Recipe of Paneer Tikka is a very common preparation that is used to make Paneer Tikka, which is a very popular starter dish among vegetarians in India. This can also be taken as a side dish and is made from Paneer (Cottage Cheese) which is available in all parts of India. Paneer Tikka Recipe is very easy to prepare but at the same time is very tasty and nutritious.
Before we go into the details of Recipe of Paneer Tikka, it should be mentioned that the Paneer Tikka recipe varies a lot from one place to another depending on a chef’s individual preference of the ingredients used. The main base of marination used in the preparation is hung curd. The people who are allergic to curd can also use the pulp of blanched tomato. By doing this the taste wouldn’t change much.
Homemade paneer is best for the preparation as it is normally much softer & reliable than the ones available in the market, but where this is not possible, Paneer from the market can also be used in Recipe of Paneer Tikka. Below we are describing the Recipe of Paneer Tikka dry variety in detail. However, in the Indian subcontinent depending on the preparation method, Recipe for Paneer Tikka can be prepared either in the Oven, Tandoor or in Tawa. So here we are describing - Recipe of Paneer Tikka in oven, Recipe of Tandoori Paneer Tikka, and Recipe of Tawa Paneer Tikka separately for the benefit of our readers.
1) Paneer (Cottage Cheese) – 200 grams
2) Bell pepper – 1 in number
3) Onion – 1 of medium size
Hung Curd - ½ cup (should not be sour)
1) Onion powder – ½ teaspoon
2) Garlic powder – ½ teaspoon
3) Chat Masala Powder – 1/4th teaspoon
4) Garam Masala Powder – 1/4th teaspoon
5) Black Salt – As per taste
6) Roasted Bengal Gram Powder – 1 teaspoon
7) Dry Fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) powder – 1/4th teaspoon
8) Turmeric Powder – A small pinch
9) Mustard Oil – 1 tablespoon for marination & another 3 tablespoons for brushing & oiling the contents in the final stage of preparation
10) Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
11) Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
12) Ginger powder – 1/4th teaspoon
13) Capsicum paste – Made from 1 full capsicum
14) Cloves powder – A small pinch
15) Green Cardamom powder – 1/8th teaspoon
16) Sugar – ½ teaspoon
17) Nutmeg powder – A small pinch
18) Kashmiri Red Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
19) Roasted Black pepper powder – 1/4th teaspoon
20) Pudina extract (juice) – 1 teaspoon
The image of ingredients shown above consists of – Paneer, Curd, Bell Pepper, Onion, Mustard Oil, Kashmiri Mirch Powder, Besan, Turmeric powder, Extract of Pudina Leaves & Capsicum paste mixture (in steel bowl) and powder of all other condiments (in small steel plate).
- Cut the Paneer into 1 ½ inch long cubes. Next cut the Bell pepper into pieces of similar size as that of Paneer. The one Onion is again cut into 8 pieces (First cut longitudinally in perpendicular axis like a + sign. Next cut the remaining pieces into half from the middle). Keep these items aside.
- Next make a fine smooth paste of Capsicum (mentioned in section C of ingredients), by the grinder, and keep it aside. In the same way, take out the extract of Pudina leaves and collect its juices and discard the residue of the leaves, while mixing the juice of the Pudina leaves to the capsicum paste produced earlier.
- Roast the Bengal gram flour in a dry Karahi on a low flame burner till its color changes a little (but not too much) and a nice aroma starts to come out.
- Now mix all condiments mentioned in section C to the hung curd + Capsicum paste & Pudina Juice mixture + Roasted Bengal gram flour + 1 tablespoon Mustard oil. Mix all the components uniformly by beating the components with a spoon.
Dip the previously cut – Paneer cubes, Onions & Bell Peppers into the condiments + curd mixture & mix them with a very light hand. Leave aside these components like this for the next 2 hours in the refrigerator. Ideally, if the Paneer is allowed to marinate overnight then the taste of the preparation increases tremendously.
- After the previously mentioned period is over, take out the Paneer mixture from the refrigerator and place them in skewers. A single cut piece of marinated Bell Pepper & Onion is placed between 2 successive pieces of Paneer cubes as part of the arrangement in the skewers. All the cut pieces of Paneer, Bell Peppers & Onions are thus arranged in the skewers present.
- The above-described steps are done irrespective of the fact if the final preparation is done on Oven, Tandoor, or Tawa.
- The next preparatory step would differ based on the fact - if an Oven or Tandoor or Tawa is used in the Recipe of Paneer Tikka Preparation. Hence these are described separately. For those who want to know how to make Paneer Tikka without an oven, the first 2 methods described below, of preparation using Tandoor or in Tawa would be helpful.
- Recipe of Tandoori Paneer Tikka is perhaps the most common method used in the preparation of Paneer Tikka by people who have a Tandoor in their own homes.
For this preparation, put the skewers (containing the raw items) on the Tandoor tray and roast the contents for 3 minutes. Later the skewers are taken out and brush the contents from all sides with mustard oil and again cook the preparation for 3 minutes in the Tandoor.
- Later take out the contents from the Tandoor and serve with either tomato sauce or green chutney.
- Paneer Tikka preparation can also be done on non -stick Tawa, by people who lack a Tandoor, by using Recipe of Tawa Paneer Tikka.
After the common initial steps are done, grease a non – stick Tawa with mustard oil and put it over a medium flame burner and allow it to become hot. Next place the skewers (containing the Paneer, Onion & Bell Pepper pieces) on the Tawa and allow it to cook.
- When the color of the contents begins to change then spread mustard oil on the contents by a clean brush and rotate the skewers on all sides till the Paneer becomes golden brown from all sides. Keep brushing oil intermittently on the contents otherwise, Paneer cubes will become hard by losing its moisture.
- Once the desired color is achieved then switch off the burner and take out the skewers from the Tawa.
- The preparation can be done on normal iron Tawa also. In that case, grease the Tawa with oil and put it on a medium flame burner and allow the Tawa to become adequately hot. After that, the flame of the burner is reduced to low and place each Paneer cubes and the pieces of Onions & Bell Peppers separately on Tawa (no skewers are used) and fry them from both sides by directly putting them over little (approximately ½ teaspoon) oil till the color changes to a golden brown.
- Next, switch off the burner and allow the contents to cool down. Once the contents are cooled down then place the Paneer, Bell Pepper & Onions in the previously described manner in a Skewer for serving to guests along with green chutney or tomato sauce.
- Recipe of Paneer Tikka in Oven can be used by those who have an oven in their house, as Paneer Tikka can also be prepared by using an oven.
For this place the Paneer, Onion & Bell Pepper containing skewers on a greased plate inside the preheated oven and spread little oil on the contents (by a brush) and cook the contents at 140 degrees centigrade for 5 minutes.
- Then switch off the oven and take out the skewers along with its contents from the oven and keep them on a serving plate for serving to guests.
- Paneer Tikka can be served with Green Chutney/Tomato sauce or red Chutney.
