Shahi Paneer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 lb paneer (approx. 1-1/2 cups cubed)
12 cashew nuts
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
1/4 inch of ginger
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
1 curry leaf (or bay leaf)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

Cut the paneer into 3/4 inch cubes and set aside for now.
Grind the cashews to a powder, and set aside. Using a stick blender or conventional blender, purée the ginger, green chili (seeds removed if you prefer a milder curry), and tomatoes.

In a large pan, heat the ghee or oil and fry the paneer until they turn golden brown. Remove from pan and put them on a paper towel. Check that the ghee is still hot enough by adding in 1 or 2 cumin seeds and if they crack, proceed: Add all cumin seeds to the oil and as they start to crackle, add in the asafoetida and curry (or bay) leaf. Stir for a moment and then pour in the ginger/green chili/tomato purée. Be careful as it may splatter. Cook, stirring every so often, for 2 to 3 minutes until the volume is reduced by half and the tomatoes start separating from the ghee.
Add in the sugar and cashew powder. Lower the heat so you won’t split the yoghurt when you add this, and pour it in now, stirring well. Add (up to) 1 cup of water to get the gravy to your preferred consistency, salt to taste, and bring to a simmer.
Add in the fried paneer, cover the pan, and allow to simmer on med-low heat for a few minutes, until the gravy has thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat. Add in the garam masala and fresh coriander, mix gently. Cover the pan and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

My Notes

I soaked the paneer cubes in about 2 cups of boiling water before draining them and frying them since I prefer the consistency this gives them. Instead of yoghurt I used buttermilk substitute (1 tablespoon of lemon juice poured into a measuring jug and then milk added to the 120 ml mark. Stir and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes until thickened.) I didn’t have cashews so I used about 2 tablespoons of ground almond, with 1 tablespoon boiling water added to it, to make a thick paste. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes so used a whole 400g can (juice and all) of chopped tomatoes.

I wasn’t sure how well leftovers would keep if I kept the cheese and sauce combined, so I put them in separate airtight containers in the fridge and I’ll combine them just before reheating them.

We really enjoyed this. We had run out of paneer for the leftover sauce but it works just as well with the prawns we threw in. 🙂

(Photo taken before the cheese was added.)