Shahi Paneer
The 'royal' paneer curry of the Mughal kitchens: soft paneer in a velvety sauce of onions, tomatoes, cashews and cream, perfumed with cardamom and a touch of saffron.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the base
Put the onions, tomatoes, and drained soaked cashews in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a bubble over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Let cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth.
- 2 onions
- 3 tomatoes
- 50g cashews, drained
- 200ml water
✅ Done when: vegetables are soft and blend into a smooth puree
Fry the spices
Heat the in a pan over medium heat with the bay leaf and crushed cardamom pods. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute, stirring. Add the chili powder and ground coriander and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant.
- 3 tbsp
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
✅ Done when: spices smell fragrant and the paste no longer smells raw
Cook the sauce
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Add paneer and cream
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Serve
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Make the base
Put the onions, tomatoes, and drained soaked cashews in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a bubble over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Let cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth.
- 2 onions
- 3 tomatoes
- 50g cashews, drained
- 200ml water
✅ Done when: vegetables are soft and blend into a smooth puree
Fry the spices
Heat the in a pan over medium heat with the bay leaf and crushed cardamom pods. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute, stirring. Add the chili powder and ground coriander and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant.
- 3 tbsp
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
✅ Done when: spices smell fragrant and the paste no longer smells raw
Cook the sauce
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Add paneer and cream
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
'Shahi' means royal, and the name signals Mughlai cooking — the rich court cuisine of the Mughal emperors, built on nuts, cream, saffron and fragrant whole spices.
Shahi paneer applies that style to paneer, creating a festive vegetarian dish served at weddings and celebrations across North India.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Silky, mildly spiced and luxurious, shahi paneer is the vegetarian centrepiece of a celebration meal.
💡 Fun Fact
Mughal cooks used ground cashews and melon seeds instead of flour to thicken sauces — a technique still used in restaurant gravies today.
Delhi & Lucknow (Mughlai cuisine)
28.66°N, 77.24°E
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