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Easy Paneer Tikka
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5 from 6 votes

Paneer Tikka

Juicy chunks of Indian cottage cheese marinated in homemade tandoori paste and grilled until charred. Perfect with naan, roti or paratha.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: cheese, kebab, north indian, paneer, skewer, tandoori, vegetarian
Servings: 6
Author: Sanjana

Equipment

  • 6 large metal kebab skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak in cold water for 1 hour prior to skewering the paneer)

Ingredients

For the paneer & marinade:

  • 400 g paneer cut into large cubes (soak in hot water for 5 minutes and drain)
  • 2 bell peppers cut into large squares
  • 2 red onions quartered and separated into petals
  • 75 g plain yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 2 cardamom pods (seeds ground)
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp black salt
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
  • 2 tbsp chickpea flour
  • 2 large cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 cm piece ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp sunflower, vegetable, mustard or rapeseed oil

To serve:

  • 1 tbsp melted ghee for brushing on the cooked tikka
  • Sliced onions and tomatoes
  • Fresh coriander leaves chopped

Instructions

  • Roast the chickpea flour in a dry pan until lightly toasted. Set aside.
  • Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade, including the roasted chickpea flour and except the oil.
  • Heat the oil over a high heat until smoking hot. Carefully whisk this into the marinade.
    Add the paneer, peppers and onions. Mix well to coat and set aside for 30 mins (or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days).
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  • Skewer the paneer, onions and peppers on the skewers, alternating in each ingredient.
  • Set a metal wire rack on top of a baking tray and arrange the skewers on top. Bake for 10 minutes if proceeding to the next step, or 15 minutes if skipping the next step.
  • Optional: Once out of the oven, hold each skewer over a direct flame on your hob burner roll char the outside. Be careful not to burn yourself and open a window before you start.
  • Brush the paneer tikka pieces with melted ghee and serve immediately with all the accompaniments.

Notes

This paneer tikka is excellent with naan, roti or a simple salad.