If you have eaten shahi paneer in a restaurant and wondered why yours at home tastes thinner, the answer is usually the blend rather than the cream.

Cardamom leads it, with the hot spices kept deliberately in the background.

Cook onion and cashew down to a paste, add the masala, then milk or cream, and slide the paneer in at the very end so it stays soft rather than squeaking. Serve with naan and a squeeze of lemon.

Available at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.