Restaurant Style Shahi Paneer | Delicious Shahi Paneer Recipe

With time we all get better at what we do as we practice more and the same goes with cooking! This restaurant style shahi paneer is one such example which I aced over time and now it turns out supremely addictive every time!

If you stumbled upon my blog to know how to cook restaurant style shahi paneer at home, then firstly I thank you for clicking on my link!

Secondly, if the pictures of my shahi paneer are generating any iota of doubt in your mind that this one doesn’t look homemade, then I would humbly request you to trust me on this!

This gorgeous shahi paneer is absolutely made at home from scratch and yours will also turn out exactly the same once you follow this fail-proof recipe!

What is Shahi Paneer?

As the name suggests, shahi paneer is a special occasion dish to celebrate something special on a special day!

This is one of the most frequently ordered dishes in any classic Indian restaurant and is immensely loved by almost all vegetarians thanks to the delicious taste of its gravy!

The silky richness of the shahi paneer gravy justifies its name and once you try it at any good Indian restaurant you won’t be able to wait to make it at home!

That’s where I come in to let you know how easy it is to make this restaurant classic at home and how good it feels after making such a stunning dish for our loved ones & for ourselves too!

Before you get sold on this tempting paneer curry, I must warn you that this is not an everyday dish! So don’t get too comfortable with this high calorie delicacy!

Enjoy this sinful shahi paneer sparingly so that you can keep enjoying such rich delicacies for many years to come!

Ingredients for Restaurant Style Shahi Paneer

Paneer: This shahi paneer recipe is all about paneer! So it goes without saying that you need a very good quality paneer which is as fresh as it can be!

Please stay away from analogue paneer which is so common in markets these days. They are not only unhealthy but also taste nothing like paneer if you understand the real taste & texture of paneer.

Cashew: This rich nut is what makes shahi paneer “The Shahi Paneer”!

Thanks to its high fat content, cashews transform into a very creamy paste when blended; but you have to either soak them in hot water or cook with the other ingredients to make them a little softer.

You will need a good amount of cashews to give this shahi paneer gravy the restaurant style look and texture. I used about 20 whole cashews in my recipe.

Whole spices: Shahi paneer is not complete without the shahi spices! “Shahi” means “Royal” and our shahi paneer is nothing less than a royal experience right at your home!

All the quintessential whole spices that we use in any special Indian curries play their significant role in this recipe of shahi paneer.

Cloves, cinnamon, cardamom (both green & black), bay leaf, whole black peppercorn, cumin seeds are the usual suspects here!

Tomato & Onion: The gravy base of shahi paneer is made with tomatoes and onions. A good amount of tomatoes & onions are cooked first with spices & aromatics and then pureed to get that thick texture.

Then to get that silky smooth restaurant style shahi paneer gravy, you have to take one extra step of straining the puree through a sieve to remove all the unblended remains of spices and aromatics.

Aromatics: For the sizzling Indian flavors in your shahi paneer, you will need to pick up the best friend pair – ginger & garlic which are cooked along with onion & tomatoes and then blended in the gravy.

Powdered spices: Turmeric, coriander, cumin and red chilli – the typical quad of powdered spices are added in this paneer recipe while bringing the gravy together.

Also a dash of homemade garam masala will add the final special touch to your classic creation!

Oil & Butter: If you are Indian, then you can use your regular oil that you use for everyday cooking of daily meals e.g. mustard oil, groundnut oil etc.

But if Indian cooking is not your daily affair, you can use any flavorless vegetable oil, but not olive oil.

Also add a dollop of butter while making the gravy base and also while finishing off assembling the shahi paneer. Butter will impart an extra punch of flavor to the dish!

Fresh cream: The luscious creamy texture of shahi paneer comes from the fresh cream that’s added at the end of the cooking.

Curd/yogurt: To balance the sweetness from cashews and cream, we will add about half a cup of plain curd. This will bring together all the flavors with subtle tartness.

Honey: This one is optional, but if you want your shahi paneer on a slightly sweeter side, you can add about a tablespoon of honey to the gravy.

Kasuri methi: Finish off the rich shahi paneer with a sprinkling of kasuri methi which is nothing but dried fenugreek leaves; this one is a must to impart that mind-blowing restaurant-like taste!

Coriander stems & leaves: One unique ingredient makes this dish even more flavorful and that is the green stem of fresh coriander leaves which goes into the gravy base.

You will also need freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish your shahi paneer; but if you don’t like the taste or aroma of cilantro, feel free to leave it out!

How to make Restaurant Style Shahi Paneer?

Step 1: Cut the paneer blocks into 1-inch triangles to give your shahi paneer a special look! Set them aside. Thinly slice the onions and chop tomatoes roughly & deseed them.

Step 2: Peel and chop the ginger and a couple of green chillies. Slit the remaining green chillies lengthwise and set aside.

Step 3: Now in a pressure cooker add about 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Step 4: Once the butter melts, add all the whole spices – dry red chillies, cumin seeds, bay leaf, black peppercorns, cinnamon, green & black cardamoms and cloves.

Step 5: Let the spices become fragrant in the oil & butter for a few seconds. Then add the sliced onion and sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame.

Step 6: Next add chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander stems and about half a tablespoon of salt.

Step 7: Give everything a good stir and cook for a couple of minutes on medium flame. Next add the cashew nuts and give a good stir.

Step 8: Continue sautéing everything for about 10 minutes on medium flame until tomatoes become mushy and onions are translucent.

Step 9: Now add hot water to the cooker and pressure cook on high for 1 whistle. Switch off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.

Pro tip: If you don’t want to use a pressure cooker, you can follow exactly the same steps as above but only using a large pan and cook the onion-tomato mixture for about 15 minutes on low flame keeping the pan covered with a lid.

Step 10: When the cooker is completely cooled and pressure is released, remove the lid and discard the bay leaf, black cardamom & cinnamon.

Step 11: Transfer onion tomato mixture to a large bowl and let it cool down completely before blending. Cooling down the mixture is mandatory before blending them in a blender.

Step 12: Now transfer the onion tomato gravy base to a blender along with the liquid and blend well to make fine puree. Be patient at this stage as whole spices take time to break down.

Step 13: To give your shahi paneer the premium restaurant style look, strain the puree using a sieve. Save the strained puree and discard any fibrous remains.

Step 14: Before starting to make the shahi paneer gravy, first mix all the powdered spices, turmeric, coriander, cumin & 2 teaspoons of Kashmiri red chilli powder, with the curd in a bowl by whisking well until the curd is smooth & lump-free.

Step 15: Now heat a kadai or large pan and add remaining oil & butter. Once the butter melts, add remaining slit green chillies and remaining 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder.

Step 16: Give a stir and lower the flame to minimum. Then pour the prepared curd & spice mixture to the kadai, stirring continuously.

Step 17: Let the curd & spices cook on low flame until oil starts to release; keep stirring to avoid the spices sticking to the bottom.

Step 18: At this stage, pour the prepared onion tomato puree into the kadai. Add about a cup of hot water and give a good stir to mix everything evenly.

Step 19: Add honey and mix well. Then do a taste test and add salt as per taste. Continue cooking the gravy on low flame for about 5 minutes until it comes to a simmer.

Step 20: It’s time to add the paneer cubes. Slowly drop the paneer cubes into the shahi paneer gravy and using a rubber or silicone spatula give a gentle stir so that the soft cubes of paneer do not break.

Step 21: Let the shahi paneer gravy come to a boil on high flame. Then lower the flame and add the fresh cream & kasuri methi. Give a good stir.

Step 22: Now cover the kadai and let the paneer gravy simmer on lowest flame for at least 6 to 7 minutes allowing the paneer cubes to absorb all the flavors.

Step 23: The gravy will also thicken while simmering. Uncover the kadai after about 7 minutes; oil must have started to surface on top.

Step 24: Finish off the shahi paneer by sprinkling garam masala and a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves. Check and adjust seasoning if needed.

Step 25: Give a final stir and switch off the flame. Your restaurant style shahi paneer is ready!

Step 26: Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with a little more freshly chopped coriander leaves & a swirl of fresh cream.

Step 27: Serve the delicious royal paneer with tandoori roti or any Indian bread of your choice! Enjoy!

More delicious restaurant style paneer recipes from Flavor Quotient

• Restaurant Style Chilli Paneer
• Restaurant Style Matar Paneer
• Restaurant Style Methi Malai Paneer