Shahi Paneer (Restaurant Style Recipe)

This shahi paneer is deliciously rich and creamy, making it one of the most popular recipes in Mughlai cuisine. Fresh, unsalted cheese married with a creamy gravy, perfect for serving with naan or roti. "Shahi" means "royalty," and I swear this dish is fit for a king! What are you waiting for? This delicious dish fit for royalty can be on your table tonight Go ahead and treat yourself!

What is Shahi Paneer?

Shahi Paneer can literally be translated as "Royal Paneer". My recipe is a rich, tangy curry made with almonds, onions, yogurt, and spices.

Paneer is a fresh cheese popular in Indian cuisine It is made by curdling milk with a food acid (usually lemon juice), then pressed into cubes. The most remarkable thing about paneer cheese is that it does not melt, providing a tofu-like texture

There are some variations to the recipe Some shahi paneer recipes use tomatoes and butter Instead of using yogurt to lighten the dish, I chose not to use these ingredients

Shahi gravy is full of flavor with onion, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, saffron and cardamom. Balanced with thick, coconut curd, this lighter version of Shahi Paneer is perfect for special occasions.

If you're looking for a warm, comforting vegetarian dish for dinner, look no further Shahi paneer is one of my most favorite dishes and it must be one of yours too

For now, comfort food is in order This shahi pani is sure to fill your stomach and warm your soul

How to make Shahi Paneer

While the list of ingredients for Shahi Paneer recipe is quite long, you need not panic The process of making this dish is not very technical or difficult

Preparation

1. Take Nuts and Seeds - Put 2 tbsp of chopped cashews, 1 tbsp of almonds, 1 tbsp of watermelon seeds (magaz) in a bowl and wash it twice with water.

Drain all the water and set aside.

2. Simmer the below listed ingredients in 1.5 cup water for for 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

½ cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped cashews

1 tablespoon almonds

1 tablespoon melon seeds (magaz)

½ teaspoon chopped ginger

½ teaspoon chopped garlic

3. Continue to cook until the onions are soft, then strain the stock and set aside for later use.

4. After cooling, put the soft onion, almonds, seeds, ginger, garlic in a blender or grinder-mixer bowl. You can peel the almonds if you like

5. Make a fine paste of the cooked onion mixture, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of filtered water or as needed.

6. Beat ½ cup of fresh curd (yogurt) until smooth and set aside

7. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a pan over medium-low to medium heat. Let the ghee melt You can use oil or butter instead of ghee

8. Fry all the spices till they release their fragrance in ghee The full ingredients are listed below:

1 bay leaf (Indian bay leaf)

2 to 3 cloves

2 to 3 green cardamoms

1 black cardamom

1 inch of cinnamon

½ tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera) – can be substituted with cumin seeds instead.

Note: Be very careful here, as the spices are delicate and can burn quickly if you are not careful

Note that the whole masala is not eaten If you prefer, you can remove the whole masala (after frying in oil) except for the caraway seeds with a slotted spoon before adding the onion and almond paste.

9. Add the onion and nuts paste.

10. Mix over low to medium-low heat until the paste is smooth Then fry for 7 to 8 minutes or until the fat separates on the sides of the pasta.

You will see that the paste will be thick and shiny after cooking Even stir non-stop for cooking This will also prevent the paste from burning from the bottom

11. Now add ½ tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp garam masala powder and 1 tsp coriander powder.

You can replace the red chili powder with ¼ tsp white or black chili powder

12. Stir to mix well

13. Reduce the heat or turn off the heat Add the whipped yogurt, 3 to 1.5 cups strained stock and additional water, ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt.

14. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the gravy thickens. You can always change the consistency of the gravy by adding more or less water

15. Add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and crush 15 to 20 saffron strands.

Make Shahi Paneer

16. Stir and add the paneer cubes (200 g) and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Add 1 tbsp kewra water and stir (optional step). If adding butter, you can add it here Mix well and turn off the heat

Note 1: If you are a vegan, you can easily substitute tofu for paneer

Tip 2: If you prefer a richer version, add more cream or butter to the recipe..

17. Garnish with fresh pineapple or mint leaves or a few saffron strands and enjoy with rice or flatbread.