PANEER TIKKA ON STOVE TOP - A tickling treat!

"Paneer Tikka" - "Chunks of Paneer and vegetables, marinated in in a spicy yogurt  sauce, glazed with butter and cooked in a traditional Tandoor to bring out a smoked flavour"

The above statement reminds me of all the scientific definitions I have learnt in school. LOL!

Paneer Tikka in my opinion is one of the most popular dishes next to Paneer Butter Masala and is widely ordered in restaurants. It is a welcome choice for both Indians and Non Indians and an alternative to its meat counterparts. Cooking in a Clay oven (Indian style BBQ) imparts a distinct aroma and taste that are derived as a result of smoking the food. When paired with Mint dip the mouth feel is tantalizing. Paneer lovers- I can see you all nodding in affirmation. 



The recipe you see here is cooked on a stove top. Believe me. To get the desired smoked effect I cooked a couple of pieces directly on the gas flame. When I finished, I was pleasantly surprised to see that turn out as close to the Tandoor cooked Tikkas from a restaurant. The recipe source is from Yummy Tummy, which I have modified to my preferences.
All you need to do is to wait overnight for the spice and sauce to infuse well. The cook time is just 20 minutes. 
So, if you crave for some restaurant quality Paneer Tikka, please try this version. Its worth both the try and wait. FYI, I have not glazed the Tikkas with butter. The cooking was done on a very low flame only with 2 tbsp of oil. If you don't mind the extra calories, please go ahead and rock.



Preparation time: 10 min
Marination time: Overnight
Cooking time: 20-25 min
Cuisine: Indian/ North Indian
Level : Medium
Spice level: Spicy
Category: Snack
Serves: 5-6
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 166
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9 g13 %
Saturated Fat 3 g16 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 13 mg4 %
Sodium 144 mg6 %
Potassium 99 mg3 %
Total Carbohydrate 14 g5 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g7 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 9 g18 %
Vitamin A26 %
Vitamin C64 %
Calcium17 %
Iron3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables

  • 15- 20 cubes of Paneer (cut into squares of 1 inch, preferably fresh )
  • Red  and Green bell pepper - 1 each ( de-seeded and diced)
  • 1 Big Onion ( diced )
  • 1 Big Tomato  ( deseeded and diced )
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
Marinade
  • 1 cup thick Yoghurt ( you can also use hung curd)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp Gram flour/ Besan
  • 1 tbsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 2 tsp Tandoori Masala powder
  • 1 tsp Garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp Chaat masala powder
  • 2 Red chilli powder ( a mixture of regular and Kashmiri chillies)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp crushed Kasoori methi ( dry roasted in a pan and crushed)
  • a pinch of red food colouring (optional- I did not use)
  • Salt to taste
METHOD
  • Take a large flat bottomed vessel, add yoghurt and all ingredients required for preparing the marinade.
  • Mix well without any lumps and check for salt and spice. Adjust per taste. 
  • Except Onions collect all other ingredients ie... Paneer cubes, coloured peppers and tomatoes. I have used fresh Paneer. Frozen Paneer will ooze out water and you may not achieve a dry product.
  • Coat them in the marinade. Take care not to break the Paneer cubes. 
  • Ensure all the vegetables and Paneer are coated well on all sides and arranged neatly.  
  • Cover the vessel with cling wrap and refrigerate. Let it sit overnight for the spices  to infuse.
  • Thaw it for 30-40 min the next day before cooking. Add the onions at this point and let it continue to marinate while thawing. 
  • Heat oil in a large and wide pan. Place the Paneer cubes and vegetables one after another and cook on low flame until all the spice mixture is absorbed, coated and browned.
  • Gently turn vegetables and Paneer cubes using skewers or a spoon to expose all the sides to the cooking surface.
  • Simmer the flame to the lowest point. Using a Skewer, randomly pick Paneer cubes and vegetables and directly cook them on flame for very few seconds. Not too long. You have to be quick. Doing this just for a couple of pieces is more than sufficient. You'll get the smokey flavour. 
  • When done, turn off the heat. Leave it on the stove for 5 mins.
  • Gather your  Skewers/Toothpicks. Run them under water. Shake off the water droplets.
  • When the Paneer and vegetables are bearably hot, gently push them into the Skewer  for a colourful pattern. Alternatively you can use toothpicks. Forks can be used as well.
  • Serve hot and enjoy.
Mint Dip  -- To serve with the tikka





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It is very important to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness as it helps us focus on possibilities of improvements. A big thanks for taking time to stop by my space.Would love to hear from you. I am even more eager to know if you have tried any recipe from my space. Do leave your feedback ,suggestions and queries here. You can also reach me at tuma79@gmail.com. I hope you enjoyed surfing around. Comments tagged with link back to other sources, advertisement or promotions unless prior approved will be deleted straight away.

Thanks for your understanding

Happy Cooking
Sowmya

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