Shahi (Royal) paneer (cottage cheese/fresh cheese) masala

• Servings: 5-6
• Preparation time: 15 minutes.
• Frying time: 28 minutes.
• Cooking time: 8 minutes.
• Total time: 51 minutes.

Shahi paneer is one of the popular north Indian paneer dishes from India and Indian continent, originated from Mughlai cuisine, consists of rich and thick gravy prepared with dry fruits like cashew nut, almond, dry grapes and peanut, poppy seed, sesame seed, so on…

Adding milk instead of water to paneer gives luscious taste; slightly mild and sweet, melts in mouth. Paneer is an excellent source of protein and calcium; capsicum is the powerhouse of antioxidants and phytonutrients which light up the skin, nuts are the powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• Paneer (Cottage cheese): 500 gm
• Ghee: 100 gm
• Ginger: 1 teaspoon (paste)
• Garlic: half teaspoon (paste)
• Onion: 3 no. (Medium size)
• Tomato: 1 no. (Large)
• Capsicum: 1 no. (Medium size)
• Fresh coriander leaf: 2 tablespoon
• Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
• Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder: half teaspoon
• Milk: 1 cup
• Butter: 20 gm
• Cashew nut: 100 gm
• Dried grapes: 20 gm
• Ground nut: 50 gm (roasted)
• Poppy seed: 1 tablespoon
• Cumin: half teaspoon
• Clove: 3 no.
• Cinnamon: 2 inch stick
• Bay leaf: 2 no.
• Salt: 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Cut the paneer into 1 inch length and half inch wide pieces.
2. Chop Capsicum into length wise into 1 inch thick.
3. Boil the onion and tomato. Allow it cool. Grind it to fine paste.
4. Dry roast the peanuts, keep aside.
5. Soak dry roasted peanuts ground nut, poppy seed and 50 gm cashew nut for 15-20 minutes. Make a smooth paste by grinding.
6. Fry paneer with 1 teaspoon of ghee. Fry light (Do not fry for longer period, it should not change the colour)
7. Fry 50 gm of cashew nut with 1 teaspoon of ghee on lower flame for couple of minutes.

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a fry pan; add clove, cumin, bay leaf and cinnamon, Sputter for few seconds, add boiled onion and tomato paste stir fry in low flame (about 10-15 minutes), add ginger and garlic paste. continue to fry for couple of minutes or till ghee separates from masala.
2. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt; add ground nut, poppy seed and cashew nut paste, continue to fry  for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add milk if need you can add water(for reaching desire consistency),let it boil; add chopped Capsicum, continue to cook for one minutes.
4. Add fried paneer, cashew nut and dried grapes; continue to cook about 3-4 minutes on low flame with lid on.
5. Add butter and Garam masala, put off the flame.
6. Transfer into serving bowl, decorate with chopped coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with tandoori roti or lachchha paratha.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Shahi (Royal) paneer (cottage cheese/fresh cheese) masala by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.