Shahi paneer
4 servings
30 minutes
Shahi Paneer is one of the most exquisite and rich dishes of Indian cuisine, worthy of a royal table. 'Shahi' means 'imperial', and this recipe fully lives up to its name with its creamy flavor, harmony of spices, and nutty undertone. Originating in northern India, it consists of tender cubes of paneer soaked in a fragrant tomato-cream sauce with cashews and traditional spices. Its light sweetness, mild spiciness, and rich creamy texture make it an ideal accompaniment to airy naans or fluffy basmati rice. It is not just food — it is a culinary masterpiece that warms the soul and delights the taste buds.
1
Chop the onion, blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel them and cut into pieces. It's better to blend the tomato sauce with a blender later for a smooth sauce; then the size of the onion and tomato pieces doesn't matter. If chopped finely, they will almost dissolve.
- Onion: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
2
Sauté the onion in a saucepan until translucent, then add a 2 cm piece of grated ginger and 2 crushed garlic cloves.
- Onion: 1 piece
- Ginger: 1 tablespoon
- Garlic: 2 cloves
3
Add tomatoes to the onion and stew everything together.
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
4
Grind 15 cashews into a paste and add to the tomatoes. You can do without cashews, although they add an interesting flavor.
- Cashews: 15 pieces
5
Adding spices. If a blender is planned to be used, take only the seeds from the cardamom pods and add them (if not, you can crush the pod by hand and add it whole) and add the bay leaf later. 0.5 tsp of chili — it will be a bit spicy, adjust the pepper to your taste.
- Cardamom pods: 4 pieces
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Chili powder: 0.5 teaspoon
6
Next, we either puree or not, then add tomato paste and a bit of sugar to balance the acidity of the paste. Pour in the cream and mix.
- Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Cream: 200 ml
7
Cut Adyghe cheese (or better - homemade paneer) into comfortable-sized cubes and add to the sauce, cooking for a few more minutes: allow the cheese to absorb all the flavors.
- Adyghe cheese: 300 g
8
Serve with Indian naan bread, another type of bread, or rice.
