Paneer tikka, must be greedy to hear? Today I will make Paneer Tikka at home. If you think that it is only available in street-side fast food stores or restaurants, then you are wrong. You can easily make any tikka at home if you want.
Tikka is a very popular dish, the most famous of which are Chicken Tikka, Paneer Tikka, and Veg Tikka. But it’s not fair to compare chicken and cheese because these two things are my favorites. So today let’s discuss the recipe of tikka made with cheese, later one day I will write in detail about chicken tikka.
What is Paneer Tikka?
In short, Paneer tikka is an Indian food made from cubes of paneer marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor. I don’t think there’s a simpler definition than that. However, it is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka. It is very common all over India. You can easily find this Paneer Tikka in all Indian restaurants around the world. I think it’s not necessary to explain it’s taste because we all know it’s awesome.
How to make Paneer Tikka in Tandoor?
First, the Paneer (cottage cheese) is cut into cubes and marinated with spices. It is then arranged on a stick with capsicum, onion, and bell pepper. Then those sticks are grilled in a tandoor. The dish is then served hot with salad and mint sauce (mint + coriander chutney). Just because this tikka is made in a tandoor, you can call it Tandoori Paneer Tikka.
Variations of Paneer Tikka:
Variation means you can make this recipe in three ways.
- Paneer Tikka in Tandoor
- Paneer Tikka on Tawa
- Finally the last one Paneer Tikka in Oven
Paneer Tikka in Oven or Microwave
The process of marinating is exactly the same. After marinating, arrange the paneer on a stick. Then spray oil on it (this is a very important step to make tikka by baking in the oven). Then set the temperature in the microwave to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the paneer in the oven and bake for at least 10 minutes then turn on the broil. This will make the paneer crispy. If you want to eat soft tikka, bake for 5 minutes then turn on the broil.
Paneer Tikka on Tawa
It is very easy to make in a pan, and most Indians use this method because not everyone has an Oven or Tandoor in their house. The first marinating process is the same now. Then a pan is heated (needless to say a non-stick pan and very good if it is a grilled pan).
Then spread the oil or butter and cook the cheeses (cottage cheese or paneer) arranged on that stick. In this case you have to flip the paneer again and again so that it is well fried on all sides and if necessary you have to apply oil or butter repeatedly with the help of a brush. As a result, the paneer can be fried well and have a smoky flavor.
Let’s talk something about it’s marination process.
The taste of the Paneer Tikka actually stands on its marination process. This means that if you can do this marination properly, your tikka will be very tasty and juicy, but if that marinade is not done properly, you will not want to eat that paneer tikka a second time.
How to give proper marination and what ingredients are needed to marinate Paneer Tikka?
It should take at least 30-45 minutes to marinate properly, but better if you can keep it overnight but I know that’s not possible. This means that the more time you give, the better the paneer will be able to absorb the flavors. That’s taking your paneer tikka to the most tastier level.
Ingredients need for this marination are:
- Yogurt (I recommend Greek Yogurt because of its thickness)
- Coriander powder
- Red chili powder (it’s optional for me, I used Kashmiri red chili powder)
- Special chat masala
- Carom seeds or Ajwain
- Garam Masala (Hot spice powder)
- Kasoori Methi Powder (Dry Fenugreek leaves powder)
- Chinato
- Mint leaves
- Lemon juice
N.B: I always recommend using Greek yogurt, but if you don’t get Greek yogurt, you can use plain yogurt instead. However, before use, strain the yogurt in a cotton cloth to remove excess water and moisture. It’s called the hung curd.
Paneer Tikka Recipe on tawa or stove top with step by step photos
First take yogurt in a bowl, whisk it well to make smooth.
Then add all the spice powder like coriander powder, hot spice powder, chat masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, carom seeds, kasuri methi powder, salt along with a spoon of mustard oil. Also, add lemon juice.
Again whisk well to give a nice creamy texture.
Add previously chopped capsicum, bell pepper (yellow and red bell pepper), onion, and mix well.
Then add the paneer cubes. Mix lightly and make sure that the paneer does not break and a nice yogurt mixture is applied to it.
Then add a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and mix gently. (This is the twist of my recipe)
Now keep it for marinating about 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator. You can put it rest for 1-2 hours also to get the best flavor.
After the marination takes the paneer out from the refrigerator and gives a light mix with your hand to make sure all the paneer and veggies are well coated.
Now take a skewer and arrange bell pepper, capsicum, paneer, and onion on it alternating with each other. See the image for a clear vision.
Since I made this cheese tikka in a simple pan I need to heat a pan.
Then add 2 tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, put the skewers in the pan to fry the paneer.
After a while they should be flipped so that all the sides can be fried evenly.
If you notice that the cheese and veggie are getting too dry, apply the oil with a brush. This will give a smoky flavor to the tikkas.
When you see that your tikkas have been fried properly, turn off the gas and take them down from the pan.
Now spread lemon juice on it and sprinkle 1 tsp chaat masala. Serve with coriander and mint green chutney.
Paneer Tikka Serving Idea
Normally Paneer tikka served with coriander, cilantro & mint chutney, onion slices, and lemon wedges. But you can make a little change, follow my recommendation to get a little bit extra taste.
Once your paneer tikka cooked, spread lemon juice on it along with some chat masala. Cut the onion slices and soak in a little vinegar water (vinegar: water= 1:1 ratio). Then serve with the same green chutney. You can’t believe that this little change makes a huge difference in taste.
Special Chat Masala
You can easily make chat masala in home and store for a long time.
- 1 Cup coriander seeds
- 1 1/3 cups cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup carom seeds/ajwain
- 1/2 cup dry mango powder
- 2 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 1/4 cups rock salt
- 4 tsp black pepper, powdered
- 2 tsp citric acid
- 1/2 cup dried mint leaves, powdered
Take a pan and roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds, and black pepper together along with 1 large tbsp of salt (the secret of readymade spices). When the roast process complete place all these in a grinder and grind well. Then add dried mango powder, garam masala powder, dried mint leaves powder and a little citric acid (optional) to mix again. Your homemade chat masala is ready. Store it in an airtight container.
Paneer Tikka Recipe on Tawa | Paneer Tikka Dry
Ingredients
For Tikka
- 250 gram Fresh Cottage Cheese
- 1 pcs Capsicum small (cubed)
- 1 pcs Red Bell Pepper small (cubed)
- 1 pcs Yellow Bell Pepper small (cubed)
- 1 pcs Onion small (cubed)
For marination
- 200 gram Yogurt (Greek yogurt recommend)
- ½ tbsp Turmeric Powder
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper powder
- ½ tbsp Carom Seeds
- ½ tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
- ½ tbsp Kasoori Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves) powder
- ½ tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt as per taste
- ½ tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tbsp Hot Spice Powder
- ½ tbsp Chat Masala
- ⅓ tbsp Fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
Fry or Bake Tikka
- 2 tbsp Butter for frying
- 1 tbsp Oil for frying
Garnishing
- 1 large Onion sliced
- ½ tbsp Chat Masala
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
For Green Chutney
- 1 cup Coriander leaves chopped
- 1 cup Mint Leaves chopped
- 6 clove Garlic
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 3 pcs Cilantro
- 1 pcs Lemon juiced
- ⅓ tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Rock Salt
Instructions
- Vegetables should be cut first. So cut the capsicum, red and yellow bell peppers, and onions into cubes or squares. Finely chop the chili and place in a bowl.
For Marination of Paneer Tikka
- First take the yogurt in a bowl. Thick yogurt should be taken so I recommend using Greek yogurt. But you can use regular yogurt if you want.
- Then add all the spices one by one like coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, hot spice powder, chat masala, salt, carom seeds, red chili powder, kasuri methi powder, etc.
- Then add mustard oil and squiz 1/2 of lemon.
- Also, add chopped cilantro at this time but it's totally optional.
- Mix well to make a thick texture. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Then add all the bell peppers, capsicum and onions. Also add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste and mix well.
- Thereafter add paneer cubes into that mixture. Gently mix and careful about braking paneer.
- Now put this whole thing into refrigerator about 1 hour for marination. As long as you put it to rest, your tikka becomes tastier.
Cook Paneer Tikka
- After the marination takes the paneer out from the refrigerator and gives a light mix with your hand to make sure all the paneer and veggies are well coated.
- Now take a skewer and arrange bell pepper, capsicum, paneer, and onion on it alternating with each other.
- Now heat a non-stick pan or iron pan (grill pan recommend) with 2 teaspoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of oil.
- Place all the tikka skewers on it and start fry the paneer. After a while they should be flipped so that all the sides can be fried evenly.
- If you notice that the cheese and veggie are getting too dry, apply the oil with a brush. This will give a smoky flavor to the tikkas.
Make the Green Chutney
- Chopped all the coriander leaves and mint leaves and put them into the mixer grinder.
- Add garlic cloves, ginger, and cilantro along with salt, sugar & rock salt.
- Start the grinder to make a smooth paste. Thereafter add lemon juice and your homemade green chutney is ready to serve.
Serving Paneer Tikka
- Your Paneer Tikka is ready to serve. Spread a little lemon juice and char masala on it and serve with sliced onion and green chutney.
Notes
Nutrition
Tips:
- You can add gram flour or besan with the yogurt mixture. Also, it can use as a substitute for yogurt. That means if you do not like to add yogurt in your tikka, use gram flour instead.
- Try to serve this tikka in hot condition, because the crispness is only can feel in hot condition.
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