Restaurant style Shahi Paneer Recipe (Cottage Cheese with Thick Gravy)

                                                                     
This dish is a symbol of happiness , royalty and lavishness. The word Shahi means Regal and Paneer is Cottage Cheese. Also the fact that the gravy consists of milk, cashew nuts and fresh cream adds to the richness and taste of this preparation. Each time I have prepared , I have received plenty compliments from all my family members especially my father in law. This particular preparation in the photo is a result of celebration of India's 2011 Cricket World Cup win. After India had won, Lubna of Yummy Food had called me. Due to excessive cracker bursts I could not listen completely and called her back around 11:30 pm.


Lubna: Badhai ho !! (Congrats)
Me: You too. Finally Indian players didn't succumb to pressure and won the most important match.
Lubna: Yeah I'm so thrilled. I was constantly putting my thoughts in Facebook. Few of online blogger pals cheered every four and sixes.
Me: This calls for a celebration. What do you say?
Lubna: Sure. We will celebrate this with a bang.
Me: What do you suggest? 
Lubna: Let each one of us prepare a special dish to celebrate this happy event.


So here I am posting this recipe which I had made for Pot Luck and hope you relish it just like we did. While she prepared Qubooli and dalcha which tasted real nice. She even parceled me a portion of it so that my hubby could taste it as well. So sweet of her :-)

                                                                      
Ingredients:
300 gms Cottage cheese (paneer), out of that 250 gm cut into triangle shape and rest mashed
2 Onion
3 tbsp Tomato puree
6-7 Garlic pods
1 "inch Ginger
3 Green chillies
1 cup Milk + 1/2 cup
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala
2 green Cardamom
3-4 Tej patta
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
10 Cashews
1 tbsp fresh Cream
1 tbsp fresh Curd
Salt to taste
1 tsp Kasoori methi
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp Oil


Method:
Cut paneer pieces into triangle shape and sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder over them. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry the paneer pieces until turns to light pink (be careful as frying them too long will make paneer lose it's softness). Dip the fired paneer pieces into 1/2 warm milk.
Now make a paste of onion and keep aside. Then make a fine paste of green chillies, ginger, garlic and cashews. In the remaining oil add tej patta and green cardamom and fry for a minute. Add onion paste and fry till it's light pink. Now add garlic-cashew paste and fry till oil starts separating. Add salt, red chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric and saute for 2 minutes on low flame. Now add tomato puree and fry till it leaves oil. Add mashed paneer and mix thoroughly. Add curd and stir fast so that it doesn't curdle. Add cream and mix well.Add 1 cup milk along with the 1/2 cup milk that has paneer pieces. Now add garam masala, kasoori methi  and cook it for another 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with nan or chappati.