Shahi Paneer

Ah, finally! It took many attempts and perseverance to get this right! I don't know if it is still "right" according to experts, but for the humble home cook, this is a pretty decent replica of the real shahi paneer.

Shahi Paneer is yet another creamy paneer dish that is incredibly flavorful. My husband has a love affair with it. No matter which Indian restaurant he steps foot into, Shahi Panner has to be part of the order. It just has to. After enduring his many snide comments like, "How come you never make this?" or "How come your shahi paneer tastes no where close to this?", I am so glad that this recipe comes A-Approved.

This recipe has no tomatoes and no turmeric powder. It is pale and creamy and sweet and spicy. My cousin was recently describing a shahi paneer that she had in India. With her face shaded in a blissful aura, with half-closed eyes and a honeyed tone, she told me how wonderfully magnificent it tasted. She told me it was white and creamy and had tutti-fruity (small pieces of fruit jelly) in it. She has been trying to recreate that particular dish, but despite her many attempts, she says she hasn't been able to get the taste of the real deal. And that boggles me. But, being the awesome cook that she is, she gave me some pointers from her attempts. I hungrily noted them down, added my own spin, and tried this version. As satisfied as I am (mainly because of the husband's approval) with this version of mine, my cousin is still not satisfied and is madly experimenting... so I can only imagine how fantastic the original tasted.

Ingredients:

1. 14 ounces or 400 grams of paneer, cubed
2. 1 medium-large onion, sliced
3. 4 cloves
4. 5 pods of cardamom (green cardamom)
5. 1 inch piece of cinnamon
6. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste(grind equal amounts of ginger and garlic)
7. 2 teaspoons garam masala
8. 10 almonds
9. 1/2 cup thick yogurt
10. 1/2 cup milk (or half & half or cream)
11. A generous pinch of saffron
12. 1.5 teaspoons salt or as needed
13. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
14. 2 tablespoons raisin (instead of tutti-fruity; If you have some, please use them)
15. 1/4 cup coriander leaves/cilantro
16. 1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Soak almonds in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain the water, remove the peels and grind to a smooth paste with just enough water as required.
2. Warm the milk for 1 minute in the microwave and add saffron and raisins to it. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet. When hot, add onion and fry on low-medium heat for 15 minutes or longer until the onions are caramelized and crispy. Remove from heat, cool and then grind with a sprinkle of water to make a smooth paste.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a medium-large saucepan. Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and saute for a few minutes until the spices are aromatic. 
5. Add the ground onion to the spices and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. 
6. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. 
7. Add garam masala and mix everything together for an additional minute.
8. Add the almond paste and salt and cook everything on low-medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring every so often making sure the masala doesn't stick to the pan.
9. Add yogurt, mix well and continue to cook stew for 5-7 minutes until the gravy is thick.
10. Add the milk mixed with saffron and raisins. Stir everything and let it stew for 5 more minutes.
11. Remove from heat. Add the cubed paneer and sugar gently stir in. Garnish with coriander leaves/cilantro.

If possible, let the paneer marinate in the gravy for at least 30 minutes before serving. It tastes great even otherwise! The flavors intensify as the gravy sits. An ideal leftover dish!

My husband was initially very skeptical of this dish because it doesn't look like the one in restaurants, so don't let the color fool you! Also, I added no heat in the form of chillies or chilli powder. So if you want, grind green chillies along with onions or add some chilli powder.