Burrata Butter Masala
Homemade tomato-cashew butter masala gravy with a whole burrata nestled in the center. Tear at the table so the cream runs into the sauce.
Equipment
- Blender
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai
- Wide shallow serving bowl
Ingredients
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
- 1 teaspoon ginger-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
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
For the burrata
- 1 large burrata 8 oz / 225 g, or 2 smaller balls
- pinch kasuri methi crushed
- 1 teaspoon cream or melted butter to swirl
To garnish
- fresh cilantro chopped
- pinch Kashmiri chilli powder optional
Instructions
Soak and simmer the base
- Soak the cashews in 1/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft and lightly gold.
- Add ginger-garlic paste. Stir 30 seconds until the raw smell drops.
- 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 butter masala
- 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. Turn off the heat.
Add the burrata
- While the gravy finishes, take the burrata out of the fridge. Rest 15 minutes. Pat the outside dry.
- Pour the hot gravy into a wide, shallow serving bowl. Nestle the whole burrata in the center. Spoon gravy around the ball, not over the top.
- Swirl a teaspoon of cream or melted butter around the gravy. Dust a pinch of kasuri methi and cilantro on the sauce, not on the white cheese. Serve immediately. Tear the burrata at the table.
Notes
Off the heat only. If the gravy is still bubbling, wait one minute. Hot simmering gravy melts the pouch.
Pat the burrata dry so the skin does not slip when you move it.
Soak cashews in hot water so the gravy blends smooth. Cold water needs a longer soak.
Onion adds body. Skip it for a cleaner tomato makhani, and add an extra tablespoon of cashews if the blend looks thin.
Vegan plate: oil and coconut cream or cashew cream, then skip the burrata and add firm tofu or roasted cauliflower. You will not get the cream burst.
Gravy keeps in the fridge 3 to 4 days. Freeze the gravy without cheese for up to 1 month. Add a fresh burrata only when you serve.
Leftover torn burrata in gravy does not keep well. It weeps and turns grainy. Eat it the same night.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!