Paneer Tikkaપનીર ટિક્કા
Paneer and peppers marinated in spiced yoghurt, then charred on a pan or in the oven. Serve with roti as a meal, or on their own as a starter.
Ingredients
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- 300 g paneer, cubed
- 1 capsicum and 1 onion, cut into squares
- 1 cup thick yoghurt, strained
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic, 1 tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp chaat masala, dried fenugreek
- 2 tbsp gram flour, roasted
- 1 tsp lemon juice, oil, salt
Method
- Mix the strained yoghurt with the roasted gram flour, all the spices, lemon, oil and salt into a thick marinade.
- Coat the paneer, capsicum and onion and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Thread onto skewers, or simply lay them on a pan.
- Cook on high heat with a little oil until charred on all sides, or roast at 220°C for 12-15 minutes.
- Dust with chaat masala, squeeze over lemon and serve with green chutney and onion.
Tips
- Strain the yoghurt or the marinade slides off the paneer.
- The roasted gram flour is what makes the coating cling.
Storing and reheating
Marinated raw paneer keeps a day in the fridge; longer than that and the acidity of the yoghurt makes it firm and sour. Cooked tikka keeps two days, though cold paneer feels rubbery. Reheat it for a minute on a tawa or five minutes in the oven. A microwave hardens paneer badly.
What you can swap
- Firm tofu works if you avoid paneer, but marinate it for only fifteen minutes or it falls apart. Potato and cauliflower chunks also take this marinade well.
- No thick yoghurt? Tie plain curd in a cotton cloth and hang it for half an hour. Greek yoghurt can go in straight from the tub.
- For chaat masala, mix half a teaspoon of amchur with a pinch of black salt and a pinch of roasted cumin powder.
- If you have no kasuri methi, leave it out rather than substituting. Dried mint adds aroma but takes the dish somewhere quite different.
What to serve with it
The hot starter served before dinner when guests come, with green chutney, onion rings and lemon. It appears on skewers at party and wedding buffets, and leftovers get rolled into a roti or stuffed into a pav the next day.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use paneer straight from the fridge. Soak the cubes in warm salted water for fifteen minutes, drain and pat dry before marinating; it keeps them soft.
- Do not salt the marinade the night before. Salt pulls water out of the paneer and tightens it, so for a long marinade add the salt at the end.
- Do not keep moving the pieces around the pan. Leave them alone until one side has charred, then turn.
- Do not overcook. Two or three minutes a side is enough; any longer on high heat and the paneer goes squeaky and tough.
Questions people ask
My shop-bought paneer is hard. How do I soften it?
Cube it and soak it in warm salted water for fifteen to twenty minutes, then drain and pat dry. The water should be warm, not boiling, because boiling water tightens paneer further.
Can I make paneer tikka without an oven?
Yes, and most Indian homes do it on a tawa. Get a cast iron pan very hot, add a little oil and lay the pieces out. For a smoky edge, thread them on skewers and turn them directly over a gas flame.
How long should the marinade sit?
Thirty minutes to four hours is the sweet spot. The yoghurt acts on paneer quickly, so an overnight marinade gains nothing and starts to break the cubes down. An hour is plenty for the vegetables.
