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Curries and stews

Shahi paneer

A royal-style Mughlai curry of paneer in a creamy gravy of onion, tomato, cashew and mild spices.

Shahi paneer is paneer in a thick, mildly spiced, creamy gravy made with onions, tomatoes, cashew or almond paste and cream, scented with cardamom and sometimes saffron or kewra water. Shahi means royal, and the dish draws on the rich court cooking of the Mughals. It is a standard of North Indian weddings and restaurants.

What goes in

Paneer: 33%33%Onion and tomato: 27%27%Cashew or almond paste: 13%13%Cream: 13%13%Ghee: 7%Cardamom, saffron, kewra: 7%6parts
  • Paneer533%, Cubes or triangles.
  • Onion and tomato427%, Cooked and puréed.
  • Cashew or almond paste213%, Body and sweetness.
  • Cream213%, Richness.
  • Ghee17%, For cooking.
  • Cardamom, saffron, kewra17%, Fragrance.

Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each ingredient's share of the dish.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional way, in outline.

  1. Step 1: Grate Soak cashews and grind them to a smooth paste.
  2. Step 2: Fry Cook onion, tomato, ginger and whole spices in ghee, then purée and strain.
  3. Step 3: Simmer Return the purée to the pan with the cashew paste and simmer until thick.
  4. Step 4: Simmer Add the paneer and a little water and simmer gently.
  5. Step 5: Simmer Stir in cream, cardamom and saffron.
  6. Step 6: Serve Serve with naan or pulao.
  7. Paneer: 33%33%Onion and tomato: 27%27%Cashew or almond paste: 13%13%Cream: 13%13%Ghee: 7%Cardamom, saffron, kewra: 7%
    Finished Shahi paneer, by share.

Mughlai style

Mughlai cooking developed in the courts of the Mughal emperors in Delhi, Agra and Lucknow, with rich sauces of nuts, cream and fragrant spices. Paneer dishes in this style are newer, since paneer became widely used in restaurant cooking in the twentieth century. Shahi paneer adapts the court style for vegetarian tables, and it is often less hot than everyday curries.

Close relatives

Shahi paneer is close to paneer makhani, also called paneer butter masala, which leans more on tomato and butter. Shahi paneer is usually paler and sweeter, with more cream and nuts, and some versions use a white gravy with no tomato at all. Cooks argue over the differences, and restaurant versions vary widely from city to city.

Where it is used

Wedding feastRestaurant dinnerFestive meal

The cheeses in it

PaneerThe cheese in the royal gravy.

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and kitchen makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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