SHAHI PANEER

I love making shahi paneer because the process of creating it is so detailed and laborious. Punjabi origin dishes are always such a delight to make because they have such unique fragrances in the various stages before even being served. The spices need to be ground, strained then added back in at certain intervals for a perfect balance between rich flavor without being overpowering! It also helps that there are endless ways you can cook this dish, below you'll find my favorite way of making it which has easily become one of my go-to recipes to treat my family and friends:

Ingredients

• 250 grams paneer (cubed)

• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

• 1 ½ tablespoon ghee or cooking oil

• ½ cup water

• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

• ½ teaspoon garam masala

• ⅙ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon salt or as per taste

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or caraway seeds

• 2 inch cinnamon

• 3 cloves

• 5 strands of saffron

• 1 tablespoon of milk

For shahi paste

• ¾ cup cashews

• ¼ cup almonds

• 4 green cardamoms

• 1 green chili (slit)

• 2 medium onions (cubed)

• 3 medium tomatoes (cubed)

• Optional: cream

Recipe

• In a small bowl, add saffron strands to a tablespoon of warm milk OR water and set aside

• Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan

• Fry paneer lightly until golden and remove from pan

• Fry cashews, almonds, and green cardamoms until they are slightly golden

• Add the onions, green chili and saute until translucent

• Next, add the tomatoes and mix until the tomatoes become mushy

• Remove mixture from pan; allow it to cool and then blend to create a smooth shahi paste (you can add a little bit of water if necessary for blending)

• In the same pan, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of ghee

• Saute cumin, cloves, and cinnamon until they turn aromatic (approx. 1 min)

• Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until fragrant (approx. 2 mins)

• Transfer the shahi paste and add chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, and salt and cook until the spices turn aromatic (approx 3 minutes)

• Add the saffron mixture and ½ cup of water and cook until oil separates (or gravy thickens)

• Finally, add paneer and cook on low flame for about 1 minute

• Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with cream if desired, and serve!