Method

Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente (1 minute less than package instructions). Drain and reserve 100ml pasta water. Meanwhile, make makhani sauce: melt butter, add onion (cook 8 minutes golden), add ginger-garlic paste (2 minutes), add Kashmiri chilli and tomato puree — cook 8 minutes until thick and oil separates.
About 10 min
Tip: Cooking the tomato puree until the oil separates is the critical step — insufficiently cooked tomato produces a raw, acidic sauce that doesn't taste like proper makhani.
Add cream to the makhani sauce. Stir and simmer 3 minutes. Add garam masala and sugar. Taste — should be sweet, creamy, mildly spiced, and tangy. Add cooked pasta directly into the sauce. Toss to coat thoroughly. Add pasta water to adjust consistency (should be thick and saucy, not dry).
About 8 min
Tip: The pasta water (starchy) helps bind the sauce to the pasta and creates a silkier consistency than using plain water.
Transfer to an oven-safe dish. Scatter grated cheese mix generously on top. Bake or broil at 200°C for 5–8 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly charred in spots. Sprinkle coriander and a pinch of garam masala. Serve immediately — this dish waits for no one. Offer sliced green chilli on the side for those who want heat.
About 8 min
Tip: The charred cheese spots are the crowning achievement — they add a slightly bitter, smoky quality that balances the richness of the makhani sauce perfectly.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Contains: gluten, dairy