Shahi Paneer, is a favourite vegetarian of mine. Every time I have made this dish I have earned a lot of praise. In restaurants they add cream, but in my recipe I add only milk.
This delicious Paneer (cottage Cheese) dish made with cashew paste, and cream and homemade tomato puree. Shahi means a dish fit for royalty. Shahi Paneer is usually served hot with Parathas, or Naan, or Pulao. It is mild tasting with smooth creamy texture with pieces of soft Paneer that melts in your mouth.
First fry the paneer pieces, then make the gravy. Add the Paneer to the gravy, let it simmer for a few minutes and this wonderful dish is ready.
Ingredients
- Paneer ( Cottage cheese) 750 g
- Tomatoes puree (made at home) 1 cup
- Garlic paste ½ tsp
- Ginger paste ½ tsp
- Methi seeds ½ tsp
- Tej patta or bay leaves 2
- Cashew nuts 15 pieces (small size)
- Salt 1 ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder. ½ tsp
- Cumin powder 1 tsp
- Coriander powder ½ tsp
- Sugar 1 ½ tsp
- Chili powder ¼ tsp
- Ghee 2 Tablespoon
- Vegetable oil ½ cup, + 1 tsp
- Butter 1 tablespoon
- Milk 1 cup
- Water 1 cup
- Kasuri Methi ½ tsp
- Garam masala ½ tsp (cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves ground tog)
Preparation
Tomato Puree
Fill a saucepan with some water and bring it to a boil. Now drop a few whole tomatoes in the boiling water. After a couple of minutes the skin of the tomatoes will start to peel. Remove the pan from the heat. Let it cool down. Once the tomatoes are cold enough to touch, peel off the skin. Chop the tomatoes in half. Then use a blender to make a puree. Measure and use 1 cup for this recipe.
Cashew paste
Soak the cashews in ½ a cup of water for an hour. Then make a paste in the grinder.
Paneer
Cut the paneer in 1/2 inch thick triangles. Like the picture below.
Garlic and Ginger : Peel the skin from the ginger and grate it. Peel the garlic cloves, and grate.
Garam Masala: You can use the store bought Garam Masala or Use the Bengali Garam Masala. To make the Bengali Garam Masala. grind together 3 or 4 Cloves, 3 or 4 Small Cardamoms and a piece of Cinnamon stick into powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon of this powder for this recipe.
Gather the rest of the ingredients and keep it ready .
Method
1. Heat ½ cup of oil in a kadai or wok and carefully fry the pieces of paneer slightly. Remove from the oil and keep aside on a plate while you make the gravy.
The Gravy
2. To make the gravy, do not use the oil you fried the paneer in. It will have black pieces. Pour it out and add the 2 tablespoon ghee to the same kadai.
3. Add ½ tsp of Methi seeds, and bay leaves,
4. When the methi seed become a little brown, add the ½ tsp garlic paste. Then add ½ tsp of ginger paste. Stir till raw smell of garlic is gone.
5. Add the cup of tomato puree, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder,salt and sugar. Keep stirring well till the oil can be seen on the sides of the gravy.
6. Add the cashew paste mixed with a little water.
7. Add 1 cup of milk. when it starts to thicken and boil, add 1 cup of water .
8. Stir till the gravy is bubbling.
9. Then add the fried paneer and sprinkle some graram masala powder on the gravy.
10.Let it boil a couple of minutes so that the gravy is fairly thick.
11. Sprinkle the kasuri methi. Add the butter. Take it off the heat and pour it into a serving dish carefully. You can drizzle some cream on top to garnish.
It tastes Best eaten with hot Rotis, Paratas or Puris.
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