Shahi Paneer
Shahi Paneer is one most flavorful delicious paneer dishes from India. It’s prepared with paneer in an aromatic creamy onion/tomato sauce. Best enjoyed with jeera rice or naan, parathas.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Base sauce
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion ¾ - 1 cup
- 1 green chili
- 1 inch ginger piece
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1 pod green cardamom
- A small stick of cinnamon
- 5-6 cashew nuts
- 1 can tomato sauce/puree 8 oz
Shahi Paneer
- 7 oz Paneer cubed (200 grams)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder kashmiri chili powder give a nice red color and they are not hot
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Salt
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed
- 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
- ¼- 1/3 cups heavy cream
- cilantro & saffron
Instructions
- Soak cashew nuts in warm water for few minutes. Keep it aside.
- On medium heat in pan, take some oil or butter and once its hot add cumin seeds, onions, garlic, ginger and green chili. Saute it until onions turns translucent.
- Add other whole spices too along with fennel seeds, and then add cashew nuts and tomato sauce. Let it cook for few seconds and then let it cool down.
- Blend this mixture once it cools down with 1/4 -1/3 cup water. You can add more water if required. Strain the mixture after blending so that sauce looks smooth and silky.
- Heat butter in a pan on medium heat. Once it’s hot, add prepared onion tomato sauce.
- Stirring occasionally cook it until it thickens up for 3-4 minutes.
- Add spices like red chili, turmeric, coriander powder and salt.
- Add garam masala close to it getting cooked along with crushed kasuri methi and add sugar or honey.
- Add paneer cubes. If you like you can sauté paneer very lightly before adding in.
- If you are using cream, then add it at this point along with cardamom powder. Mix and let it simmer for few seconds and turn off the flame.
- Garnish it with cilantro if you like and some saffron and it is ready to be served.
Notes
- You can lightly saute paneer before adding in.
- Lot of recipes call for saffron, but I did not use any, just a little at the time of serving.
- Cardamom powder at the very end of cooking enhances the taste so much.
- You can veganize this by not using the heavy cream.
- Don’t overcook paneer after adding it in the sauce. It tends to become chewy.
- Sub cashews for almonds or melon seeds.