Shahi Paneer Recipe, How to make Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer Recipe with step by step photos and easy to follow instructions:

Shahi Paneer – tender chunks of paneer cooked in rich and creamy gravy mildly flavored with fragrant spices. The onion and tomato based sauce is cooked with creamy yogurt and fresh cream to create a smooth Mughlai curry. This dish has the richness of the cashew nuts and flavors of aromatic spices to envelop the milky pieces of soft paneer.

Shahi Paneer is a popular Indian dish. You will find it on almost every Indian restaurant menu. However, due to the richness of this dish, it is not a part of everyday Indian cooking but proudly served at parties or special occasions.

Traditionally, Shahi Paneer is slightly sweeter in taste compared to Paneer Butter Masala, however the spice level can be adjusted to suit your taste pallet. Shahi Paneer is best served with hot buttery Naan or Tandoori Roti.

Shahi Paneer was not my list of recipes to be posted yet, but then, one of my colleagues requested to post this recipe. What more could make me happy?? Here you go S. I am sure you will enjoy it.

How to make Shahi Paneer:

1. Prepare all ingredients beforehand. Cut paneer into desired pieces. Fill a bowl with hot (not boiling) water halfway. Add some salt to the water. Add paneer pieces to the bowl and keep it aside. This step will soften the paneer and add a salty taste to it.
   
2. In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat,  add some cooking oil. Carefully, add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and cashew nuts. Cover and cook until onion are translucent and tomatoes have softened;  stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let it cool to warm temperature.
   
3. In a blender, grind the cooked onion, tomatoes mixture to a fine paste.
   
4. Add yogurt to the onion paste and blend again.
   
5. Add tomato purée and blend again.
   
6. Strain the mixture through a sieve to achieve a smooth mixture for the creamy gravy.
   
7. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add ghee or cooking oil. I am using half ghee and half olive oil. I like the fragrance and flavor of ghee. Add spices and about a cup of onion paste. I am adding only about a cup of onion paste to cook the spices. They cook better and faster in a small amount of paste.
   
8. Add remainder of the onion paste and milk; mix well. Cover and cook on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. The mixture will splatter, so I recommend that you don’t wear your pretty white dress when making Shahi Paneer. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Add cream, sugar, methi leaves, coriander powder, cumin powder, nutmeg and mace powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes.
   
9. Remove paneer pieces from the water and carefully add to the cooked sauce. Stir gently to coat the paneer with masala and cook for a few minutes to warm the paneer thoroughly.
   
10. Serve hot with  Roti, Tandoori Roti or Naan.
    
    
    Shahi Paneer Recipe, How to make Shahi Paneer

     

    

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    Prep time

    10

    Cook time

    25

    Total time

    35

     

    Delicate pieces of paneer simmered in the silky onion and tomato gravy laced with spices and infused with aromatic methi leaves and cardamom.

    Author: Raj Brar

    Recipe type: Main Course

    Cuisine: Indian

    Serves: 5-6

    Ingredients

    • 450 grams Paneer
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 medium onion, roughly chopped
    • 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
    • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
    • 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
    • 15-20 raw cashew nuts
    • 1 green chili (optional)
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2-3 cloves
    • 2-3 green cardamoms
    • 1-inch piece of cinnamon
    • 1 tsp (5 ml) coriander powder
    • 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
    • ½ tsp turmeric
    • ¾ tsp salt or to taste
    • ¼ cup plain yogurt
    • 1 cup tomato purée
    • 1 cup fresh milk
    • ¼ cup fresh cream
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek) leaves, crushed
    • ½ tsp coriander powder
    • ¼ tsp cumin powder
    • 1 pinch of nutmeg powder
    • 1 pinch of mace powder
    • 2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

    Instructions

    1. In a medium bowl, add hot (not boiling) water. Add one teaspoon of salt.
    2. Cut the paneer into one inch long pieces. Add the paneer pieces into salted water and keep it aside until needed.
    3. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of oil. Carefully, add onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and cashew nuts. Cover and cook until onion are translucent and tomatoes have softened; stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let it cool.
    4. In a blender, add cooked onion mixture and green chili, and grind it to a fine paste.
    5. Add yogurt and tomato purée and blend. Strain the paste through a sieve.
    6. In the same saucepan over medium-high heat, add ghee and olive oil. Add bay leaf, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Add about one cup of onion paste and mix well. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
    7. Add remainder of the onion paste and milk. Mix well; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until oil starts to appear on the surface, stirring occasionally.
    8. Reduce the heat to low. Add cream, sugar, methi leaves, coriander powder, cumin powder, nutmeg and mace powder. Mix well; cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
    9. Remove paneer pieces from the salted water and add it to the cooked masala sauce. Gently mix. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes just to heat the paneer thoroughly.
    10. Turn off the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes for the paneer to absorb some flavors.
    11. Pour it into a serving dish and garnish with fresh cream and chopped fresh coriander. Serve hot with Roti, Tandoori Roti or Naan.

    Notes

    1. The gravy of Shahi Paneer is generally thick. Add more milk if you prefer thin gravy.
    2. Kashmiri red chilies are not hot, it gives a nice red/orange color to the dish.

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