Shahi Paneer (Punjabi Style)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons and 1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
8 – 1o green cardamom pods
5 – 6 cloves
6 peppercorns
2 small onions, chopped
10 – 12 cashew nuts
4 tomatoes, chopped
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder* (or less if you prefer it less spicy)
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ginger & garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger, julienned
2 – 3 green chilies, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
200 grams paneer

Directions

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add in the cinnamon stick, slightly crushed cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorn, and onions. Sauté for a few minutes, then add in the cashew nuts and fry for another minute or so.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are cooked. Add in the salt, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the garlic & ginger paste, sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes more. Then, remove the mixture from the stove, grind it into a paste, and set it aside for now.
Return the pan to the stove and heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the butter. Add the green chilies and ginger slices in and fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Strain the tomato paste back into the pan and let it simmer for a little while before adding in the paneer. Stir in the fresh cream and dried fenugreek leaves, stirring well.
Remove from heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

My Notes

I don’t have a spice grinder so I used powdered cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns. I also used powdered almonds instead of cashews because I had them in the house. I went very light on the Kashmiri chili , maybe 1/2 teaspoon. I used a frozen red chili paste cube instead of the green chili . I prefer to soak the cubed paneer in boiling water for 5 minutes before adding it to curry. However if you prefer the texture of fried paneer then that would work, too.