Shahi Paneer
Creamy tomato and cashew sauce with soft paneer cheese cubes — a rich vegetarian curry that tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in under 45 minutes.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- 16 oz paneer cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup tomato puree (canned or fresh)
- ¾ cup cashews, raw and unsalted
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
- 4 clove garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1
Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes (roughly the size of dice) by slicing it lengthwise into three thick slabs, then crosswise into strips, then cutting each strip into cubes.
- 2
Cut the onion in half from root to tip, then cut each half into quarters — you'll have four large wedges to blend.
- 3
Peel the ginger with a spoon or knife and roughly chop it into pieces about the size of a pea.
- 4
Peel the garlic cloves by placing each one under the flat blade of a knife, pressing down firmly until the papery skin loosens, then peel it away with your fingers.
- 5
Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover them with 1 cup of hot water from the kettle; let them soak for 5 minutes until softened.
- 6
Pour the soaked cashews and their water, the onion quarters, garlic cloves, and ginger into a blender; blend on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 60 seconds.
- 7
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Pour the cashew-onion mixture from the blender into the hot oil; stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes until it turns golden-brown and smells fragrant, reducing splashing.
- 9
Add 1 teaspoon of garam masala and 0.5 teaspoon of ground cumin to the pan; stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices coat the sauce and smell strongly aromatic.
- 10
Pour in 1 cup of tomato puree; stir well to combine with the spiced cashew base, scraping any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 11
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce, stirring once every 60 seconds, for 8 minutes until it darkens slightly and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
- 12
Pour in 0.5 cup of heavy cream slowly while stirring constantly until fully incorporated and the sauce turns pale orange and creamy.
- 13
Gently slide the paneer cubes into the creamy sauce; stir very gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to coat each piece without breaking them.
- 14
Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring very gently every 90 seconds, for 5 minutes until the paneer is heated through and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- 15
Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed; stir gently to combine.
- 16
Pour the shahi paneer into a serving bowl and scatter 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro over the top in a light pile.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- sharp chef's knife
- small bowl
- kitchen kettle
- blender
- 12-inch skillet or large saucepan
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- serving bowl
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