Shahi Paneer
Paneer in a regal cashew and cream gravy.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 300 g Paneer
- 2 Onion
- 60 g Cashews
- 100 ml Heavy cream
- 1 Ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 3 Green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Boil the onions and cashews in water until soft, then drain and blend them into a smooth paste.
- Fry the ginger-garlic and cardamom pods in the ghee over medium heat until fragrant, then stir in the onion-cashew paste.
- Add water and simmer, then stir in the paneer and cream.
- Finish with garam masala off heat.
- Serve with naan.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Shahi Paneer
Shahi paneer is a Mughlai-style curry from northern India whose name translates roughly to 'royal cheese,' a nod to the rich, banquet-worthy gravies of the old imperial kitchens. Cubes of paneer sit in a pale, luxurious sauce thickened not with heavy spicing but with cashews and onions blended smooth, then enriched with cream. Unlike the fiery tomato-based curries it's often shelved beside, shahi paneer is deliberately gentle and aromatic, perfumed with green cardamom and finished with a whisper of garam masala. The result is a dish that reads as celebratory rather than everyday.
On the plate it's mild, sweet-edged, and velvety, the boiled-and-blended cashew paste giving a body that coats the paneer without any grit. Blooming the ginger-garlic and cardamom in ghee before the paste goes in lays down a fragrant, buttery foundation, while adding the garam masala off the heat keeps its aroma bright rather than cooked-out. The paneer stays soft and absorbs the surrounding richness, offering mild resistance against the smooth gravy. Traditionally it's mopped up with naan or soft roti, and its restrained heat makes it a reliable crowd-pleaser at festive meals or whenever you want something indulgent but not overpowering.
Shahi Paneer: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Shahi Paneer?
One serving of Shahi Paneer has about 507 calories, with 18g of protein, 16g of carbs, 42g of fat and 2g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Shahi Paneer gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Shahi Paneer has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Shahi Paneer dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Paneer, Heavy cream, Ghee. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Shahi Paneer take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 27 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Shahi Paneer make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.