And the other one to join the list is the super delicious Instant Pot shahi Paneer Pasanda recipe that holds a special place in our hearts.

It is a rich, creamy, mildly-flavored, and generously spiced recipe of stuffed Paneer with gravy.

This ravisher, which reminds us of the imperial flavors of India, is one of the most popular Indian culinary creations that deliver ecstatical deliciousness in every bite.

What is Instant Pot Paneer Pasanda

Paneer is a kind of non-melting cheese made by curdling the milk and collecting the milk solids. It is used in a variety of delicious dishes across the Indian subcontinent. 

Paneer comes from the Persian word ‘panir,’ meaning cheese in Turkish and Persian languages. Paneer is a healthy ingredient, rich in protein and calcium, and is used extensively in dishes for its versatility to complement sweet and savory dishes. 

The word ‘pasanda’ hails from the Urdu word ‘pasande,’ meaning liking or preference. Together the name Paneer Pasanda means a cheese-based dish that is adorably delicious! 

The authentic dish was primarily served to the Mughal emperors, as evident – the richness and luxuriousness of its gravy and the ingredients that go into its preparation.

With a perfect medley of flavors and textures that it has, this paneer pasanda recipe is best relished with

Reasons You’ll ♡ Shahi Paneer Pasanda Recipe

For ardent Paneer lovers across the country, paneer Pasanda is a gorgeously creamy dish, and there are many reasons to fall in love with this recipe —

• Super delicious and mouth-watering recipe
• One of the best alternatives to meat protein
• High in nutritional value
• Versatile recipe
• Can be turned vegan
• A make-ahead recipe, and 
• Scalable as per the requirement!

Difference between Paneer pasanda and Paneer Butter masala

Paneer Pasanda and Paneer Butter Masala are among the most loved paneer recipes in the Indian subcontinent. Although both the recipes sound similar and somewhat look identical because they are both gravy-style dishes, they are pretty different in their preparation. Here is how they differ from each other –

Paneer Butter Masala — The gravy for this dish is creamier and richer because of the butter used for cooking this luscious dish. Paneer Butter Masala (or Paneer Makhani/ Paneer Makhanwala) is mildly spicy, although it is aromatic and superbly flavorful.

The paneer is cut into cubes or length-wise for this recipe and simmered in a rich, creamy onion-tomato-cashew-based sauce. Butter and fresh cream are smeared over the prepared dish for garnishing and extra flavor.

Paneer Pasanda — The significant difference between the two recipes is the choice of paneer chunks. Paneer pasanda is prepared with the slices/ triangles of paneer stuffed with a mixture of grated paneer and nuts, which are then deep-fried or shallow-fried.

These stuffed paneer slices/ triangles are then simmered in a creamy and flavorful sauce prepared with onions, cashews, and tomatoes.

Instant Pot Paneer Pasanda Recipe Ingredient List

Paneer — Paneer is the primary ingredient for this recipe of Paneer Pasanda. Use fresh store-bought paneer for this recipe, as it will be easier to slice. You can cut the paneer into triangle pieces or lengthwise, just as you would want.

Onions — It forms the base for the gravy in this recipe and lends the Shahi paneer recipe its texture and a host of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that make every morsel divinely appetizing!

Tomatoes — Add color and creamy texture to the gravy while also adding a hint of delightful tanginess. 

Ginger and Garlic — The ginger-garlic combo renders the dish’s depth of flavor and unique delectability.

Whole Spices — Aromatic and most flavorsome whole spices like bay leaves, whole black cardamoms, green cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds add more deliciousness to this fantastic paneer pasanda recipe.

Turmeric/ Haldi — Lends this recipe a beautiful yellow color that entices the eyes.

Red chili powder — Kashmiri red chili powder adds stunning red color to the recipe without adding much heat. 

Garam Masala powder — Adds more intense flavors and spiciness to the paneer pasanda recipe. 

Kasuri Methi — A vital ingredient added to the recipe by the end of preparation, Kasuri methi magically adds distinctive flavors to the recipe. Take care not to add more than needed, as it can make the recipe taste bitter.

Cashews — Cashew paste lends more creaminess and subtleness to this recipe of Paneer Pasanda. Cashews can be substituted with coconut cream, melon seeds, almonds, or poppy seeds if you don’t prefer to use them. 

Expert Tips and Variations

Use the paneer crumbs —You may be left with a few paneer crumbs while cutting the paneer pieces. Do not discard these, as they will be used up when preparing the paneer stuffing.

Do not add milk all at once —Add milk slowly to the paneer stuffing/ mixture. If you add it all at once, you may have a runny stuffing/ mixture, and we don’t want that.

Cornflour slurry for sealing the paneer squares —Stuffed paneer squares need to be sealed before they are placed into the oil for frying. If not closed, they may open up in the oil, and the stuffing will disintegrate.

Avoid the ‘burn’ message —After the cooking is done, deglaze the Instant Pot insert for any bits of the mixture which might have stuck to the bottom. Scrape everything correctly from the base to prevent the burn message on your Instant Pot.  

Selection of paneer —You can use homemade paneer or store-bought paneer for this recipe. I have used store-bought paneer as the soft homemade paneer may crumble while slicing. To use the store-bought paneer in this recipe, rinse the paneer properly under tap water and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Now, place the paneer block into lukewarm water for about 5 minutes to let it soften. Avoid soaking it for long; otherwise, it will crumble while slicing.

When using frozen paneer —Frozen paneer needs to be thawed over the kitchen counter to soften before it is sliced. After thawing, place it in a warm water bath for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the water and pat it dry with the kitchen towel. It is ready for slicing now.

Frying options —You can pan-fry or deep fry the paneer cubes as per your choice. Pan-fried paneer cubes will turn out to be softer and succulent, while deep-fried paneer cubes will be more intense in flavor.

Use ripe tomatoes for best results — Ripe tomatoes add their subtle sweetness and slight tanginess to the recipe, just as perfectly as we want. You can use fresh ripe tomatoes for a creamy sauce or store-bought canned tomato puree to make the creamiest gravy. 

Prepare a smooth paste for the ultimate texture —Smooth textured gravy is the characteristic of this amazingly delicious recipe of Paneer Pasanda. To make the gravy smooth and stunningly luscious, grind the onion-tomato-cashew mix to a fine paste. You could even sieve the grainy paste through the wire mesh to render it a super smooth texture that takes the recipe to another level!

To add a vibrant hue —This recipe of Paneer Pasanda gets its beautiful color from the Kashmiri red chili powder added to it, although it does not make the dish too spicy. If you prefer a more vibrant color like the restaurant-style Paneer Pasanda recipe, you may add a pinch of an orange tint to the gravy and enjoy the drool-worthy hue!

The magic of Kasuri methi — Dried Kasuri methi is crushed and added to the gravy by the end of the preparation, which brings magical flavor to the best paneer pasanda recipe.

Cashews take care of the creaminess — The creaminess and lusciousness of the gravy are rendered by the cashew paste added to the shahi paneer recipe. Therefore, there is no need to add cream to the dish. However, if you still want to add cream to the prepared Paneer Pasanda dish, swirl it towards the end when you are about to serve this recipe. 

If substituting mawa — You can replace mawa with unsweetened desiccated coconut for this recipe. You can skip adding both if you don’t have a penchant for either. 

Customizable recipe — This recipe for Paneer Pasanda is completely customizable; therefore, you can scale it up or down to suit your preferences. 

Turn it vegan — You can turn this Paneer Pasanda into a vegan recipe by making a few changes – 

• Substitute the paneer with vegan tofu.
• Swap the butter with oil.
• Replace the regular milk with coconut cream

How to add a smoky flavor to Paneer Pasanda?

This recipe can be rendered with a beautiful smoky flavor that seduces the taste buds. The process of smoking the food is called the ‘dhungar’ method, which is quite prevalent in India. This is how dhungar is processed —

• Two pieces of charcoal briquettes are heated over the fire until red hot.
• They are then carefully lifted with the help of a pair of tongs and dropped into a steel bowl/ Katori.
• Two teaspoons of ghee are drizzled over these burning charcoal briquettes.
• As soon as the charcoal starts emitting smoke, it is transferred to a bowl (prepared for the Paneer Pasanda recipe) and covered with a lid for about 6- 8 minutes. At this time, the paneer soaks up all the smoky flavors.
• The lid is then removed, and the steel bowl/Katori is lifted from the dish.
• The smoky-flavored Paneer Pasanda is ready to devour.