Punjabi Shahi Paneer Recipe is a rich and creamy North Indian dish that lives up to its name—"Shahi," meaning royal. Made with soft paneer cubes simmered in a luxurious, nutty gravy infused with aromatic spices, this dish is a perfect blend of mild sweetness and delicate flavors. Whether cooking for a special occasion or simply craving a comforting meal, this restaurant-style Shahi Paneer is easy to make at home. Serve it with naan, roti, or fragrant basmati rice for a truly indulgent experience!
Just like Shahi Paneer, you can also other other buttery & creamy recipes including Butter Paneer, Dal Makhani, and Paneer Tikka Masala. Serve them with homemade naan or rice.
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The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make the most aromatic Shahi Paneer Recipe. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card.
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ABOUT RESTAURANT-STYLE SHAHI PANEER RECIPE?
The name itself says Shahi, which means Luxury. So, you can guess that the dish called Shahi Paneer feels luxurious in flavor & texture. This is one of those dishes which is relished by Vegetarians and Non- Vegetarians. You can make this restaurant-style shahi paneer in minutes using Instant Pot.
This recipe of Shahi Paneer originated from Mughlai cuisine. Mughlai cuisine is popular for its rich and aromatic flavors. Hence, this recipe of shahi paneer has nuts, fruits, spices, and cream to bring out the same richness in the curry.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- Restaurant-Style at Home – Get the same rich and creamy taste as your favorite Indian restaurant, made fresh in your kitchen!
- Easy to Make – With simple ingredients and easy steps, this recipe is beginner-friendly yet delivers amazing flavors.
- Rich & Creamy Without Overpowering Spices – A perfect balance of mild sweetness, nuttiness, and warm spices makes this dish kid-friendly and crowd-pleasing.
- Customizable & Adaptable – Make it vegan with tofu and coconut milk, adjust the spice levels, or add dried fruits for extra richness.
- Perfect for Special Occasions – Whether it’s a family dinner, festival, or celebration, this easy Shahi Paneer recipe adds a royal touch to any meal!
📋INGREDIENTS
You don't need a lot of ingredients to make this curry. However, the more basic the ingredients, the more flavorful curry will turn out. Here is the list of all the ingredients that you'll need to make Shahi Paneer Masala:
- PANEER: This is a paneer recipe, so you will need a nice firm paneer. You can use homemade paneer or get store-bought paneer. I usually get Haldiram's Paneer, which is readily available at any Indian store, or you can also get Paneer from Costco.
- ONIONS: Onions are used to make the curry masala. Any onion works for the recipe. I personally prefer using red onions as they give a bold flavor to the curry.
- TOMATOES: I use tomatoes as well as a can of diced tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes provide a nice color to the curry.
- CASHEW PASTE: Cashew/almond paste gives a nice creamy texture to the paneer curry. I usually make the paste in advance, store it in the freezer, and use it as needed.
- SWEETENER: You can use honey, maple syrup, or dried fruit like apricots, mangoes, etc.
- CREAM: You can use whipped cream along with milk, or you can also use coconut milk for the creamy flavor.
- SPICES: I normally use Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala Powder, and Kasoori Methi. Along with that, I also use some whole spices like cloves and green cardamom that provide an aromatic flavor.
- OIL: You can use oil or butter. To make the curry creamier, butter is added.
See the recipe card for quantities.
INSTRUCTIONS
Check the recipe card below for the full recipe, but you can refer here for step-by-step photo instructions.
- Step 1- Cook Onions: Add oil to the pot. When oil is hot, add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion turns golden-brown in color.
2. Step 2 - Cook Tomatoes: Add tomatoes (fresh & diced). Also, add ginger & garlic and dried fruits like mangoes, peaches, nectarines, etc. (if you don't want to use sugar or honey in the curry). Also, add 1 cup of water to avoid sticking.
3. Step 3 - Cook Tomatoes: Cook tomatoes for 3-5 minutes or until they turn soft & mushy.
4. Step 4 - Blend: When tomatoes turn mushy, transfer all the ingredients to the blender & grind until it is smooth. I have used Vitamix to blend the ingredients.
5. Step 5 - Add Paneer: Add Paneer cubes & crushed Kasuri Methi and mix and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add cream and garnish the curry with fennel seeds and cilantro, and you can also garnish with some chopped nuts or melon seeds.
6. Step 6 - Serve: Serve it with naan or rice, and enjoy!
Hint: You can make Shahi Paneer Masala without adding cashew paste or cream. If you want a creamy but healthier curry, add almond flour or 1-2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (just before serving).
EXPERT TIPS
- Grinding the whole spices with the paneer masala makes the curry aromatic. For more aromatic flavor, don't forget to add Fennel Seeds Powder just before serving.
- The main flavor of Shahi Paneer comes from its aromatic curry, so I add a few spices like Garam Masala & Red Chili Powder. To make a little spicy curry, you can also add green chili to the masala.
- This dhaba-style shahi paneer is supposed to be sweet in flavor. So to bring the sweetness to the curry you cna dried fruits (like dried mangoes, apricots, pineapple, etc.) or honey, maple syrup, or sugar. .
- To get a creamier texture, you can either add Cashew Paste or grind fried cashews or almonds with the masala. You can also add almond flour to the ground masala.
- I add Kasoori Methi while making the curry and not at the end. This brings nice color and taste to the curry. Sometimes, when you add Kasuri Methi in the end, it makes curry a little bitter in taste.
- I also like to add diced tomatoes or tomato puree to the masala. This brings a nice color to the curry. Or you can also add tomato puree to the paneer.
- You can also add Maple Syrup, honey Sugar, etc, for a little sweetness.
🧂SUBSTITUTIONS
There are some substitutions that you can try:
- VEGAN: Instead of Paneer, you can add tofu to make the curry vegan. Also, if you want the curry to be vegan, you can replace milk or cream with coconut or oats milk, along with some almond flour. You can also add cauliflower to the curry, which also tastes amazing. Check out the Cauliflower version of this recipe on my website.
- HIGH-PROTEIN: You can also add chickpeas to make the curry high in protein. Chickpeas surprisingly taste so good in Shahi Paneer curry. You can also try my popular recipe for Delhi-style chickpea curry.
- YOGURT: If you don't want the curry to be too rich, you can add Greek Yogurt instead of heavy cream. You can add yogurt to some milk and mix it. Add it to the curry just before serving. If you cook yogurt, it will curdle, so to avoid this, just add milk & yogurt mix just before serving.
- SWEETENER: I usually prefer adding honey or maple syrup. But you can also add dried fruits like peaches, mangoes, or apricots.
📖VARIATIONS
You can change the recipe according to your taste and preference.
- SPICY: you can make it spicy by adding more red chili powder or Kashmiri red chili powder.
- DELUXE: You can add some crumbled paneer to make the curry more creamier and richer.
- GRILLED PANEER: You can also add grilled shallow-fried or air-fried paneer pieces to the curry. That also gives a nice taste to the curry.
🍳EQUIPMENT
I always make my curries in Indian Kadai as they always turn out so great. They are heavy-bottomed pans, so the food cooks quickly and properly. But if you don't have Kadai, you can also use Wok (just make sure it is heavy-bottomed).
Here are some of the equipment I have used for the recipe:
- KADAI: to make and cook the curry. Or when I'm in a hurry, then I like to make it in my Instant Pot.
- VITAMIX: grind the onion-tomato masala until it is smooth & creamy
- NINJA FOODI: I have used my Ninja Foodi to air fry the Paneer cubes, or you can use any air fryer. You can also shallow fry them on any pan.
FAQs
You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer; the taste will remain the same. You can store leftover Shahi Paneer in the fridge for 3-5 days. And in the freezer in a container for 1-2 months. Before using the frozen Shahi Paneer, just thaw and heat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove top until hot
The leftover Shahi Paneer is even more tasty, more aromatic, and tastes even more flavorful. You can serve Shahi Paneer with Indian flatbreads like roti, naan, rice, or bread. You can also check out the Garlic Naan recipe that pairs perfectly with Sahi Paneer Masala.
As mentioned earlier, Shahi Paneer is rich in flavor u0026 texture. But you can still enjoy this curry without onion and garlic. Add tomatoes and ginger along with nuts, dried fruits, and spices to make the base of the curry. The curry will still turn out great.
Yes, you can add milk to the curry for a richer and creamy texture. You can add milk instead of water or ½ cup of water and ½ cup of milk.
If the shahi paneer curry is too watery, you can let it cook for 15-20 minutes at low heat. If this doesn't work, add some almond flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. You can also add crumbled paneer.
You can add cream, which gives a nice texture to the gravy. Or, if you want a curry that is not too heavy, you can replace cream with yogurt. I usually prefer adding yogurt to my curries for a creamier texture. But without any Cream/Yogurt, the curry still turns out to be creamy and aromatic as it already has cashews/almonds. Also, adding butter gives a creamy flavor to the curry.
This Paneer recipe is very rich in flavor; hence, it becomes more flavorful when made at low- heat.
SHAHI PANEER: Shahi Paneer has Paneer in aromatic creamy onion-tomato gravy. Most people confuse Shahi Paneer and Butter Paneer (Paneer Butter Masala). Shahi Paneer is an aromatic creamy curry with a little sweetness. This curry is rich in flavor, with nuts, fruits, spices, and cream at the base.
PANEER MAKHANI/ PANEER BUTTER MASALA: As the name itself says, Paneer Makhani or Paneer butter masala. So, this variety of paneer is made with a decent amount of butter in the curry. Butter Paneer doesn't have a lot of spices but tastes irresistible because of all that butter and cream in it.
KADAI PANEER: Kadai Paneer is a spicy version of Indian curry. Freshly made Kadai masala is added to make this variety of paneer. Also, as the name suggests, this paneer is made in Kadai (or wok) to bring out the smoky flavor.
PANEER TIKKA MASALA: Paneer Tikka Masala is another extraordinary Paneer curry originating from the Indian subcontinent. Marinated paneer pieces are first grilled in the tandoor and then added to the creamy curry with onions and capsicums.
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Punjabi Shahi Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Paneer cubes
- 2 medium Tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup Diced Tomatoes
- ½ cup Onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 teaspoon Honey/ Maple Syrup or dried fruits like mangoes, papaya, peaches, etc.
- 5 Cashews soaked in watrer for 10-15 minutes
- 2-3 pieces Dried Fruits mangoes, peaches
- 5 Almonds soaked in water for 10-15 minutes
- 1 cup Water
- ¼ cup Cream
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- 2-3 tablespoon Oil + Butter
SPICES
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (as per taste)
- Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds Powder
WHOLE SPICES
- 6 Green Cardamoms
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 ½ inch Cinnamon
- 3-4 Cloves
Garnish:
- 1-2 tablespoon Cream
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds Powder
- few strands of Saffron
Instructions
CASHEW/ ALMOND PASTE
- First, soak 15-20 almond/cashews in water for about 30 mins. Or you can also microwave them with some water for 2 mins. If you're using almonds, just take out the peel before grinding.Add cashews/almonds with some water and grind it until creamy and smooth. And use this paste (around 1-2 tablespoon) in the curry. 5 Cashews 5 Almonds
Shahi Paneer Recipe:
- Add Oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add sliced onions. Also, add Green Cardamon & Cloves to it. If not using Cashew/Almond Paste, you can add soaked Almonds/Cashews at this point or almond flour.. You can also add dried fruits like mangoes, peaches, etc for the sweetness or add honey. Also, add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes (fresh & diced), and 1 cup of water. 2-3 tablespoon Oil + Butter ½ cup Onion 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 teaspoon Honey/ Maple Syrup ½ cup Diced Tomatoes 2 medium Tomatoes 3-4 Cloves
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tomatoes turn mushy. Keep stirring in between so that nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan. Cover it with a lid for faster cooking.
- Take the masala out and grind it until smooth. Add butter to another pan and add Cinnamon Stick & Bay Leaf to it.Then add spices (garam masala powder, turmeric powder, fennel seeds powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder) and saute for 1 minute. 1 Bay Leaf 1 ½ inch Cinnamon 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder Turmeric Powder 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- Add the ground masala, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until you get the desired consistency.
- Add Cream/Cashew cream, Paneer, crushed Kasuri Methi, and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. 1 cup Paneer ¼ cup Cream 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- Finally garnish with 1-2 tablespoons of cream/cashew cream, fennel seeds powder, cilantro, and saffron strands. Serve hot with Garlic Naan or Rice. 1-2 tablespoon Cream 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds few strands of Saffron
Video
Notes
- VEGAN: Instead of Paneer, you can also add tofu to make the curry vegan. Also if want the curry to be vegan, you can replace milk or cream with either coconut milk or oats milk along with some almond flour. You can also add cauliflower to the curry that also tastes amazing.
- HIGH-PROTEIN: To make the curry high in protein, you can also add chickpeas. Chickpeas surprisingly taste so good in Shahi Paneer curry.
The leftover Shahi Paneer is even tasty, more aromatic, and tastes even more flavorful. You can serve Shahi Paneer with any Indian flatbread like roti, naan, rice, or bread. You can also check out the Garlic Naan recipe that pairs perfectly with Sahi Paneer Masala. You can also use some Almond Flour to make the curry creamier.
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