Shahi Paneer is a rich, luxurious dish made with soft paneer cubes in a velvety smooth gravy. It is truly royal, delicious, and full of flavors!
This Shahi Paneer is North Indian style recipe with soft paneer cubes in gravy made with tomatoes, cashews, and spices. It has the creaminess and richness of yogurt and cream and is full of flavors with whole and powdered Indian spices.
Creamy and Delicious Shahi Paneer
Traditionally, Shahi Paneer is a Mughlai-style recipe with white gravy and no tomatoes. It is very heavy, rich, and on the sweeter side.
But the recipe I am sharing with you is North Indian-style, made with tomatoes, cashews, yogurt, and cream. It is lighter, less fatty, and absolutely delicious, using pantry staple ingredients.
This Shahi Paneer recipe is rich, creamy, and flavorful but without onion and garlic. Its smooth, velvety gravy is moderately spicy with a slight hint of sweetness. I did not add a ton of cream but instead added yogurt to the gravy, which is why the gravy is rich, creamy, and still light.
What To Love About Shahi Paneer
- Shahi Paneer is homemade but delicious and restaurant-style.
- It is highly aromatic and flavorful with pantry staple ingredients.
- The gravy is velvety smooth, and moderately spicy with a hint of sweeetness.
- Shahi Paneer without onion and garlic is rich and creamy without adding too much heavy cream.
- It Contains Super Soft Paneer Cubes in The Tomato-Based Gravy
Ingredients
- Paneer: A fresh and soft Paneer is essential for any Paneer recipe. I usually make Paneer at home, which guarantees a soft, fresh, and creamy Paneer block. Making Paneer at home is not difficult at all; you can check out this Homemade Paneer recipe. If you are buying a store-bought Paneer, make sure to bring it to room temperature before adding it to the gravy. If Paneer is hard, place it in a Ziploc bag or container and keep it in hot water for 20 minutes. Keeping it in hot water will make the Paneer soft.
- Tomatoes: The gravy for Shahi Paneer is tomato-based, so we need to choose fresh and ripe tomatoes. I have added cashews and melon seeds to balance the sourness of the tomatoes. But still, if we use unripe tomatoes, the curry will be unpleasant and sour.
- Cashews and Melon Seeds: Since this is a Jain recipe, we must add other ingredients besides tomatoes. These two ingredients make the sauce thick and creamy and balance the tanginess of tomatoes. Cashews make the dish creamy and smooth. However, you can skip the melon seeds if you don’t have access to it.
- Whole and Powdered Spices: I have used some whole spices and regular basic powdered spices to make this Shahi Paneer. One can use either Garam Masala powder or Kitchen King Masala powder for this recipe. I recommend using Kitchen King Masala if you find this masala without onion and garlic, or try this recipe Kitchen King Masala Recipe (No Onion No Garlic). Or, use regular Garam Masala powder or Punjabi Garam Masala. You can check out this homemade Punjabi Garam Masala recipe.
- Yogurt: This recipe does not need a lot of heavy cream. Instead, I have used yogurt to make the dish creamier and richer. Use homemade or store-bought plain whole milk yogurt for the creaminess of the curry.
- Cream: Cream is essential for this curry to make it shahi (royal), so do not skip it. However, we do not need to add much of it; instead, a couple of tablespoons of the cream work perfectly fine.
- Sugar: It will balance the sourness of tomatoes without making the dish too sweet. However, you can skip it if you want.
- Herbs: I added fresh coriander and dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) for more flavor.
How To Make Shahi Paneer Step-by-Step
Making The Shahi Paneer Gravy
- Heat oil and butter in a pan or wok.
- Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, peppercorns, Cinnamon sticks, green and black cardamoms, and cloves.
- Stir and saute for a minute or until the spices are aromatic.
- Then add chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chili, cashews, melon seeds, dried red chili, and salt.
- Mix well and cook the mixture on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Stir often.
- Add ½ cup of water, stir well, cover the lid, and continue cooking on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and let the gravy mixture cool down at room temperature.
- Once it is cooled, remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and black cardamom.
- Then, transfer the mixture to the blender jar and blend into a smooth puree; add a little water if needed.
- Strain the gravy using a fine sieve to make it smooth and velvety.
- Set it aside.
Preparing The Yogurt Mixture
- In a bowl, take yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Whisk until everything is combined, and the mixture is smooth.
Making The Shahi Paneer
- Heat butter or oil in a pan or wok; lower the heat, and add ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Stir quickly and immediately pour the prepared yogurt mixture.
- Stir continuously and cook the yogurt mixture on low heat until it is cooked and the oil is separated for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the prepared gravy, stir well, and add water if required to adjust the desired consistency.
- Cook the gravy on medium-low heat, frequently stirring, for 8-10 minutes.
- Then, add Paneer cubes, sugar, garam masala, and salt to taste.
- Stir well and continue cooking on low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Finally, add Kasoori methi, coriander leaves, and cream.
- Stir well and cook for a minute.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings if required.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Shahi Paneer into a serving bowl.
- Garnish with a drizzle of cream and chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this delicious curry with any Indian flatbread of your choice.
- It goes well with Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha, or this Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast) / Kulcha On Tawa.
- You can also serve it with plain rice, Jeera rice, or Pulao.
- If you want to make a festive meal, pair Shahi Paneer with other Dal preparations and accompaniments like Boondi Raita, Pomegranate Raita / Anar Raita, or Cucumber Raita.
Helpful Tips
- Paneer: If possible, use Malai paneer for the best Shahi paneer. If you make paneer at home, use only full-fat or whole milk.
- Melon Seeds: If you do not have melon seeds, you can skip them and add 4-5 more cashews instead.
- Yogurt: Use fresh yogurt that is not sour. Also, use thick yogurt and avoid watery parts.
- Freezing: Shahi Paneer is freezer-friendly; we can freeze it for up to a month. After making it, let it cool down completely, pack it in the freezer-safe container, and freeze it immediately. On the day of serving, take it into the pan and heat until it is heated through. Garnish as you desire and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Replace or Skip Cashews?
Cashews bring richness and creaminess to the curry and make the gravy thicker. So, I would not recommend skipping them, but if you don’t want to use cashews, try to replace them with other options.
- Instead of cashews, use blanched almonds (almonds without skin).
- Replace with melon seeds (Magastari Seeds), and add 3 tablespoon of melon seeds instead of cashews.
- Use heavy cream instead of cashews. Add 3-4 tablespoon of cream in the final step of the recipe.
- We can use Khus Khus (poppy seeds) in the recipe to replace cashews. Soak 1 tablespoon poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes, drain the water, and blend poppy seeds with 2-3 tablespoon of milk into a smooth paste. Add the paste after adding yogurt.
- We can also combine 2 tablespoon melon seeds and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, and blend them into a smooth paste. Add a little water or milk to make a smooth paste. Add the paste after adding yogurt.
How To Make My Store-Bought Paneer Soft?
Place the whole block of paneer or paneer cubes into a ziplock bag or a container. Submerge the plastic bag or container of paneer in hot water. Leave it in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, if the water gets cold, replace it with hot water. You can also directly place the paneer block or cubes into hot water and leave it for 20 minutes. Then, drain the water completely before adding it to the gravy.
More Paneer Curries
Recipe Card
Shahi Paneer (No Onion No Garlic)
Shahi Paneer is a rich, luxurious dish made with soft paneer cubes in a velvety smooth gravy. It is truly royal, delicious, and full of flavors!
Ingredients
For The Gravy
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon butter
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 black peppercorns
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 3 tomatoes
- 1- inch ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 12 cashews
- 1 tablespoon melon seeds
- 1 dried Kashmiri red chili
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup water
For The Yogurt Mixture
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
For The Shahi Paneer
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 teaspoon red Kashmiri chili powder
- Prepared Yogurt mixture
- Prepared gravy
- Salt to taste
- 350 g Paneer cut into cubes or desired shapes
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon garam masala or to taste
- 2 tablespoon cream
- ½ teaspoon crushed Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
Making The Gravy
- Heat oil and butter in a pan or wok. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, peppercorns, Cinnamon sticks, green and black cardamoms, and cloves.
- Stir and saute for a minute or until the spices are aromatic.
- Then add chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chili, cashews, melon seeds, dried red chili, and salt.
- Mix well and cook the mixture on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Stir often.
- Add ½ cup of water, stir well, cover the lid and continue cooking on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and let the gravy mixture cool down at room temperature.
- Once it is cooled, remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and black cardamom. Then transfer the mixture to the blender jar and blend into a smooth puree; add little water if needed.
- Strain the gravy using a fine sieve to make it smooth and velvety. Set it aside.
Making The Yogurt Mixture
- In a bowl, take yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Whisk until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth.
Making The Shahi Paneer
- Heat butter or oil in a pan or wok; lower the heat, and add ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder. Stir quickly and immediately pour the prepared yogurt mixture.
- Stir continuously and cook the yogurt mixture on low heat until it is cooked and the oil is separated for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the prepared gravy, stir well and add water if required to adjust the desired consistency.
- Cook the gravy on medium-low heat, frequently stirring, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add Paneer cubes, sugar, garam masala, and salt to taste. Stir well and continue cooking on low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Finally, add Kasoori methi, coriander leaves, and cream. Stir well and cook for a minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Shahi Paneer into a serving bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of cream and chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this delicious curry with any Indian flatbread of your choice.
- It goes well with Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Kulcha, or Paratha.
- You can also serve it with plain rice, Jeera rice, or Pulao.
- If you want to make a festive meal, pair Shahi Paneer with other Dal preparations and accompaniments like Raita.
Notes
- Paneer: Use Malai paneer, if possible, for the best Shahi Paneer. And if you are making paneer at home, use only full-fat or whole milk.
- Melon Seeds: If you do not have melon seeds, you can skip them and add 4-5 more cashews instead.
- Yogurt: Use fresh yogurt that is not sour, and also use thick yogurt and avoid watery parts.
- Freezing: This curry is freezer friendly; we can freeze it for up to a month. After making it, let it cool down completely, pack in the freezer-safe container, and freeze it immediately. On the day of serving, take it into the pan and heat until it is heated through. Garnish as you desire and serve immediately.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 347kcalCarbohydrates : 12gProtein : 13gFat : 28gSaturated Fat : 16gPolyunsaturated Fat : 1gMonounsaturated Fat : 3gTrans Fat : 0.1gCholesterol : 68mgSodium : 98mgPotassium : 334mgFiber : 3gSugar : 5gVitamin A : 998IUVitamin C : 15mgCalcium : 419mgIron : 1mg
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