Paneer Tikka

Mouthwatering Paneer Tikka: DIY at home

Ingredients:

Fresh Paneer – 250 gm

Besan/ Chickpea flour – 2 tbsp

Green bell pepper – 1 small size, cubed

Red tomatoes – 2 medium size, cubed

Red onions – 2 small size, cubed

Fresh thick yogurt/ curd – ¾ cup

Skewers – 7

Red chilli powder – ¼ tbsp

Coriander powder – ¼ tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Fennel powder – 1 ½ tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Chaat masala powder – 1 ¼ tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ¼ tsp

Kasuri methi – 2 tsps, crushed

Food color – ½ tsp

Lemon – ½ slice

Salt as per taste

Oil for pan frying

Instructions:

Pre-soak the skewers in water for 1 hour just to make sure that they don’t get burnt while pan frying the tikkas.

Tikka masala:

Take a muslin cloth and add 1 cup of fresh yogurt/ curd into it. Firmly hold the corners of the cloth and slowly turn the cloth in such a way that the water from the yogurt is getting squeezed out. Once the cloth is tightened hang it or place a heavy container over it. Leave it as is for ½ hr to 1 hour so that all the water gets drained out. Since I was in a hurry, I tried to squeeze out the moisture by holding the cloth tightly and pressing over it hardly. Most of the moisture got out but I was left with very less hardened particles in the curd. So, I added the thick yogurt instead of hung curd. I suggest you to be more patient and prepare the hung curd beforehand.

In a thick bottomed pan, add some besan/chickpea flour. Stir fry it until it slowly starts to change the colour to slight brown or till your kitchen is filled with nice aroma of the roasted besan flour.

Take a large bowl and add the hung curd, roasted chickpea flour, pepper powder, cumin powder, salt, fennel powder, chaat masala powder, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, kasuri methi, food color, lemon juice and mix well. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and mix well.

Preparing the veggies:

Take tomatoes, red onions, green bell pepper, paneer and cut them into slightly bigger cubes. Deseed the tomatoes and separate each layer of onion.

Add bell pepper into the tikka masala and mix well. Also, add onions, tomatoes and coat them well. Add fresh paneer and coat it evenly on all sides.

Now, take a skewer and pierce each of these veggies into it based on your preference. Firstly, i have added paneer, bell pepper, tomato, onion, paneer and so on. Follow the same process and pierce all the veggies on to the skewers and set aside. Make sure that there is equal spacing between each veggie for even cooking or roasting.

Roasting:

Take an iron tawa or shallow pan and add some oil. Spread the oil all over the pan and heat it. When the oil is hot place the skewers over the hot pan one after the other. Due to the moisture in the masala and the veggies it starts to sizzle. Slowly, roast these veggies under medium flame. Flip them over to the other side constantly for even roasting on all sides. If required, drizzle some oil over the skewers while roasting to avoid the masala from drying up. When the veggies are roasted well dish them out into a clean dry plate. Follow the same process and roast all the veggies. That’s it. Simple and super tasty restaurant style Paneer Tikka is ready.

Why go to a restaurant when you can make the fresh Paneer Tikkas right at the comfort of your home? Choose the variety of veggies you prefer for the Tikka and prepare the combination you enjoy the most. Surprise your family and friends with your culinary skills. What can be more precious than seeing a smile on your loved ones face? Make this Valentine’s day as special as you can. Do try this out and let me know your comments.

These Tikkas can be served hot along with the skewers as appetizers or dish out the veggies into a clean plate and serve them as snacks. The spicy and tangy flavour from the veggies just fills your mouth. Mmm.. Mouth watering soft paneer just melts in the mouth. As you start relishing the dish it makes you forget what you were discussing. Interesting! Isn’t it?

For kids, eating the veggies from the skewers is more FUN. For the curious motherly eyes watching them enjoy and making sure that the right nutrition is provided to the loved ones is nothing less than an accomplishment. Especially with picky eaters, choosing the right veggies or preparing the right dishes becomes a difficult choice or more of a concern. But, when we talk about Tikkas it’s a no worry job. My experiment with Tikkas was a great success and my family enjoyed it to the core. I am happy to share the recipe here. Please do try and share your experiences.