Shahi paneer means royal paneer, and the original is white — a pale, mild gravy of boiled onions, cashew and almond paste, yogurt and saffron, scented with green cardamom and a drop of kewra, the paneer slipped in soft at the end. The whiteness is a historical accident worth knowing: tomatoes did not reach India until the Portuguese and later colonial trade brought them, so the Mughlai original, older than that, never contained one. The orange shahi paneer on most restaurant menus is the later Punjabi reworking, built on tomato and close kin to paneer butter masala; the white version is the dish the Mughal kitchen actually made. Everything in it is kept pale on purpose — the onions are boiled rather than browned so the gravy never darkens. This version follows the white-gravy shahi paneer set down by the chef Sanjeev Kapoor — the Mughlai original, no tomato — an English-language record of the royal dish before the tomato arrived.
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g paneer (cut into cubes)
- 2 medium onions (roughly chopped)
- 12 cashews
- 8 almonds
- 4 tbsp plain non-sour yogurt (whisked)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 green chillies (slit)
- ½ tsp white pepper (ground)
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- a pinch of saffron (soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk)
- 3 tbsp cream
- 1 tsp kewra water
- 1 tsp garam masala
METHOD
- Boil the chopped onions with the cashews and almonds in a little water until the onions are soft, 8–10 minutes, then cool and blend to a smooth pale paste.
- Soak the paneer cubes in warm water while you make the gravy, so they stay soft.
- Warm the ghee in a pan with the whole cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf, then add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook for a minute without colouring.
- Add the onion-nut paste and cook on low until the raw smell goes and it leaves the sides of the pan, without letting it brown.
- Take the pan off the boil, stir in the whisked yogurt gradually so it doesn’t split, then add the white pepper, ground cardamom, salt and a little water for a pouring gravy.
- Stir in the saffron milk and cream, and simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Drain the paneer and fold it in with the kewra water and garam masala, warming through for just 2–3 minutes.
- Serve with naan, roti or jeera rice.
