructions
Roast the broccoli
- Heat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Toss florets and stem coins with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of Kashmiri chilli if using. Spread in one layer on a sheet pan.
- Roast 12 to 14 minutes until the tips are browned and a stem piece is tender with a snap. Do not wait for the florets to collapse.
- Air fryer option: 400°F / 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking once. Pan-char option: heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Cook the broccoli in one layer 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until browned in spots.
Soak and simmer the base
- Soak the cashews in 1/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes while the broccoli roasts.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion if using. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft and lightly gold.
- Add grated ginger and minced garlic. Stir 30 seconds until the raw smell fades.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, coriander, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Add 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Blend
- Blend the tomato mixture with the soaked cashews (and their water) until completely smooth. Scrape the sides once. The paste should look silky, not grainy.
Finish the makhani
- Wipe the pan if needed. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Pour in the blended gravy.
- Add 1/2 cup warm water. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until the gravy thickens enough to coat a spoon. Add more water if it is too tight. Taste for salt and add sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
- Stir in cream, crushed kasuri methi, and garam masala. Simmer 1 minute on low. Do not boil hard after the cream goes in.
- Add the roasted broccoli. Fold gently 2 minutes so the florets warm through and pick up gravy. Turn off the heat. Swirl a teaspoon of butter or cream on top.
- Garnish with cream, cilantro if you like, and a pinch of kasuri methi. Serve hot with naan, roti, or jeera rice.
Notes
FAQs
Q1. Can I make this vegan?
Yes. Use oil instead of butter and finish with coconut cream or blended cashew cream. The tomato-cashew base already gives the gravy body, so you will not miss the dairy as much as you think. For a fully written tofu version of this cashew-tomato gravy, make my vegan butter chicken.
Q2. Should I blanch the broccoli instead of roasting?
You can, for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, then ice it. I stopped doing that for this recipe. Blanching keeps the color if you are careful, but you lose the browned edges that make the gravy taste restaurant-like. Roast or pan-char if you can.
Q3. Can I add paneer or cauliflower?
Yes. Add 150 g paneer cubes in the last 2 minutes with the broccoli, or roast cauliflower florets on the same tray. For a paneer-only makhani with roasted garlic in the gravy, make my roasted garlic makhani.
Q4. Can I make the gravy ahead?
Yes. Make the gravy through the cream and kasuri methi step, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Roast the broccoli just before serving so it stays bright. Frozen leftover florets in leftover gravy will soften. Still good for lunch. Not the same snap.
Q5. Is this the same as malai broccoli?
No. Malai broccoli is a grilled starter: florets coated in a thick cream-yogurt marinade. Broccoli makhani is a tomato-cashew gravy you serve as a main. Same vegetable, different dish.
Q6. How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on low with a splash of water or milk. The broccoli will soften on day two. If the gravy separates a little, stir in a spoon of cream while warming.
Serve it like this
I like this broccoli makhani with jeera rice and a cucumber raita when I want the gravy to be the loudest thing on the plate. Naan on a Friday night works too. If the table wants a second vegetable that is lighter, I add palak dal. If you try it, tell me: did you roast the florets or pan-char them?
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
