Paneer tikka recipe is a popular vegetarian starter recipe made with paneer or Indian cottage cheese. Serve these delicious and colorful skewers as starter or snack with a nice chutney. This is the best paneer tikka recipe that tastes just like restaurants but with all real ingredients!
Paneer tikka is for vegetarians as it is chicken tikka for non vegetarians. This paneer starter is known as dry paneer tikka recipe whereas the equally popular variant is the tikka paneer masala served with naan, kulcha etc. Both dry and gravy version are real treat for tandoori food lovers.
Making paneer tkka in oven is easy and mess free. Slightly charred paneer cubes along with bell peppers and onions are a delight to eat especially if you have that green chutney.
I make paneer tikka often at home as it is one of the easy way to get some calcium in our diet. Especially when you use homemade paneer, curd and good quality spices this paneer starter is tasty as well as healthy.
This is a really easy and simple recipe that you will love once you try. This colorful and attractive skewer will be well received by kids too.
Please note that there are no artificial colors used in this homemade paneer tikka. Also I have made it less spicy for the kid so the color is a bit light than compared to restaurants ones.
Apart from serving as starter you can use these tikka in sandwiches, as topping in pulao, to make pizza or in paneer wraps too.
So What Is Paneer Tikka?
Tandoori paneer tikka is popular vegetarian starter made with paneer. Marinated paneer cubes are skewered along with vegetables lime onions and peppers.
The skewers are grilled in traditional clay oven known as tandoor. The resulting paneer tikka is a super delicious, juicy with signature chars ans smoky flavor from the hot tandoor.
Now not everyone of us will have tandoor at home. So I have come up with this easy paneer tikka recipe in oven as well as on stove top.
With some tips and tricks we can easily make this grilled paneer starter at home just as good as restaurants.
As mentioned above it is a vegetarian alternate to popular chicken tikka just like
How To Make Paneer Tikka At Home Easily?
To make this paneer tikka at home easily just follow three simple steps.
- marinate paneer
- skewer them
- Grill and enjoy 🙂
Marinating Paneer:
This is first step in this recipe. You marinate the soft paneer cubes in a mix of thick curd and spice powders.
This marination is what that gives excellent taste and flavor to paneer tikka. The marination procedure is standard and remains the same for most of the tikka recipes.
Of course there will be some variations like hariyali tikka, achari tikka but mostly the marination is standard.
The marinade for paneer tikka is a spicy and flavorful one made with a special spice blend called tandoori masala powder. But I never use that masala powder in my recipes. Just a couple of good old Indian spice powders are enough for this marinade.
Let the paneer cubes marinate for 2-3 hours for a deep favored tikka.
Skewer the paneer cubes:
Next step is to skewer the marinated paneer cubes along with veggies. I prefer to use bamboo skewers for this.
Skewer the paneer cubes and also cubed peppers and onions. I prefer to marinate the veggies also.
Grill The skewers:
Now this step is for those who have an oven at home.
Preheat your oven at the maximum temperature available for 15 minutes. Place the skewers on a foiled baking sheet and grill for 10 minutes.
Slightly turn the skewers and grill for another 6-7 minutes.
If you have broil option you can broil for last 2 minutes too.
Let the tikka cool for sometime and then serve.
How To Make Paneer Tikka On Tava?
Now if you do not have an oven at home then you can easily make this recipe on stove top. Just follow the steps for marinating the paneer cubes and skewering them.
Heat a thick cast iron tava with a quick spray of oil. Once the tava is hot, place the skewers and cook. Keep turning the skewers for uniform cooking from all the sides.
You can also make them without skewering as in this grilled paneer recipe. Also you can use a stove top grill pan if available.
Can We Make Paneer Tikka In Microwave?
Well, I do not own a microwave but I have friends who vouch for making in using a microwave.
Just follow the steps of marinating and skip skewering.
Arrange the marinated cubes on MW safe shallow dish.
Microwave for 3 minutes on high.
My friend refers tarla dalal’s recipe for microwave paneer tikka.
Tips For Making Best Paneer Tikka
Use best quality for paneer as in any paneer recipe.
I always prefer to use homemade paneer for paneer tikka recipe.
Next I prefer to make hung curd from homemade curd that is not sour. You can also plain greek yogurt
Use kashmiri red chilii powder for a deep color without too much heat.
While making in oven you can grill or use rotate and bake option if it is available in your oven.
You can also bake in a foil covered tray for 18-20 minutes. Just make to turn the skewer after baking for 10 minutes.
While making on tava
It is best to use well seasoned cast iron tava for paneer tikka as it will heat up well and also retain the heat for long time.
Add some gram flour to the marinade if frying in tava.
Always maintain medium flame and keep watching.
Grease the tava very well with oil. Cook the paneer and vegetables until the masala is well cooked and the corners shrink.
Variations and Recipe Notes:
If you do not want to use paneer cubes in this recipe then you can substitute it with tofu cubes or even halloumi cubes.
Instead of dairy curd cashew curd can be used.
Make sure to use a foil to catch the drips while grilling.
To save time you can prepare the marinade a day ahead and refrigerate. You can also freeze for a week and grill when required.
So I hope you will try this super easy paneer tikka and tell me how it turned out. Don’t you want to try it out today just by looking at those perfectly charred smoky paneer cubes?
Serve paneer tikka with green chutney and some lemon wedges. This makes for a perfect nibbler with drink of your choice.
More paneer Recipes:
How To Make Paneer Tikka Recipe
For The Marinade:
Take hung curd in a mixing bowl and whisk well.
Add crushed ginger garlic, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt.
Mix Very Well. Make sure that the spice powders are properly mixed.
Add the paneer and vegetables cubes and mix well. You can even toss well to coat the masala.
Cover and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours. You can even refrigerate over night.
In the mean time soak 3-4 bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours.
Making Paneer Tikka:
After 2 hours, the marinade would have well coated the paneer cubes.
Now arrange them in the skewer as required.
Cover a baking tray with foil and place the skewers. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
In the mean time preheat your oven at highest available temperature (240 or 250 degree celsius).
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. remove the tray and rotate the skewers.
Bake again for 10 more minutes until the paneer cubes are charred a bit and veggies wilt a bit.
Cool for 2-3 minutes. Serve paneer tikka with green chutney.
Paneer Tikka Recipe:
- 200 grams paneer cubed
- 1 large onion cubed
- 1/2 green bellpepper cubed
- 1/2 red or yellow pepper cubed
- 150 grams hung curd, whisked well.
- 2-3 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala or amchur
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic
- 2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- Black salt or regular salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- keep cubed paneer, onions and bell pepper ready.
- take hung curd in a mixing bowl and whisk well. Add all the other ingredients mentioned under "to marinade" and whisk very well.
- Add the paneer and vegetables cubes and mix well. You can even toss well to coat the masala. Cover and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours. You can even refrigerate over night. In the mean time soak 3-4 bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, the marinade would have well coated the paneer cubes. Now arrange them in the skewer as required. Cover a baking tray with foil and place the skewers. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- In the mean time preheat your oven at highest available temperature (240 or 250 degree celsius).
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. remove the tray and rotate the skewers. Bake again for 10 more minutes until the paneer cubes are charred a bit and veggies wilt a bit. Cool for 2-3 minutes. Serve paneer tikka with green chutney.
1. Add 2 tablespoons gram flour to the marinade if frying in tava.
2. Using veggies are optional
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