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About Paneer Tikka
Tikka basically means anything that is marinated and then baked or grilled or fried and paneer tikka is a popular vegetarian tikka dish.
This tasty homemade version is similar to the dish served in restaurants, but I would say actually tastes better!
The Indian spice powders mixed with the yogurt (curd) make a flavorful marinade that is soaked up by the porous paneer cubes. Grilling the skewers then produces a nice slightly crispiness on the paneer.
You can easily use this recipe of paneer tikka to make the very popular curry based dish of Paneer Tikka Masala.
What is Tandoori Style Cooking
For newbies to Indian food, tandoori style cooking is when marinated ingredients or Indian flatbreads, in this case paneer cubes, have been threaded on a skewer and grilled in a tandoor, which is a cylindrical clay oven.
This produces a subtle charcoal flavor and is a popular way of cooking in Indian restaurants. In this homemade version we grill the paneer skewers in the oven, although you can even bake them.
Most of the times for tikka recipes, the yogurt-based marinade is made which is unique to the tandoori style grilling.
This restaurant style paneer tikka be easily made at home. In this delicious recipe, paneer cubes are marinated in a spiced yogurt-based marinade, arranged on skewers and grilled or baked in the oven.
This spicy snack is a dry dish, meaning it is not in a gravy sauce, but the paneer cubes themselves are juicy and succulent.
Bell peppers (capsicum) and onions have been added to the skewers in this recipe. The veggies add flavor and nutrition and you can add as many as you like. This vegetarian dish makes a great appetizer or side.
Ingredients You Need
- Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese): This is the main ingredient in the dish and it is important to use a good quality paneer. In fact, as with all my paneer recipes, I recommend using Homemade Paneer. This ensures freshness and avoids any hidden ingredients and preservatives found in store-bought paneer.
- Marinade: Homeade Hung Curd (Hung Yogurt) is used as the base of the marinade. You can even use Greek Yogurt. The ground spices are then added to balance out the sour yogurt taste and give a flavor kick to the dish.
- Veggies: Here I have used bell peppers (capsicum) and onions. You can use veggies of your choice, including baby corn, mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli and more.
How to make Paneer Tikka – Restaurant Style
Prep Work
1. Peel, rinse and dice 1 medium-sized onion in square shaped 1 to 1.5 inches pieces. Rinse and slice 1 small to medium sized capsicum (green bell pepper) in 1 to 1.5 inches pieces.
You will need ½ cup each of onions and capsicum. Set these aside. You can also use tomatoes if you want.
2. Crush 1.5 inches ginger and 6 to 7 small to medium sized garlic to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle.
You will need 1 tablespoon of crushed ginger-garlic or 1 tablespoon of ready ginger-garlic paste.
3. Slice 200 to 250 grams block or paneer into cubes or squares and keep aside. Best is to use homemade paneer.
4. Put 200 grams hung curd (greek yogurt) in a bowl. With a whisk beat the curd lightly till smooth.
5. Now add 1 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or 1 tablespoon crushed ginger garlic to the curd. Also add all the dry spice powders.
6. Add ½ teaspoon black salt and regular salt as per taste. If you do not have black salt, then skip it.
7. Add ½ tablespoon (1.5 teaspoons) lemon juice.
8. Next add 1 tablespoon mustard oil. If you do not have mustard oil, then use a neutral tasting oil.
9. Mix very well. Check the taste and add more seasonings if required.
10. Add the onions, capsicum and paneer to the marinade.
11. Slowly and gently mix them with the marinade. Cover and keep the marinated paneer and veggies in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.
12. This is how they look after 2 hours.
13. Begin to thread the veggies and paneer alternately on bamboo skewers. Before you begin to thread preheat oven at 230 or 240 degrees Celsius or 464 degree Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Use only the top heating element while preheating as well as grilling. Soak or rinse the bamboo skewers before threading.
14. Place them on a tray lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper.
15. Brush with some oil all over.
16. Place the tray on the top rack and grill in the preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes first at 230 to 240 degrees Celsius or 464 degrees Fahrenheit.
17. Then remove the tray from the oven and turn the paneer tikka skewers.
18. Again keep back on the top rack in the oven and continue to grill till the edges of paneer and veggies are golden or slightly charred for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Do not grill for a long time as then paneer becomes hard. Since temperatures vary from oven to oven do keep a check.
You can reduce or increase the time as required. Total grilling time will be 15 to 20 minutes.
19. Remove once done. Serve the paneer tikka sprinkled with some chaat masala and lemon juice. Also serve mint chutney, onion slices and lemon wedges as sides.
Serving Suggestions
Whether you have made paneer tikka in the oven or on the tawa, it is always served with this bright Mint Chutney that is made with curd (yogurt). This chutney is the traditional sauce or dip that is served with all tandoori dishes.
Onion slices and lemon wedges are also traditionally served with this appetizer dish or starter snack.
They even go well as a side dish. You can even eat paneer tikka with roti, naan or bread or make wraps or rolls with them filled with your favorite toppings and veggies.
Recipe Credit:https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/paneer-tikka-recipe-paneer-tikka/
