31g protein, 5.5g fibre, 380 calories: Mumbai fitness coach shares creamy shahi paneer recipe for a healthy dinner

Who doesn’t love an indulgent bowl of rich and creamy shahi paneer? When paired with soft butter naans, crispy tandoori roti or a steaming plate of jeera rice — the taste doubles, leaving us craving for more. But more often than not, restaurant-bought or online-ordered shahi paneer usually comes loaded with excess cream, butter and oil, making it far more calorie-dense than we'd like. The good news? You don't have to give up your favourite comfort food to eat healthy. Mumbai fitness coach Vanshika Khurana has dropped a video on Instagram, sharing an easy and nutritious shahi paneer recipe that you can enjoy guilt-free.

As per the post, the classic shahi paneer packs 31g protein, 5.5g fibre and just 380 calories per serving, making it a wholesome and satisfying dinner option.

Shahi paneer recipe: Ingredients required

1 large roughly chopped onion
3 medium roughly chopped tomatoes
4–5 minced garlic cloves
2 green chillies
1 bay leaf
1 tsp of cumin seeds
4–5 whole black peppercorns
2 green cardamom
1 tbsp of melon seeds (magaz)
4–5 boiled cauliflower florets
¼ cup boiled pumpkin
100g high-protein Paneer for blending
100- 120 g high-protein paneer, cut into cubes/triangles
50ml low-fat milk
Salt, to taste
Red chilli powder, to taste
Turmeric powder
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Garam masala
Cinnamon powder
Kasuri methi
Sweetener, to taste
Water, as required

Shahi paneer recipe: How to make

To make the high-protein shahi paneer, first heat a pan and add cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, green cardamom and bay leaf. Let them splutter before adding the minced garlic, green chillies and melon seeds. Sauté for 1–2 minutes. Next, add the chopped onions and cook until they become soft and lightly golden in colour. The chopped tomatoes must go in next, which must be cooked until completely soft and mushy.

After that, sprinkle some salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and cinnamon powder and stir the concoction well. Add the boiled cauliflower and pumpkin as well as the 100g paneer. Blend everything uniformly until completely smooth.

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A post shared by Vanshika Khurana (@fit.khurana)

Once done, pass the blended gravy through a sieve and pour it back into the pan. Add 50ml low-fat milk and let the gravy simmer for 2–3 minutes. Then, add the paneer cubes and cook for another 10 minutes so they absorb the flavours. Stir in a little sweetener, crush kasuri methi between your palms, sprinkle it over the curry and serve hot with either flatbreads or rice.