Mughlai Shahi Paneer (no cream, no ghee, no butter, gluten-free)

Mughlai Shahi Paneer with step by step photos. Mughlai Style Shahi Paneer is a royal cheese dish that is popular in Northern India and considered Mughlai cuisine. This decadent dish is a blend of nuts, onions, spices, and flavored with cardamom, saffron, and garam masala.

Life in Quarantine with my husband

Transitioning from “normal” life to “quarantine” life wasn’t a huge adjustment for my husband and I since we were both already working from home. I wasn’t expecting too many surprises along the way, but there were certainly some changes. In the past, Friday nights were our movie nights. We would typically order in and choose a fun Bollywood movie to watch.

Now, on Friday nights, we no longer get takeout, but instead, I’ll make something yummy and fun so it at least feels like Friday. We also no longer choose a Bollywood movie for us to watch, instead, Mr. Honey will turn on one of his action/horror films on his laptop next to me, and I’ll tune into an old lovey-dovey Bollywood film. Although our taste in movies and shows are so different, I think it’s important to do things that make you happy while in quarantine, even if that means doing different things. I think it’s safe to say these days we are all spending plenty of quality time with our loved ones.

The Cleaning Situation

Let’s not forget the cleaning situation. My husband is so picky about cleanliness he seems to notice even the smallest drop of water on the floor which is not fun for me. On days I’m feeling extra nice, I’ll take it upon myself and clean a little extra only to find him redoing what I did an hour later. Sure it bothers me, but a partner who likes to clean isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He may get frustrated at my lack of cleanliness, but I sure appreciate his need for a clean home. 🙂

Needless to say, there is no other person I’d rather be quarantined with. What’s life without a little drama? Onto Mughlai Shahi Paneer. Since I’m home quarantined, I’ve been making indulgent dishes once a week, sometimes twice. It’s mainly because we have barely ordered out, and sometimes we both get tired of the same old food. Enter Mughlai Shahi Paneer.

What is Mughlai Style Shahi Paneer?

Mughlai Style Shahi Paneer literally means a royal cheese dish that is popular in Northern India and is considered to be Mughlai cuisine. This royal paneer dish is prepared by blending nuts, onions, ginger, and garlic into a creamy paste. The paneer is then added to a yogurt cream sauce and finally finished off with a touch of saffron, cardamom, and garam masala.

There are many variations of Shahi Paneer, some with tomatoes and some without, my version is without tomatoes which is the more “traditional” way of making Shahi Paneer. Additionally, I added milk instead of cream for a healthier Shahi Paneer. Feel free to add a tablespoon of ghee instead of oil for that extra richness. The preparation of this recipe is very similar to my Paneer Makhani dish.

Mughlai Shahi Paneer is:

Delicious
Royal
Rich & Creamy
Flavorful
Slightly Sweet
Lightened Up
Made with NO CREAM, NO GHEE, NO BUTTER
Mughlai Cuisine

How to make Shahi Paneer recipe step by step?

Prep

1. Soak almonds and cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Soak paneer in hot water for about 20 minutes.

3. Once done remove the skin off from the almonds – it should come off easily. Rinse, drain, and blend the almonds and cashews with half a cup of water until smooth and creamy.
4. To the paste, add ginger, garlic, green chilies, cardamom, and onions.
5. Blend until smooth.
6. Almond-Cashew paste is ready. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

1. Set aside the spices you’ll need. Cinnamon stick, bay leaf, hing, cumin seeds, cloves, and peppercorns.
2. Heat up a pan on medium heat. I like using my Ballarini Alumunium Wok for this dish. Once hot, add oil, followed by spices. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the almond-cashew paste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the paste comes together.
4. This is what you want.

5. Slowly add yogurt and mix. Make sure you temper the yogurt to avoid any curdling. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Now slowly add whole milk to avoid curdling. Dairy-free milk would work too. Cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.

Cube & Add the Paneer

1. In the meantime, cube the paneer. 
2. Add the paneer to the sauce – half of it or all of it.
3. Add a pinch of saffron. 
4. Stir and cook for a minute. The color of the sauce will shift to a light pale yellow.

5. Add garam masala and cardamom powder. Stir.
6. Finish the dish with dry Kasoori Methi.

7. Serve with roti, naan, rice, or turn them into Paneer Kathi Rolls. Enjoy!

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Mughlai Shahi Paneer

Mughlai Style Shahi Paneer is a royal cheese dish that is popular in Northern India and considered Mughlai cuisine. This decadent dish is a blend of nuts, onions, spices, and flavored with cardamom, saffron, and garam masala.

5 from 7 votes

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Mughlai

Diet No Butter, No Cream, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Nisha

Equipment

Ballarini Aluminium Nonstick

Ingredients

Make a Paste

• 1/3 cup cashews soaked & drained
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds soaked & drained, remove skin
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 green chilies
• 2 green cardamom pods

Cook

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/8 tsp hing asafoetida gluten-free hing
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves
• 3 black peppercorns
• 1 inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 400 grams paneer soaked & cubed; I like Haldiram's
• pinch of saffron
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves Kasoori Methi

Instructions

Prep

• Soak almonds and cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
• Soak paneer in hot water for about 20 minutes.
• Once done remove the skin off from the almonds - it should come off easily. Rinse, drain, and blend the almonds and cashews with half a cup of water until smooth and creamy.
• To the paste, add ginger, garlic, green chilies, cardamom, and onions.
• Blend until smooth.
• Almond-Cashew paste is ready. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

• Set aside the spices you'll need. Cinnamon stick, bay leaf, hing, cumin seeds, cloves, and peppercorns.
• Heat up a pan on medium heat. I like using my Ballarini Alumunium Wok for this dish. Once hot, add oil, followed by spices. Cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the almond-cashew paste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the paste comes together.
• This is what you want.
• Slowly add yogurt and mix. Make sure you temper the yogurt to avoid any curdling. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Now slowly add whole milk to avoid curdling. Dairy-free milk would work too. Cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.

Cube & Add the Paneer

• In the meantime, cube the paneer.
• Add the paneer to the sauce - half of it or all of it.
• Add a pinch of saffron.
• Stir and cook for a minute. The sauce color will shift to a light pale yellow.
• Add garam masala and cardamom powder. Stir.
• Finish the dish with dry Kasoori Methi. Turn off the stove.
• Serve with roti, naan, rice, or turn them into Paneer Kathi Rolls. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 648mg | Iron: 2mg