Mains

Shahi Paneer

Name: Shahi Paneer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250g paneer, cubed; 2 onions and 2 tomatoes, puréed separately; ¼ cup cashews, soaked and ground; ¼ cup cream; 10 Baby Saffron threads; 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 tsp garam masala + ½ tsp cardamom powder; 2 tbsp ghee, salt to taste

The 'royal' paneer — soft cubes in a silky cashew-and-cream gravy, gently perfumed with saffron. Mild, luxurious and made for a special dinner with naan or pulao.

Shahi paneer in a golden saffron cashew-cream gravy

15m

Prep

25m

Cook

Serves

Medium

Level

Ingredients

250g paneer, cubed
2 onions and 2 tomatoes, puréed separately
¼ cup cashews, soaked and ground
¼ cup cream
10 Baby Saffron threads
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala + ½ tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee, salt to taste

Method

1
Bloom the saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes.
2
In ghee, sauté the onion purée and ginger-garlic until pale gold; add the tomato purée and cook until the ghee separates.
3
Stir in the cashew paste with a splash of water; simmer into a smooth, thick gravy and season.
4
Add the paneer, garam masala, cardamom and cream; simmer 5 minutes, then stir in the bloomed saffron off the heat and serve.

The saffron tip

Finish with bloomed saffron off the heat — stirred in at the end, it lifts the gravy with colour and aroma without turning muddy.