Recipe guide · 4 min read
How to Make Restaurant Style Shahi Paneer
In brief: Shahi paneer is about smoothness. Simmer tomatoes, onions, cashews, ginger, garlic, green chilli, cardamom and bay leaf until everything softens. Blend the mixture very well, then strain it if you want the restaurant-style gravy that looks glossy and feels velvety. Soak paneer cubes in warm salted water for ten minutes so they stay soft.
Silky tomato-cashew gravy, soft paneer and the gentle sweetness of a North Indian classic.
Ingredients
- 250 g paneer
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 10 cashews
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup cream
- Butter, milk and salt
How to make it
- 1Simmer tomato, onion, cashew, ginger, garlic, cardamom and bay leaf until soft. Blend and strain.
- 2Heat butter, bloom chilli powder and add the puree. Cook until the raw tomato smell disappears.
- 3Season with salt, a pinch of sugar, garam masala and kasuri methi. Add milk if the gravy is too sharp.
- 4Fold in softened paneer and simmer briefly. Finish with cream and ginger julienne.
Chef tips
- Soak paneer in warm salted water.
- Do not boil paneer for long.
- Keep the sweetness subtle rather than dessert-like.
Why this recipe works
Shahi paneer is about smoothness. Simmer tomatoes, onions, cashews, ginger, garlic, green chilli, cardamom and bay leaf until everything softens. Blend the mixture very well, then strain it if you want the restaurant-style gravy that looks glossy and feels velvety. Soak paneer cubes in warm salted water for ten minutes so they stay soft.
Heat butter with a splash of oil. Add Kashmiri chilli powder on low heat, then pour in the blended gravy. Cook slowly until the raw tomato note disappears and the masala thickens. Add salt, a small pinch of sugar, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. If the gravy feels too sharp, a little milk helps soften it before cream goes in.
Add paneer gently and simmer only for a few minutes. Overcooking makes paneer rubbery. Finish with cream, ginger juliennes and coriander. The final gravy should be rich but not overly sweet, with enough spice to keep every bite interesting.
The restaurant finish comes from patience more than heavy cream or extra masala. Taste at the end, rest the dish for a few minutes, and serve it hot with naan, roti or jeera rice. At Sardaar Ji Dhaba, we look for the same balance every time: a gravy that clings, spice that stays warm, and a final bite that still feels generous.
The first bite should make you look up from the table.
Kitchen note · Sardaar Ji Dhaba