Paneer Tikka | Grilled Paneer and Vegetable Skewers

Tender paneer cubes and vegetables marinated in yogurt and spices, skewered and grilled to perfection!

Paneer tikka is a perfect starter for the barbecue or theme parties. They are easy to prepare, look gorgeous and adds a great variety to the vegetarian menu.

I'm addicted to paneer tikka and I can't go more than a few weeks without it. It is that one starter that I mostly order without even having a look at the menu, but it's actually really easy to make them at home.

My Mom recently surprised us with this exotic starter. It tasted super good, exactly like the restaurant one. I just couldn't resist taking a picture of this for my blog and post it for you guys! Mostly in the restaurants they cook paneer tikka in a tandoor but at home you can make them at a grill pan or in an oven.

You can use any vegetable that goes well with paneer but I'd recommend you to go with onion, peppers and tomatoes as they adds a very vibrant color to the starter and also adds a mild sweetness too.

Marination for paneer tikka is prepared with oil, spices and yogurt but it's always good to add roasted gram flour, ginger-garlic paste and lime juice for an added flavor. This marinade will give a great flavor and keep your paneer juicy. You can also substitute these spices with tandoor masala - a spice blend which creates a smokey tandoori flavor.

Marinate the paneer and veggies in the spice paste blend, toss, and set aside, for atleast an hour in a refrigerator. Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water so that they don't burn while cooking. If using metal skewers, no need to soak. Next, thread the paneer and veggies and roast them into a grill pan, tandoor or oven. And, your delicious starter is ready. It's so good, that the smoky-juicy-charred flavors will just you keep going back for another bite.

I hope you give this one a try - it is worth the effort and sure to impress.

PANEER TIKKA

Serve: 3-4 People
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marination time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Author: The Food Root

Ingredients

2 cups Paneer (cottage cheese) cubes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium size Onion, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium size Pepper or Capsicum, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large size Tomato, cut into 1 inch cubes

Marinade

1/2 cup thick Yogurt
3 tbsp Gram flour, roasted
1 tbsp Oil
1 inch Ginger, grated
4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp Jeera powder
1/2 tbsp Mango powder
1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp Cumin powder
1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
1/4 tbsp Garam masala
1/2 tbsp Chaat masala
1/2 tbsp Salt or as per required
2 tbsp Lime juice
Fresh Coriander leaves, finely chopped

Garnishing

1/2 tbsp Chaat masala
Lime wedges
Coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. Start cutting with paneer, pepper, tomato and onion into 1 inch square cubes.

2. In a bowl, add yogurt, gram flour, oil, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, jeera powder, mango powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala, lime juice and salt as per required and mix it well.

3. Add pepper, tomato, onion and paneer in the marinade, then toss with a spoon until they are coated with the yogurt and spices. Next, cover the bowl and set aside, for at least an hour in a refrigerator.

4. Thread the paneer cubes, alternating with onions, peppers and tomatoes on the pre-soaked wooden skewers.

5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil or butter on a grill pan and place the paneer skewers and let them cook for 3-4 minutes until it turns crisp and golden brown. Next, brush them with cooking oil and flip them and let it cook for 2-3 minutes till its turn crisp and golden brown.

6. Alternately you can grill them in an oven instead of roasting them in a grill pan. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line baking tray with parchment paper or aluminium foil and coat it with cooking spray. Arrange the skewers, keeping enough space in between them and brush them with some oil.

7. Bake them for about 15-18 minutes or till you see the edges slightly browning. Rotate them halfway through the baking process. Keep a close watch after 10 minutes of grilling.

8. Remove these delicious paneer tikka on a plate and sprinkle some chaat masala. Serve them piping hot with mint chutney, lime wedges and enjoy!

Notes

1. Use homemade paneer or store bought paneer, both will work fine.

2. Add your favorite vegetables along with paneer and grill them.

3. Use 3 tbsp of flour in the marinade so that paneer doesn’t stick to the grill pan.

4. Roast the gram flour for 2-3 minutes before adding them into the marination.

5. Set aside to marinade for atleast 30 minutes or upto 8 hours in the refrigerator.

6. Soak the wooden skewers in water for atleast half an hour, else they’ll burn while cooking.

7. Customize and adjust spice levels to suit your taste.