Shahi Paneer Restaurant-Style
Make rich, restaurant-style shahi paneer at home with a smooth, velvety cashew-tomato gravy and tender paneer cubes in under an hour.
Shahi paneer often gets mistreated in home kitchens. People either dump a mountain of sugar into a thin tomato soup or end up with a raw-tasting onion paste that ruins the whole dish. The secret to a proper restaurant-style version isn't just cream; it is building a base that gets cooked down thoroughly, blended, and then passed through a sieve to catch every tiny bit of grit.
When I test this dish, I make sure the onion and cashew mixture turns completely soft before it goes anywhere near the blender. Straining the puree takes an extra two minutes, but it is the single step that separates a heavy, clunky sauce from a silky one. Cooking the spiced curd base separately before adding the gravy builds a deep, layered flavor without needing hours of simmering. Serve it hot with fresh tandoori roti or laccha paratha to soak up the sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter, set a wok on medium heat, add oil, butter and the whole spices, stir once and add the onions.
- Cook the onions, stir well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent.
- Build the gravy base, add tomatoes, kashmiri red chillies, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander stems, cashew nuts and salt.
- Simmer the mixture, stir well and cook on medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes are completely mashed.
- Add hot water, stir well once the tomatoes become mushy, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on a medium flame.
- Blend the puree, switch off the flame, cool down to room temperature, discard the bay leaf, black cardamom, and cinnamon.
- Strain the gravy, transfer the mixture to a mixer grinder, grind to a fine puree using a little water, and pass through a sieve.
- Whisk the curd, combine curd and powdered spices in a bowl, and whisk well until smooth.
- Cook the curd base, set a pan on medium heat, add oil, butter, green chillies, ginger, and kashmiri red chilli powder.
- Lower the flame, add the curd mixture, stir continuously, and cook on medium-high until the dahi is cooked and oil separates.
- Combine the gravies, add the prepared puree gravy base, stir well, and add hot water to adjust the consistency.
- Add honey, stir well, and cook on a low flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the paneer, drop in the paneer triangles, garam masala, kasuri methi, a tablespoon of fresh coriander, and fresh cream.
- Simmer the curry, stir well, and cook on a low flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Finish the dish, taste and check for salt, adjust seasoning, and finish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Notes
Ensure the flame is kept low when adding the whisked curd mixture to the pan, and stir continuously to prevent the yogurt from curdling or splitting.
Adjust the amount of hot water gradually when thinning out the gravy so it does not become too watery or lose its rich consistency.
Store leftover shahi paneer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days, and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.
At a Glance
How it comes together
Four stages from base puree to finished paneer
Cook onions, tomatoes, cashews, and spices until fully mushy.
Grind the cooled mixture into a fine paste and pass through a sieve.
Stir continuously on low heat until dahi splits and oil separates.
Add blended puree, honey, paneer triangles, cream, and finish spices.
