Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer is a very rich dish. Cream is the ingredient that makes this dish so scrumptious. On daily basis I don't use this much amount of cream and cashew paste. I usually replace cashews with melon seeds and half the amount of cream with milk. It still tastes awesome.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced cottage cheese(paneer)
• 4 onions(blended into paste)
• 2 tomatoes(blended into a paste) or tomato puree
• 1tsp garlic minced
• 1tsp ginger mined
• 1tsp green chilies(finely chopped)
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1tbsp butter
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 brown cardamom
• 3 green cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 1tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp turmeric powder
• 1tsp dried fenugreek powder or kasuri methi
• 1tsp garam masala
• 3/4th  cup water
• salt as per taste
• red chili powder as per taste
• 1tbsp milk
• 15 cashews
• 1/4th cup heavy cream
• 1tbsp tomato ketchup
• 10 raisins(kishmish)

A lot of people like to fry paneer til its golden brown. Personally I am not a big fan of using fried paneer. If you would like to do it then heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and fry diced paneer in it till it is golden brown. Take it out on a kitchen towel or a tissue. Dunk fried paneer in hot water before adding it to the gravy to make them soft.

Heat olive oil and butter in a wok. Make sure you don't burn the butter. Add cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves to it and saute for a minute. Next add onion paste and cook for few minutes. Add garlic ginger paste and mix well. Cook till oil starts separating.

Add coriander powder and turmeric powder. Next add tomato paste and cook for few minutes. Add salt, red chili powder, green chilies and kasuri methi powder. Mix well and cook till oil separates. Meanwhile blend cashews and milk together to form a paste.

Add 3/4th cup water to give gravy a structure. Add tomato ketchup. Use sugar if you don't have the ketchup.

 Add the cashew paste and garam masala once the gravy starts bubbling. Simmer and next add raisins. Soak raisins in water for few minutes before using them.

Now add the paneer and mix well. Lastly just before serving, add the cream. Always whisk the cream before adding it to any dish.

Garnish with toasted cashews.

Enjoy!!!