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Shahi Paneer Recipe (Rich & Creamy)
5 from 121 votes

Shahi Paneer Recipe (Rich & Creamy)

Shahi Paneer is a rich and creamy Indian dish that features paneer cubes in a finely blended paste of cooked onions, cashews, almonds, and melon seeds, combined with aromatic whole spices. The gravy is enriched with yogurt and subtly flavored with saffron, cardamom, and kewra water, offering a smooth, slightly sweet, and nutty taste. This dish is well-suited for special meals and pairs nicely with Indian breads or rice.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 331 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For cooking onions and nuts
  • ½ cup onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cashews
  • 1 tablespoon almonds
  • 1 tablespoon melon seeds - without the skins (magaz)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic - chopped, or 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ginger chopped or 1 inch ginger, chopped
  • 1.5 cups water
Other ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or oil or butter
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup curd (yogurt), 125 grams - whisked till smooth
  • 1 to 1.5 cups water or add as needed
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as required
  • salt as required
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 15 to 20 trands saffron - crushed lightly
  • 200 grams paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream or add as required - optional
  • 1 teaspoon kewra water (screwpine water) or rose water - optional
whole spices
  • 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 2 to 3 green cardamom
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)

Instructions

Preparation
    Cup of Yum
  1. Take the nuts and seeds in a bowl and rinse them a couple of times with water. Drain all the water and set aside.
  2. Cook onions, cashews, almonds, magaz or melon seeds, ginger and garlic in 1.5 cups water for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions soften.
  3. Strain some of the stock (water in which the onions, nuts etc were cooked) and set it aside. Let the onions cool at room temperature.
  4. Make a fine paste of the cooked onions, ginger, garlic along with the nuts and melon seeds, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of the strained stock.
  5. Whisk fresh curd (yogurt) till smooth and set aside.
Sautéing onion paste
  1. Heat ghee in a frying pan on medium-low to medium heat.
  2. Fry all the whole spices (listed in the above ingredients) until they release their aroma in the ghee. Be very attentive here, as spices are delicate and can burn quickly if you aren’t paying attention.
  3. Add the ground onion paste and mix very well.
  4. On a low heat sauté stirring non-stop for 7 to 8 minutes or until the fat starts to leave the sides of the paste.
  5. Add red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, garam masala powder and coriander powder. Mix well.
Adding curd and simmering further
  1. Reduce heat to a low or turn off the heat.
  2. Add the whisked yogurt, water, sugar and salt as required.
  3. Mix very well and simmer gravy for 10 to 12 minutes until it thickens.
Making Shahi Paneer
  1. Add the cardamom powder and crushed saffron.
  2. Stir and add the cubed paneer and cream.
  3. Mix gently and turn off heat.
  4. Add the kewra water and stir. You can even add rose water.
  5. Garnish Shahi Paneer with some coriander leaves or mint leaves or a few saffron strands. Serve the Shahi Paneer with cumin rice or roti, naan or paratha.

Notes

  • You can increase cream and use butter instead of ghee for a richer gravy.
  • Substitute yogurt with tomato puree if preferred; add cream to balance acidity if tomatoes are used.
  • Use vegan options like tofu and cashew yogurt with neutral oil; omit nuts if using cashew yogurt.
  • Freshness of yogurt and nuts is important to prevent sourness or rancidity.
  • Adjust water quantity to make the gravy thicker or thinner as desired.

Nutrition Information

Calories 331kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 46mg (2%) Potassium 204mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 294IU (6%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin B12 1µg (42%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Vitamin D 1µg (5%) Vitamin E 1mg Vitamin K 3µg Calcium 304mg (30%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 12µg Iron 1mg (6%) Magnesium 40mg (10%) Phosphorus 93mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 331

% Daily Value*

Calories 331kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 46mg 2%
Potassium 204mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 294IU 6%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin B12 1µg 42%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Vitamin D 1µg 5%
Vitamin E 1mg
Vitamin K 3µg
Calcium 304mg 30%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 12µg
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 40mg 10%
Phosphorus 93mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.