Paneer Tikka (पनीर टिक्का) originates from India, and is made from chunks of Paneer (cottage cheese) marinated in spices and grilled on tandoor. It is one of the supreme delicacy for vegetarians, as an alternative to Chicken tikka. In absence of tandoor, you can also make it on tava or oven. Tandoor offers best taste with that smokey flavour. You can make best paneer tikka at home with this paneer tikka recipe of mine.
What is Paneer Tikka?
Tikka = small cube shaped pieces of meat, paneer, or vegetables marinated in a spicy marinade. Paneer Tikka is small pieces of paneer marinated in spicy marinate. Normally marinate will contain Indian spices like garam masala, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander paste, lime and yogurt.
Paneer tikka contains more than just paneer, it has bell peppers and onions. You can also add other vegetables in the tikka. To make tikka, take small pieces of paneer and vegetables and put on a skewer. Subsequently, put these paneer laced skewers on tandoor, or over or stove top. Once cooked to desired heat, ranging from “well-done to medium to rare”, serve with mint coriander chutney along with freshly sliced onions and lemon.
Method to make Paneer Tikka in Oven
- Cut Paneer, bell peppers and onions into cube shape.
Paneer Cube Pieces 
Onion Pieces 
Bell peppers Pieces
- Take a mixing bowl and add yogurt and ginger garlic paste to it. Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt, lemon juice and mix well.
Ginger garlic paste 
Marination mixture 
Spices mixture marinade
- Now add cubed vegetables and paneer and mix them well so that they are all well coated with the paste. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinate for 2 hours.
Marinate for paneer tikka 
Mixing Paneer and Vegetables in marinade
- Take skewer and pierce through paneer, onion and bell peppers. Try to hold paneer pieces between 2 pieces of bell peppers. This way they don’t fall down while cooking.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 deg. Brush the tikkas with oil and put in oven. Let the tikka get cooked for 10-12 mins, till you can see light charred look on paneer.
- Turn skewers to cook paneer and vegetables from all sides.
- Once cooked take out the skewers and serve hot with green chutney.
How to make Paneer Tikka on Stove Top
Not everyone has access to tandoor or oven. If you do not have oven or tandoor, you do not need to feel left out. You can make delicious paneer tikka on a stove top using tava.
Get the marinade ready for tikka as above. Just brush little oil on tava and put skewers and cook them evenly by rotating the sides in between. Cook paneer tikka on medium heat, high heat will burn the tikka on outside surface though paneer will be raw in the core.
How to make Paneer Tikka on Tandoor
If you are one of the lucky ones to have a tandoor at home, you should make tikka on tandoor. This tikka made on tandoor tastes heavenly. The real smokey flavour is incomparable.
Heat your tandoor, make sure that the flames on tandoor have settled and that tandoor is hot. Now add skewer on tandoor and keep turning skewer in few minutes making sure that tikka is cooked properly.
Marination
In my recipe I have used the following things
- Yogurt (greek yogurt is best). Yogurt helps in sticking of marinade to tikka
- Indian spices, such as coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder
- Lemon juice, to tenderise the paneer and vegetables. Lemon also offer tanginess.
- Orange food color, this is optional, but gives the same color as you will see in restaurants.
Pro Tips for Best Paneer Tikka
- As the process of making this tikka is divided into two parts. Marination and then cooking. You can plan ahead and keep the marination ready and then make tikka whenever you want to eat.
- If you are using bamboo skewers, then dip them in water for 2-3 hours so that they will not get burnt while cooking.
- Always cook on medium temperature. If you start cooking just after the coal has ignited, tikka will not cook properly from inside and will be burnt from outside.
- Longer you keep to marinate, succulent your paneer will taste.
- If using food color, use only organic color.
- I always like using fresh paneer. If using store bought paneer, please do keep the paneer in warm water for 15-20 water. This will make paneer soft and tender.
- Make sure that you serve it fresh, else paneer will get chewy / rubbery.
This Tikka Is
- Gluten-free, as no wheat based product is used.
- One of the best Indian starter.
- Super easy to make, trust me!
- Admired by masses. This mean most of your guests will love it. Who does not like paneer?
Serving suggestion
Serve this tikka hot with green cilantro chutney or other chutney or your choice and don’t forget to put onion slices on the side.
Vegan Tikka
If you are vegan, you can swap paneer with tofu to make tofu tikka, and get same delicious taste as paneer tikka.
Recipe Card
Paneer Tikka
Equipment
- Skewer
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese
- 3 Bell Pepper
- 2 Onions Big size
- 2 Tbsp Yogurt
- 1.5 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 Tsp Salt As per taste
- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Tsp Orange Color Optional
- 2 Tbsp Oil
Instructions
- Cut Paneer, bell peppers and onions into cube.
- Now take a mixing bowl and add yogurt and ginger garlic paste to it. Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, lemon juice and mix well.
- Now add cubed vegetables and paneer and mix them well so that they are all well coated with the paste. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinate for 2 hours.
- Take skewer and pierce through paneer, onion and bell peppers. Try to hold paneer pieces between 2 pieces of bell peppers. This way they don’t fall down while cooking.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 deg. Brush the tikkas with oil and put in oven. Let the tikka get cooked for 10-12 mins, till you can see light charred look on paneer.
- Turn the skewers to ensure paneer as well as bell peppers are cooked from all sides.
- Once cooked take out the skewers and serve hot with green chutney.
Notes
- If you are using bamboo skewers, then dip them in water for 2-3 hours so that they will not get burnt while cooking.
- Always cook on medium temperature. If you start cooking just after the coal has ignited, tikka will not cook properly from inside and will be burnt from outside.
- Longer you keep to marinate, succulent your paneer will taste.