After a long unavoidable break from my Food Blog, I started cooking and posting my recipes from today after almost one year. And Shahi Paneer is the exotic dish I cooked for my family after a long time. Loved it. You should try cooking using this recipe at home.
Recipe :
Ingredients:

  • Fresh Paneer – Half kg. Cut in small cubes.
  • Onion – 3 medium size. Roughly chopped.
  • Tomato – 4 medium size. Roughly chopped.
  • Ginger – one inch size. Roughly chopped.
  • Garlic – 8 cloves. Roughly chopped.
  • Green chilli – One small.
  • Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek leaves) – 2 tbs.
  • Ghee – 2 tbs.
  • Cooking Oil – 2 tbs.
  • Butter – 4 cubes.
  • Jeera – 1 tbs.
  • Black Pepper – 8 pieces.
  • Cinnamon (Dal Chinni) – 1 inch stick.
  • Tej Patta (Bay Leaves) – 1 medium size.
  • Lawang (Cloves) – 4 pieces.
  • Javitri (Mace) – 1 piece.
  • Black Cardamon – 1 piece.
  • Green Cardamom – 3 pieces.
  • Star Anise – 1 piece.
  • Yogurt (Dahi) – 4 tbs.
  • Cashew Nut – 4 tbs.
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (Colour) – 1 and half tbs.
  • Hot Red Chilli Powder – 1 and half tbs.
  • Garam Masala – 1 tsp.
  • Coriander (Dhaniya) powder – 2 tbs.
  • Haldi (Tumeric) powder – Half tsp.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Green Cardamom Powder (seeds only) – Half tsp.
  • Sugar – 1 tsp.
  • Fresh Cream – Half a cup.

Method :

  • Take a deep Kadai (Pan). Heat it up.
  • Add Kasuri Methi leaves and roast it for 10 to 12 seconds and immediately remove it. Let it cool. Crush it into fine powder and keep it aside.
  • In the same Kadai, add one tbs of cooking oil. And add all the Ghee. Heat it up.
  • Add all the whole dry masalas (spices) in the hot oil and stir it for a minute.
  • Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli into the hot oil. Stir it for a minute.
  • Add chopped onion to the Kadai. Stir it for 4 to 5 minutes until onion turns transparent. Cook on high flame. Don’t over cook the onion. Don’t make it brown.
  • Add Cashew nutes and stir for a minute.
  • Take a small bowl and beat the yoghurt. Add 1 tbs of hot red chilli powder, 1 tbs of kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, tumeric powder and mix them well with the yoghurt.
  • Add this yoghurt mixture with powdered masalas to the Kadai. Mix them well and keep stiring for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add chopped tomatoes in the Kadai. Stir and cook it on high flame for another 2 minutes.
  • Add salt to taste.
  • Add 2 cubes of butter into the Kadai.
  • Add four to five cups of water to the Kadai. Mix them well. Cover the Kadai with a lid. Cook it on medium flame for 12 to 15 minutes. Add more water if you see water has dried completely. Cook until tomatoes are cooked well and tomato skin is seperated from its pulp.
  • Once the kadai mixture is cooked well, turn off the flame. Remove the mixture in another large bowl and allow it to cool. Once cooled, grind this mixture in a mixer grinder into a fine paste. Take a fine mesh strainer and place it on a large bowl. Pour this grinded mixture on the strainer and strain it properly.
  • In the same Kadai add remaining cooking oil and butter and heat it up.
  • Add sugar and allow it to caramelize. It happens within 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add remaining kashmiri chilli powder and hot chilli powder into the hot oil/butter. Stir it just for half a minute.
  • Immediately pour the grinded and strained fine paste gravy paste into the Kadai. Stir it well and cook it on medium flame for around 5 minutes. Add water if required and cook it well. Consistency of the gravy should be thick, not watery.
  • Add Paneer cubes and gently stir the paneer with the gravy in the kadai. Stir gently to avoid breaking of paneers. Cover tthe kadai with a lid and cook the paneer along with the gravy for 8 to 10 minutes on low medium flame.
  • Add green cardamom, 3/4th of the kasuri methi powder (keep remaining kasuri methi powder for garnishing), and add salt to taste. Stir them well. Cook it with lid covered for another 4 to 5 minutes on low flame.
  • Add half the quantity of fresh cream to the kadai and mix it well.
  • Turn off the flame and cover the kadai with lid. Don’t open the lid for another ten minutes.
  • Take a nice serving plate or bowl. Serve Shahi Paneer in the serving plate. Garnish it with remaining Kasuri methi powder and fresh cream.
  • Serve Shahi Paneer hot.
  • Shahi Paneer goes well with Paratha, Tandoori Roti, Tandori Naan, Chappti or Jeera Rice. Enjoy Shahi Paneer.
  • Happy Eating.