Shahi paneer

Shahi Paneer

Shahi paneer is a rich and creamy Mugglai dish. It is most popular in the Northern part of India. The name Shahi paneer can be translated as “Royal paneer” which is very appropriate name for the dish, prepared by the royal cooks for a royal dinner. A simple homemade cheese cooked with nuts, spices, yogurt and cream, turned into a dish fit for royal banquet.

Shahi paneer is a very festive dish, which is prepared on special occasion. When you have guest at home or planning a party it is a great dish to serve with any Indian bread.

 Ingredients:

1       Pound bar of paneer
15     Almonds
15     Cashew nuts (raw unsalted)
½      Cup plain yogurt
2       Cups whole milk
2       Medium size onions
1       Tablespoon minced garlic
1       Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2       Medium green chilies or to your taste
2       Teaspoons coriander powder
½      Teaspoon garam masala
3       Tablespoons cream (optional)
1       Teaspoon salt or to your taste
3       Tablespoons vegetable oil
1       Tablespoon grated paneer (optional)
1       Tablespoon sliced almonds

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Bar of Paneer

Onions, Ginger, Green peppers & Garlic

Almonds

Cashews

Yogurt

Saffron strands

Sliced Almonds

Coriander powder

Garam Masala

Cream

Paneer-Grated

Salt

Milk

Directions:

1. Soak the almonds, cashews in hot water for an hour then peel the Almonds.

2. Soak Saffron strands in warm Milk.

Soak Almonds and Cashews

Peel Almonds

Soaked cashews & soaked & peeled Almonds

Soak Saffron in warm Milk

3. Chop onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies.

Chopped Onions

Ginger-Chopped

Sliced Green chilies

Ginger-Sliced

4. If using store bought paneer, soak the bar of paneer in bowl fill of hot water
for 5 to 10 minutes. Soaking in the water make the paneer soft.

5. Slice the paneer into 1” long 1” wide and ¼ “thick cubes or the preferred size
and shape.

Soak the paneer in hot water

Slice the paneer

Paneer cubes

6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick frying pan.

7. Spread the paneer cubes on the frying pan and sauté but do not brown them,
   ensure to take them out before paneer cubes turn brown, place them in a plate
   over paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Once all the paneer sautéed keep
them aside.

8. Sautéing Paneer cubes seals the paneer and it helps in preventing the paneer
   from crumbling in the gravy.

Heat oil in a pan

Spread paneer cubes in the pan

Paneer is sautéed lightly

Place the sautéed Paneer over Paper towel

Sautéed Paneer cubes

9. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

10. Add Chopped onions.

In a pan heat oil

Add chopped onions in the pan

11. Add sliced Garlic, chopped green chilies, chopped ginger and Cashews and
Almonds and sauté them for 6 to 7 minutes or until onions is translucent but
not brown.

Add chopped Ginger, chopped green chilies, sliced Garlic, Cashews & Almonds

Sauté onions and other ingredients

11. Add coriander powder and fry for few seconds. Turn the stove off and
allow onions to cool down.

Onion and other ingredients sautéed

Add Coriander powder

Mix coriander powder & fry

Onions are sautéed

12.Transfer the sautéed onion mix into a blender and grind it to a paste. Add
little water at a time to Lubricate the onions for grinding.

In the Blender add all sautéed onion & other ingredients & grind

Onion and other ingredients are grinded

13. In the same pan onions were fried heat 4 tablespoons of butter.

14. Transfer the onion paste in the pan and let it cook.

In a pan add butter and heat

Transfer the onion paste in the pan

15. Mix the Onion paste with butter and let it cook.

16. Cover the pan because onion masala splatter while cooking. Cook for few
minutes.

Stir the onion paste & let it cook

Cover the pan & let the onion paste cook

17. Add Yogurt and mix it well.

18. Let the onion paste cook.

Add Yogurt in Onion paste

Mix Yogurt well with onion paste

19.Once all the moisture dries up and you start seeing the oil it means onion
masala is ready.

20. Add Garam masala and mix.

Water dried up from the paste

Add Garam masala

21. Add milk and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until all the lumps of paste
dissolve and milk start boiling,

Add Milk in onion paste

Mix Milk well with Onion paste

22. Onion masala splatter while cooking to prevent cover the pan and let it cook
on low heat for at least ½ hour, while stirring frequently and scraping down
the sides of the pan so that milk do not stick to the sides and bottom and burn.

Cover the pan and cook gravy

Scrape the side of the Pan

23. Once the gravy becomes thick add salt and Saffron and grated paneer and
mix it well and cook for few minutes.

Add Salt and mix

Add Milk soaked with saffron

Add grated paneer

Mix Paneer with gravy

24. Once gravy is ready add sautéed paneer cubes and mix with the gravy. Cover
the pan with the lid and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Gravy is ready

Add sautéed paneer cubes in gravy

Mix Paneer in the gravy

Cover the pan and let the paneer cook

26. The consistency of the shahi paneer is always kept thick, if you find the
consistency is too thick then add little water, stir and bring it to a boil, turn
the stove off. Keep the pan covered until you are ready to serve.

14. When ready to serve heat the dish, in the end add cream, heat for about 2
      minutes, turn the heat off, make sure that you do not over heat the cream,
      overheating spoil the cream, the cream change to ghee and alter the taste of
      the curry. This is the reason why the cream is added at the end when is ready
      to be served. Remove from the stove and pour into serving dish.

15. Garnish with sliced almonds and serve hot with any Indian bread.

Shahi Paneer is ready

Add cream and mix

Shahi Paneer

Tips:

1. Heavy cream is added to give extra richness. If you wish skip adding cream in
the end.

2. You could add raw paneer as it is instead of sautéing.

3. To keep the dish looking white I have used yellow onion for cooking, their skin
is yellow and white from inside.

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

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