Shahi Paneer Recipe

shahi paneer recipe 

• 1 ½ cup panner cubes (approximately 225 to 250 grams)
• ½ cup thick fresh yogurt, curd
• ¾ to 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder (optional)
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• ¾ tsp. gram masala
• Pinch of saffron optional
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. Ghee or oil
• Kewra water few drops.
• ¾ cup water
• 1 chopped tomato (optional,refer notes)

Spices

• 1/2 tsp jeera or shahi jeera / cumin (optional)
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 1 to 2 one inch cinnamon stick

for shahi paste

• 12 whole cashewnuts
• 8 almonds
• 1 cup cubed onions
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 green chili slit (optional)

How to make shahi paneer recipe

1. Fry paneer lightly in 1 tbsp. ghee and set aside to a plate. This is optional. I choose not to fry.

2. For making the shahi paste, onions and nuts can be blanched or sauteed in ghee. Sauteing brings out the aroma of the nuts and mild sweetness from onions. So i prefer to saute than to blanch. Heat a kadai with 1 tbsps. Ghee. Add green cardamom, cashews, almonds, and fry till they turn slightly golden.

3. Add onions, green chili and fry till translucent. I forgot to add green chili. Take these to a wide plate and cool.If you are in a hurry, just place few ice cubes on the onions and stir them every now and then. Use up the same ice water to puree.

4. Add them to a jar with very little water.

5. Make a smooth paste.

6.Heat the same kadai with rest of the ghee or oil, fry cinnamon & cloves for a min. Do not skip the spices since we do not use much of garam masala powder in this recipe. These tempering spices add flavor to the gravy. I have also added the optional ingredients small bay leaf and shahi jeera. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.

7. Add the ground onion paste, red chili powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

8. Beat the curd to smooth with a fork. Lower the flame and add it to the pan.

9. Cook until it leaves the sides of the pan.

10. Add ½ to ¾ cup water,add saffron strands. stir and begin to cook till curry thickens. By then you see the oil begins to separate.

11. Add cubed paneer and cook for 3 minutes. If you have already sauted the paneer in ghee, then switch off the stove immediately after adding paneer to gravy. You can also add deseeded slit green chili now for that distinct flavor. Sprinkle kewra water. Give a good stir.

Transfer immediately to a serving bowl else paneer can turn rubbery if left in the hot pan for longer.