Paneer – if you live in Delhi – you just can’t stay away from! In fact, you will also find paneer pieces in maggi and chow mein here (wink)! So how can I stay away from it?! In fact, knowing about its health benefits, I would rather want to include it in my day to day meals. The recipe I am sharing here today is an adapted version from my Mom’s kitchen, not to mention how amazing a cook she is!

You would have come across various versions of Shahi paneer. I tried to make it less heavy on the tummy, so we can have this calcium and protein rich curry more often, rather than it becoming a delicacy that is prepared once in a few months or when there’s a guest visiting.

I used Poppy Seeds (Khus khus) and Cashew nuts to give it the richness it should have. So here we go!

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 1 Table Spoon Poppy Seeds
• 5-6 Cashew Nuts
• 2 Medium size Tomatoes
• 3 Onion
• 100 gm Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cut into 1 inch by 1/4 inch pieces
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 inch Ginger piece
• 1 1/2 Capsicum ( cut into 12 inch pieces)
• 1 Table Spoon Sweet Corn(Optional)
• 1 1/2 Tea Spoon Garam Masala
• 3 Tea Spoon Salt (OR as per taste)
• 1 Tea Spoon Red Chilly Powder
• 1/2 tea Spoon Turmeric Powder
• 4 tea spoon Coriander powder
• 2 Green Chilly
• 1 1/2 Vegetable Oil

Preparation Steps

1. Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in water for 2-3 hours.
2. Grind them together to make a thick paste. Use the water in which poppy seeds and cashew nuts were soaked.
3. Grind onion, ginger, garlic and green chilly in a grinder.
4. Puree tomatoes separately.
5. Take oil in a pan, heat it well. Fry capsicum in the oil and take them off.
6. Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli paste in oil and fry till the paste becomes light brown.
7. Add tomato puree, again, let the puree dry and the onion, tomato paste starts leaving oil.
8. Add poppy seeds and cashew nuts paste, stir for 3-4 minutes.
9. Add spices and stir continuously.
10. Add sweet corn (optional) and fried capsicum.
11. Add water and let the gravy boil for 3-4 minutes.
12. Add paneer pieces, stir for 2 minutes and take off from stove.

(caution:Boiling paneer for long time in the gravy will make it hard.)

If you like the taste of corn, it is an interesting combination to try in this dish. My mom-in-law liked it and hubby did not (smiles).

 You must be having your own recipe of Shahi Paneer. I would really love to know the variations you try!