How to Cook Shahi Paneer

Serves: 3

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Shahi Paneer:

• One slab of cottage cheese, diced
• 1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 green chili peppers, diced
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• One 1’’ fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• ½ cup cashews, pulverized
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tsp Indian five spice powder or ground garam masala
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnishing

Cooking instructions for Shahi Paneer:

• Toss the onions as well as ginger into a food processor and grind them into a smooth paste.
• Pour 1 tbsp oil into a wok and heat it over moderate heat.
• Sauté the ginger-onion paste, stirring often, over moderate heat for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chilli peppers well as garlic and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, tip the can of diced tomatoes into a clean food processor and blitz them into a slightly grainy puree without few chunks in it.
• Pour the tomato puree into the sautéed mixture and stir it all together, along with a dash of ground spices.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and whisk in a splash of milk and cashew paste until well mixed.
• Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes or until it thickens and turns creamy.
• In the meantime, drizzle rest of the oil into a separate skillet and heat it over moderate heat.
• Throw in the cottage cheese or paneer and stir fry until they turn golden brown slightly around the edges.
• Drain them out with a slotted spoon and toss them into the simmering sauce.
• Stir them all together until well coated with the sauce and pour it into a large serving bowl.
• Sprinkle the fresh cilantro on top and serve alongside steamed rice or Indian flat bread.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on April 5, 2013 by