What is Shahi Paneer?
Shahi Paneer translates to “Royal Paneer” and has origins in Mughlai cuisine. It is a rich Indian curry prepared with luxury ingredients such as paneer cubes with a gravy of cream, nuts, whole spices, seeds, dried fruit and saffron. It is a creamy curry and is made with mild spices. The sauce is slightly sweet and not spicy. The dish is gluten-free and vegetarian friendly. Mughlai cuisine is based on Persian cuisine with Indian influences and it was developed by the chefs who cooked for the royals. Mughlai food is always rich and heavy using plenty of cream and ghee, whole spices and floral flavourings such as rose or kevda. Classic shahi paneer in Moghul times was prepared without any tomato and so had a white gravy. To this Mughlai dish, mawa/khoya (milk solids) was sometimes added to provide extra richness. Shahi Paneer restaurant style is prepared with a yellow-orange shahi paneer gravy using a tomato sauce base In homes, the most popular paneer dishes are prepared during special occasions, parties and sometimes Diwali. These dishes often have a long list of ingredients but are guaranteed to tickle the taste buds of every single guest!
Ingredients
Full measurements can be found in the recipe card below where you can also leave a star rating Paneer – this is a fresh cheese with a creamy texture, also known as Indian cottage cheese and is widely used in Indian cuisine. Use either store-bought paneer or homemade paneer. Fresh cream – you need heavy cream (double cream in the UK) Onion, garlic, ginger, green chili – use fresh Tomato puree – you can crush fresh tomatoes, use crushed tinned tomatoes or passata Indian spices: turmeric powder, kasoori methi (kasuri methi) Whole spices for the masala: bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom (sub. with cardamom powder), black cardamom, cumin seeds, melon seeds, black pepper powder, mace, anise, nutmeg, dried red chillies Optional: red chili powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala powder. I find that the ground spices above give plenty of flavour but you can add these extra if you wish. Raisins – optional but lends sweetness. Do not use very dark raisins as they will effect the colour Saffron strands – soaked in a few spoons of milk Kewra Water aka pandan extract – (optional). This is Indian floral water and a favourite in Mughal cooking. It has a floral perfume and adds wonderful flavour. Only a small amount is needed. Oil – I have used olive oil but you can use vegetable or sunflower oil Garnish Fresh coriander leaves I have also used pistachio slivers, saffron strands and dried rose petals for photographic purpose.
Easy Shahi Paneer recipe
Instead of preparing your own shahi paneer spice powders, you can buy a ready made shahi paneer spice mix from the store. This is much quicker however the flavours of freshly ground shahi paneer masala can not be beaten!
Vegan Shahi Paneer Curry
The vegan recipe of shahi paneer uses a paneer alternative such as firm tofu or vegetables. In place of the cream, use a vegan cream, coconut milk or extra cashew cream.
Lighter Shahi Paneer
Shahi Paneer is filled with high fat ingredients and is to be enjoyed as it is. However, should you wish to make a “healthier” version, I recommend making Shahi Paneer with milk instead of the cream. You can also use more cashews and leave out the cream completely.
Shahi Paneer without onion garlic
Simply omit the onion and garlic from the recipe. Use a little less cream than the original recipe to keep the flavours balanced.
How to make Shahi Paneer Masala at home
Roast all the masala ingredients on a low heat for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Keep on low flame to prevent the spices burning. Allow to cool then grind in a spice grinder to achieve a fine powder.
How to make Shahi Paneer
Prepare your paneer. Cut into your desired shape – cubes or triangles. Place paneer in salted hot water for 10-15 minutes. This is to achieve soft succulent paneer pieces especially if the paneer is shop bought. Soak cashew nuts and raisins in warm water. Boil onion in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and grind into a thick paste. Remove paneer from the water and pat dry with kitchen paper towel. Grind cashew nuts and raisins into a smooth paste by adding little water. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom large pan on medium heat and shallow fry paneer till light golden brown. Remove and leave it aside. In the same oil, saute the onion puree till pink on medium flame. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies paste and cook further 3-4 minutes. Now add turmeric powder with the ground masala. You can add extra red chilli powder and garam masala powder at this stage if you wish. I did not as I prefer milder curries. Cook mixture on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato puree and kasoori methi, cook further 2-3 minutes. Ensure to mix the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Add the cashew paste with salt. Add paneer with half cup water. Let it cook until you can see oil appear on the surface. Add the cream and saffron milk. Mix well and cook a further 2-3 minutes. Turn of the heat, add the kewra water. Optionally, garnish with chopped pistachio and chopped coriander leaves. Drizzle some cream on top.
Serving Suggestion
Shahi Paneer is usually eaten with butter naan and jeera rice. I serve it with my restaurant style garlic naan or sometimes Peshwari Naan. For a complete North-Indian thali, go for Daal Makhani, Bombay Potatoes, Coconut milk pulao, naan and Gulab Jamun For a simpler meal, pair with soft Gujarati rotlis (chapatti).
Storage
Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or milk if the gravy has thickened. You can also freeze the curry for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. The texture of the paneer may become more crumbly upon thawing.
Best Paneer Recipes
Amritsari Paneer Bhurji Paneer Makhani Paneer Kali Mirch Kadai Paneer Palak Paneer Paneer Tikka Paneer Tikka Masala Niramish Paneer Panch Phoran Paneer Paneer Butter Masala Paneer Tikka Biryani Matar Paneer As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note – This recipe was posted on our blog on the 20th of April 2012 since I have updated the post with new content and pictures.
