Where does Shahi Paneer come from?

Shahi Paneer — country of origin: India.

What is Shahi Paneer made of?

Paneer, cashew, cream, tomato, onion, garam masala.

Which allergens does Shahi Paneer contain?

Contains milk and milk products (including lactose). Contains tree nuts and tree-nut products.

How do you pronounce Shahi Paneer?

शाही पनीर (Hindi) is pronounced /ʃɑːɦiː pəniːr/.

Shahi Paneer

शाही पनीरPronunciation (IPA) /ʃɑːɦiː pəniːr/

Paneer cubes in a rich, mildly sweet cashew-and-cream tomato sauce — the "royal" Mughlai paneer dish, built for richness over heat.

Allergens & declarations

Contains

Milk (including Lactose)

Contains milk and milk products (including lactose)

Tree nuts

Cashew Nuts

Contains tree nuts and tree-nut products

This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.

In detail

Shahi paneer is paneer cubes in a rich, mildly sweet cashew-and-cream tomato sauce. Shahi means royal, and the dish earns the name honestly — it is built for richness and fragrance, not the sharper heat of a chilli-forward curry.

What it really is

Cashews are soaked and blended smooth, then cooked into a tomato-onion base along with cream, giving the sauce a pale orange colour and a texture closer to velvet than a standard curry gravy. Paneer cubes go in only at the end, simmered just long enough to warm through and take on the sauce's sweetness without turning rubbery — a little sugar is often added deliberately, which is part of what separates shahi dishes from their spicier cousins.

The paneer goes in last, not first. Simmered too long in a hot sauce, paneer toughens; added at the end, it stays soft and only just warmed through.

How it is served

In a bowl with naan or steamed rice.
Garnished with cream drizzled in a swirl, sometimes with a few strands of saffron.
As a milder, richer alternative to sharper paneer curries on the same menu.

Flag the dairy and the cashews plainly; both are structural to the sauce, not garnish.
Say that it's mildly sweet, since that's a genuine point of difference from a savoury-only curry.
It is naturally vegetarian; note if a vegan cashew-cream version is available.

Typical ingredients

Put it on your menu with Menuella

Frequently asked questions

What is Shahi Paneer?: Paneer cubes in a rich, mildly sweet cashew-and-cream tomato sauce — the "royal" Mughlai paneer dish, built for richness over heat.
Where does Shahi Paneer come from?: Shahi Paneer — country of origin: India.
What is Shahi Paneer made of?: Paneer, cashew, cream, tomato, onion, garam masala.
Which allergens does Shahi Paneer contain?: Contains milk and milk products (including lactose). Contains tree nuts and tree-nut products.
How do you pronounce Shahi Paneer?: शाही पनीर (Hindi) is pronounced /ʃɑːɦiː pəniːr/. Select the speaker button next to the dish name to hear it.