Shahi Paneer (शाही पनीर) — Indian Cottage Cheese in Rich Tomato-Cream Sauce

• 400 gpaneer (cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 6 gfine salt (for soaking paneer in warm water)
• 500 mlwater (warm, for soaking paneer)
• 30 gghee
• 180 gonion (thinly sliced)
• 12 ggarlic (minced)
• 12 gginger (grated)
• 5 ggreen chili (finely chopped)
• 400 gtomato puree (smooth, from canned or fresh ripe tomatoes)
• 40 graw cashews (soaked in hot water 10 minutes and drained)
• 2 tspkashmiri red chili powder (for color and mild heat)
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspturmeric powder
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspkasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
• 6 ggranulated sugar (balances tomato acidity)
• 120 mlheavy cream
• 2 podcardamom pod (lightly crushed)
• 1 stickcinnamon stick (about 5 cm)
• 3cloves

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the paneer cubes in 500 ml warm water mixed with 6 g salt for 10 minutes. This keeps the paneer tender and prevents it from drying out once simmered in the sauce.

2. 2

   Blend the drained cashews with 120 ml water until completely smooth, scraping the blender jar as needed. A silky cashew paste is essential for the “shahi” (royal) richness and helps thicken the gravy without flour.

3. 3

   Heat 30 g ghee in a heavy pan over medium heat, then add the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves and cook for 30 seconds. The spices should become fragrant but not darken, as burnt whole spices can make the gravy bitter.

4. 4

   Add the sliced onion and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until golden and sweet. Proper browning builds depth, so keep the heat moderate and deglaze with a splash of water if the pan starts to catch.

5. 5

   Stir in the garlic, ginger, and green chili and cook for 60–90 seconds until the raw aroma disappears. Keep stirring so the aromatics do not scorch, which would dull the final flavor.

6. 6

   Add the tomato puree and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it thickens and the ghee begins to separate slightly at the edges. This step cooks out the raw tomato taste and concentrates the sauce for a restaurant-style finish.

7. 7

   Lower the heat and add Kashmiri chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and 8 g salt, stirring for 30 seconds. Spices bloom best in fat, but keeping the heat low prevents them from burning and turning harsh.

8. 8

   Pour in the cashew paste and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the gravy turns glossy and slightly lighter in color. Add 150 ml water and simmer 5 minutes to marry the flavors and reach a smooth, spoon-coating consistency.

9. 9

   Drain the paneer and gently add it to the simmering gravy along with 6 g sugar. Simmer 3–4 minutes on low heat, stirring carefully so the cubes stay intact while absorbing the sauce.

10. 10

    Stir in the heavy cream, crushed kasuri methi, and garam masala, then simmer 2 minutes without boiling hard. Taste and adjust thickness with 10–30 ml additional water if needed, then remove the whole spices before serving for a refined texture.