Restaurant Style Shahi paneer is the ultimate creamy curry made with paneer (fresh Indian cottage cheese) bathed in a richly flavored sauce. This popular dish originated in North India but is now beloved all over India and Pakistan. What makes shahi paneer so special is its luscious, fragrant sauce. Traditionally, the sauce starts with a base of onion-cashew paste, cream or yogurt, and spices. In tomato-less versions, natural yogurt provides the sauce’s signature creamy texture and tang. The yogurt is whipped until silky smooth, then simmered gently with spices. These aromatic spices like cardamom, nutmeg and saffron infuse the yogurt sauce with warmth and complex flavor.
Onions and cashews are also commonly used to thicken the sauce and add mild sweetness to balance the tang of yogurt. The paneer is added after the sauce is simmered, cooking just long enough to soak up the rich flavors while retaining its shape. With this sauce, the fresh taste and creamy texture of the paneer really shines through. The dish has a luxurious feel, but the yogurt makes it lighter than heavy cream-based versions. Rice, naan, or roti are perfect for soaking up the luscious sauce.
Shahi paneer remains a staple in Indian cuisine, loved for its melt-in-the-mouth paneer cubes bathed in an unforgettable, silky yogurt sauce. The royal roots of this dish will transport you to India with each soothing, fragrant bite.
Ingredients
- 200 grams Paneer/Cottage Cheese
- 1-2 tbsp Oil/Butter
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 Green Chilies Chopped
- 1-2 Black Cardamoms
- 1-2 Bay Leaf
- Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- ½ cup Whisked Yogurt/Dahi
- Pinch of Saffron/Kesar Crushed
- Pinch of Cardamom Powder
- Pinch of Nutmeg Powder
- Salt
- 1 tsp sugar (Optional)
- 1-2 tbsp Cream (Optional)
- 2-3 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
For Paste
- 1 cup Chopped Onion
- 2-3 tbsp Cashew Nuts
- 2-3 Green Chilies Chopped
- 1 tbsp Melon Seeds/Magaz (without skin) (Optional)
- Salt
Method:
1. Cut Puneer into the cubes, if using frozen, soak into the hot water about 7-8 mins and drain and keep aside.
Paste
1. Boil the Onion, Cashew Nuts, green chilies and Melon Seeds using little Salt in a water for 4-5 minutes or till Onion become soft.
2. Remove from the flame and let it cool down, strain, and then blend it in a blender, make a smooth paste and keep aside.
Process
1. Heat the Oil/butter in a pan, add ginger, garlic, green chilies, hing, Bay Leaf, and Black Cardamom and stir for few seconds.
2. Add prepared Onion paste, mix well and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili powder, Garam Masala, and mix well on low flame till masala start separating oil.
5. Whisk the Yogurt in a small bowl till smooth, make sure there is no lumps, add it in the prepared mixture and mix well.
6. Add ½ cup water, stir continuously on a low flame, bring to boil and stir till gravy become thick.
7. Add pinch of Cardamom powder, nutmeg, crushed Saffron and mix well.
8. Lastly add Paneer, salt, sugar and mix well, cook it for 2-3 minutes.
9. Garnish with fresh cream and chopped Coriander Leaves.
10. Shahi Paneer is ready for serving, serve with Roti, Paratha, or Rice.
Tips:
- You can use boiled Onion water in a gravy.
- Cook Yogurt base gravy always on a low flame.
- You can skip yogurt and add tomato puree along with the onion paste and cook.
- After adding cubed Paneer in a curry, don’t cook for long time, otherwise Paneer will become dense.
Shahi Paneer
Ingredients
Method
- Cut Paneer into the cubes, if using frozen, soak into the hot water about 7-8 mins and drain and keep aside.
- Paste
- Boil the Onion, Cashew Nuts, green chilies, and Melon Seeds using little Salt in a water for 4-5 minutes or till Onion become soft.
- Remove from the flame and let it cool down, strain, and then blend it in a blender, make a smooth paste and keep aside.
- Process
- Heat the Oil/butter in a pan, add ginger, garlic, green chilies, hing, Bay Leaf, and Black Cardamom and stir for few seconds.
- Add prepared Onion paste, mix well, and stir for 2-3 minutes.
- Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili powder, Garam Masala, and mix well on low flame till masala start separating oil.
- Whisk the Yogurt in a small bowl till smooth, make sure there is no lumps, add it in the prepared mixture and mix well.
- Add ½ cup water, stir continuously on a low flame, bring to boil and stir till gravy become thick.
- Add pinch of Cardamom powder, nutmeg, crushed Saffron and mix well.
- Lastly add Paneer, salt, sugar and mix well, cook it for 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh cream and chopped Coriander Leaves.
- Shahi Paneer is ready for serving, serve with Roti, Paratha, or Rice.
Notes
Cook Yogurt base gravy always on a low flame.
You can skip yogurt and add tomato puree along with the onion paste and cook.
After adding cubed Paneer in a curry, don't cook for long time, otherwise Paneer will become dense.
I love this recipe! I added garlic powder, Italian seasoning, a few flakes of nutritional yeast, half a bottle of kombucha, za’atar, dried onion, and biscuit mix to mine. Great idea!” Thank You so much for sharing this recipe..
Thank You Pooja 🙂
Superb ….. today I have made this … comes out really well… thank you so much for sharing this recipe
Thank you so much for trying 🙂
Just made this, it is delicious!
Thank you Mel 🙂
I love many of your recipes, Binjal. But even the dairy industry is responsible for much cruelty to cows (calves removed from their mothers causing great distress, male calves shot in the head, which is one of the reasons I went vegan. So I won’t be using paneer.
thanks @Ann, you could use Tofu instead of Paneer for vegan recipes!