Shahi Paneer Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 250 gms Paneer (cottage cheese), cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium Tomato, crushed
• 2 medium Onions
• 5-6 Cashew Nuts
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds, roasted
• 1-2 Cloves (lavang)
• 1/2 piece of Bay Leaf
• A small piece of Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 drop of Red Food Color, optional
• 1/3 cup Curd (not sour), beaten
• 1/3 cup Warm Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar, optional
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 2-3 strands of Saffron, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water, optional
• 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi , for garnishing

Directions:

• Grind cashew nuts with roasted coriander seeds into smooth powder and keep aside until required.
• Blanch the onions by following the directions given in the “How to Blanch Onion” recipe and crush the blanched onion to medium coarse paste in a grinder. Heat oil in a kadai (or pan) over medium flame. Add cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and green cardamom. When they begin to crackle, add crushed onion.
• Stir-fry until it becomes light brown for approx. 3-4 minutes.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, a drop of red food color, cashew nut powder (prepared in step-1) and stir-fry for a minute.
• Add crushed tomato puree and salt.
• Stir-fry for approx. 2-minutes.
• Add curd, sugar and 1/3 cup warm water.
• Mix them and let mixture boil until oil starts to separate.
• Takeaway kadai from flame and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Discard whole spices (cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and green cardamom), transfer mixture to a blender jar and blend it to smooth puree in blender or food processor. Again, transfer it to same kadai and place on the stove.
• Add fresh cream, garam masala powder and dissolved saffron.
• Mix well and cook for a minute.
• Add paneer cubes and mix properly to coat them with gravy.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off flame.
• Garnish it with kasuri methi and serve hot with Punjabi butter naan or tandoori roti in lunch.