January 28, 2023

Paneer Tikka Masala

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Paneer Tikka Masala is a restaurant-style gravy made using grilled Indian Cottage Cheese or Paneer, bell peppers and onions, cooked in a spicy rich tomato and onion based gravy.

Generally restaurant menus are filled with numerous options for Paneer based gravies and to be honest, for many it is nerve-racking exercise to pick one!

But this decision has always been easy for me as I repeatedly keep picking Paneer Tikka Masala. Why?? Well, this is a robust gravy which has everything, right from the smoky flavour of grilled succulent Paneer, crunch of bell peppers and a spicy flavourful masala gravy.

I am one of those persons who can never get enough of paneer and whenever my wife frowns while picking paneer for both starters and main course, I settle down for this gravy as it has best of both worlds – Paneer Tikka and Paneer Gravy 😉

Ever wondered why the paneer tikka in restaurants tastes so good? It is not just about the type of paneer used, but also the way it is grilled in a Tandoor. The paneer has a smoky and a charred effect which just tastes divine. We generally do not have tandoors at home, but what if I tell you with this recipe and technique, you would get the exact same taste and flavours? Yes! I am not exaggerating here. Try making this dish at home once and you would be pleasantly surprised.

This recipe is a two-in-one recipe as the Paneer Tikka that is made for the gravy is the exact same Paneer Tikka which is one of the most popular starters for vegetarians. The heart of this dish lies in the perfectly flavoured and grilled paneer, and of course the robust gravy which is different than the one you would make for Paneer Butter Masala or Koftas.

Coming to the first aspect – how to perfectly grill paneer at home in absence of a tandoor? Most of us would generally use a tawa or a griddle pan to grill Paneer or veggies. While there is nothing wrong about it, but what you miss in this technique is the charred effect! I am sure we all love the charred black bits of paneer, isn’t it? We can achieve this by grilling the paneer tikka on naked flame and this is the trick to perfectly grill paneer at home! You also overcome the other common issue of paneer sticking to tawa using this technique.

It is not just about the grilling technique which makes this paneer perfect, here are few other tips that are equally important:

Type of Paneer – we generally get two types of paneer, one made from cow’s milk which is the common one available in commercial packets and the other one made using Buffalo Milk. Make sure to use Buffalo milk paneer for Paneer Tikka, as it is much softer and succulent. Buffalo milk paneer is marginally higher in fat content, but ditch the calories for the sake of taste 😉
Smoking – I can’t stress enough about the importance of this step as this is what imparts the restaurant type smoky flavour to paneer. All you need is a piece of charcoal! Make sure to smoke just for one minute and no longer than that, else it would overpower the dish.
Marinade – The Paneer tastes only as good as the marinade used to make it! The marinade generally contains thick or hung curd, roasted gram flour or besan, lemon juice, oil and an array of spices.

The gravy for Paneer tikka masala is primarily an onion-tomato based gravy. Unlike Paneer Butter Masala, cashew and fresh cream are not used in this recipe. The richness comes from the leftover marinade of the paneer which is curd based and full of smoky flavour and spices. The ratio of onion to tomatoes is 1:2. It is important to roast the onions till they are deep golden brown on a medium flame as it imparts a wonderful taste and sweetness to the gravy.

The gravy is finished with Kasuri methi, garam masala and a dash of milk to adjust the consistency. My secret ingredient in this gravy is ‘honey’ which balances out all the flavours! The grilled paneer and bell peppers are to be cooked no longer than a minute in the gravy. This will ensure that the bell peppers still hold some crunch.

Serving Suggestion

Paneer Tikka Masala is best paired with Garlic Butter Naan. However you can serve it with other Indian breads of your choice like Lachcha Paratha, Tandoori roti or Missi roti. It can also be had with Jeera Rice or Pulao.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Kannan

Paneer Tikka Masala is a restaurant-style gravy made using grilled Indian Cottage Cheese or Paneer, bell peppers and onions, cooked in a spicy and flavourful onion and tomato based gravy.

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 15

Course Main Course

Cuisine North-Indian, Punjabi

Servings 5 people

Equipment

Metal Skewers preferably with square edges

Ingredients

For Paneer Tikka

400 grams Delhi Paneer made from Buffalo milk
½ Yellow Bell Pepper or Capsicum
½ Red Bell Pepper or Capsicum
½ Green Bell Pepper or Capsicum
½ Large Onion
4 tbsp Thick Curd
1½ tbsp Dry roasted Gram flour or Besan
2 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Dhaniya or Coriander Powder
1 tsp Roasted Jeera or Cumin Powder
½ tsp Chaat Masala
½ tsp Kala Namak or Rock Salt
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
¼ tsp Crushed Black Pepper
Juice of ½ Lemon
Salt to taste

For Gravy

2 Large Onions
4-5 Tomatoes
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Kasuri Methi
⅓ cup Full Cream Milk
2 tbsp Butter
3 tsp Oil
Left over marinade from Paneer Tikka
Salt to taste
Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

Instructions

Let's begin with the preparation of Paneer Tikka. Soak the paneer in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. This will make the paneer soft and moist.
Dice the red, yellow and green bell peppers into perfect cubes.
Dice the onions into cubes and by separating the petals.
Once the paneer is soaked well in water, drain the water and dice it in large square chunks. Make sure to keep the paneer thick and slightly big pieces as it tastes best this way in tikka and the gravy.
For making the marinade, take a large bowl and 4 tablespoons of thick curd or hung curd. Add all the dry spices mentioned in the Paneer Tikka Ingredient list. Mix well.
Now squeeze juice of half of a lemon, and add salt and pepper to taste.
First, add the paneer cubes to the marinade and coat well. The reason I am adding paneer first is because if we try to mix bell peppers and paneer together, paneer might break. Once the paneer is well coated, keep the paneer in a separate dish.
Next, add the diced bell peppers and onions to the marinade and mix well.
Now transfer the paneer and bell peppers together.
For adding smoke to the paneer, heat one small piece of coal over the flame directly till it is red hot.
Prepare a small aluminum foil cup and place it over the paneer. Now keep the heated coal over it and add 1 teaspoon of ghee. Cover with a lid immediately. Let the paneer smoke exactly for 1 minute. If the paneer is smoked for longer, it will be overpowered with smoky flavour.
Remove the lid. Let the paneer rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, lets prepare the base for the gravy. Heat a kadai and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 2 chopped onions and add some salt and cook on medium flame till the onions are deep golden brown in colour.
Once the onions have turned brown, add 1 teaspoon of Ginger Garlic paste and mix. Add 4 to 5 chopped tomatoes and mix.
Cover with lid and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes or till the tomatoes are soft. Let the onion and tomato mix cool completely.
Now blend this mix to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. The base for gravy is ready.
For grilling the paneer, use thick metal skewers which have square edges. Arrange the bell peppers, onion and paneer alternatively and pack tightly. Square edge skewers work best as the paneer won't rotate while grilling.
Grill the paneer over flame directly (one or two inches above flame) and keep rotating while grilling. Grill till there is some char on the edges.
Grill all the paneer skewers. Take the paneer out of the skewers carefully, by sliding the bell peppers. If you try to pull the paneer directly, it might break. Paneer tikka is ready.
To finish the gravy, heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a kadai and add 2 tablespoons of butter to it.
Keeping the flame low, add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli powder. Mix well.
Now add the ground tomato and onion paste. Add ½ cup water and mix well. Bring to boil.
Add ½ cup water to the remaining marinade and add this to the gravy. Mix and cook till it comes to a gentle boil.
Next add crushed kasuri methi and a generous squeeze of honey.
To adjust the consistency, add ⅓ cup of full cream milk and bring to a gentle boil again.
Finally add 1 teaspoon garam masala and add all the grilled paneer and bell peppers. Mix and cook for 1 minute.
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. Paneer Tikka Masala is ready. Serve with Garlic Naan or bread of your choice.

Video

Notes

Use Delhi Paneer or Paneer made from buffalo milk for the best results.
Keep the paneer chunks big in size as it gives good texture and taste.
Smoking the paneer gives it wonderful flavour and aroma. But make sure that you do not smoke more than a minute, else it would overpower the dish.
Grilling the paneer over flame directly gives the best charred and smoky flavour. Grill one or two inches above the flame and not directly over it. You could also grill on a griddle pan or tawa.
This paneer tikka can be served as a starter too along with a salad and green chutney.
Onions are to be slow cooked till completely brown for the best flavour and taste.
Addition of honey to the gravy balances the flavours.