Forget ordinary paneer. Shahi Paneer is a creamy revelation, a vegetarian masterpiece from the famed Mughlai repertoire. Picture soft cubes of paneer luxuriating in a rich, velvety gravy, built upon a foundation of onions, nuts, seeds, yogurt, and cream. Though Mughlai cuisine often conjures images of biryanis and meat, Shahi Paneer proudly holds its own. The name says it all – 'royal' – and this dish delivers. Prepare to treat yourself like royalty with every naan or roti dipped into this exquisite creation.

About Punjabi Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer is a popular North Indian dish from Mughlai cuisine where paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is cooked in a rich creamy gravy.

The term "Shahi" translates to "royal" and so Shahi paneer is believed to have originated in the royal kitchens of North India, particularly during the Mughal era.

Over time, this Mughlai Shahi Paneer has become a popular dish in Indian cuisine, served in many restaurants worldwide. It is mildy sweet, creamy, rich, and extremely delicious!

There are a couple of variations of Shahi paneer curry, one with tomatoes (a red gravy) and one without tomatoes and with onions only (white gravy).

The red gravy of shahi paneer may look very similar to paneer butter masala but both have different flavor profiles.

This recipe for shahi paneer is made with tomatoes, onions, cream, nuts, saffron, and a mix of aromatic spices like the Punjabi shahi paneer served at restaurants. It is perfect for special occasions or special meals.

Unlike the traditional shahi paneer where you boil the onion nut mixture and then cook the onion paste, I cook the shahi paneer masala in the Instant Pot.

The advantage of making Instant Pot shahi paneer is you can add all the gravy ingredients in one go and dont have to babysit it.

Once the onion tomato mixture is cooked blend to a smooth paste

This gravy is mildly spicy with hints of sweetness, creamy, flavorful and aromatic. You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge. It's gluten-free and vegetarian.

Before serving, simmer soft paneer cubes (or triangles) in the gravy for a few minutes to make the best shahi paneer at home.

Ingredients for Punjabi Shahi Paneer

• Ghee, oil and butter: This recipe uses three types of fats at different stages of the cooking process to achieve that shahi texture and flavour. But don’t worry, this doesn’t make this recipe overpoweringly fatty.
• Spices: This recipe uses a mix of whole (cumin, green and black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, bay leaf and green chillies) and ground spices (Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder) to achieve its bomb flavour.
• Onions and tomatoes: Used in a 1:2 ratio. Both of these are finely chopped and simmered along with a few nuts and spices to form the base for a rich and creamy gravy.
• Cashews: Simmered and blended with onions, tomatoes, and whole spices to form the base of the gravy. Adds a beautiful creaminess to the gravy while keeping it pretty light.
• Cream: This dish is topped off with a bit of cream to further add to the rich and creamy texture.
• Kasuri methi: Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek is the hero ingredient in most Indian curries. It is added towards the end of the cooking process to help bring out the flavours and add a touch of smoky flavour to the whole dish.
• Sugar: Helps balance out the sourness of the tomatoes without making the dish too sweet.

How to make Shahi Paneer

1. Saute jeera, whole spices and green chillies in hot oil in a pan for a minute or two till fragrant. The jeera should start spluttering

2. Add onions and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes

3. Add tomatoes, cashew nuts and water and simmer covered for 7-8 minutes

4. Remove the bayleaf and big cardamom and let this mixture cool completely

5. Once the mixture is completely cool, pour this into a blender, mixer grinder or food processor

6. Blend till smooth

7. Heat ghee and butter in a pan and add sugar. Cook the sugar till it starts to caramelise and turns light golden brown

8. Add ground spices and saute on low for a minute. Be careful not to burn the spices. You can add a splash of water to cool the pan slightly so the spices cook but don’t burn

9. Pour the onion, tomato and cashew mixture into the pan

10. Simmer covered for 10 minutes till you see some oil floating to the top

11. Add paneer and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Don’t overcook the paneer or it’ll start to get rubbery

12. Add roasted kasuri methi and cream and mix well. Turn off the flame, top with fresh coriander and another dash of cream and serve hot.

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