Today Ashok taught me how to make his Shahi Paneer. Though I'm sure I missed part of the flavoring, here's what I know and remember:
He started with a pot of "onion sauce" mixed with whipping cream. Now, I use to think that the onion sauce was just cooked-down onions. Turns out that it also has a whole bunch of spices in it as well... definitely has garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cumin seeds, that have been sauteed in oil. Anyhow, the pot was heated gently - not boiling or simmering. He added a bunch of cumin power, and enough cayenne (or maybe garam massala - didn't see that part) to give it a bit of a kick. Then we added diced paneer (1/2 inch dice, roughly), along with some shredded mozzarella cheese. A relatively small amount of slivered almonds was then added. We tasted it, and adjusted for salt... seemed to be missing a little something - sweetness and depth... added some menthi (fenugreek leaves), which compensated for both. Done... no cooking, no simmering.
I like the textural touches of adding shredded mozzarella and slivered almonds. I also think that the spicy kick adds a great contrast to the paneer... as you eat, the two create a sort of yin and yang in your mouth.
One little thing that I've never mentioned is a tip for re-heating all these curries: because a lot of moisture can get lost as you heat, a good way to keep it hydrated without losing flavor is to add a little bit of regular milk.