May 16, 2017 by dassana amit 285 Comments

paneer tikka recipe, how to make paneer tikka | dry paneer tikka

Name: dry paneer tikka recipe
Prep time: 130 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 250 grams paneer (or cottage cheese); 1 bell pepper - green, yellow or red ((capsicum or shimla mirch)); 1 medium sized onion; 200 grams hung curd or thick curd (or greek yogurt); 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (or crushed ginger-garlic); 1 teaspoon ajwain ((carom seeds)); 1 to 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((haldi)); 1 teaspoon jeera powder ((cumin seeds powder)); 1 teaspoon dhania powder ((coriander powder)); ½ teaspoon garam masala powder; 1 teaspoon dry mango powder ((amchur powder)); 1 teaspoon chaat masala; ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, (optional); ½ tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon oil; ½ teaspoon black salt ((optional)); regular salt as required

paneer tikka recipe with step by step photos and video – popular and delicious tandoori snack which can be easily made at home.

this recipe is for paneer tikka and not paneer tikka masala. paneer tikka is dry whereas paneer tikka masala is a gravy based dish. some more paneer tikka variations you can make are:

for newbies to indian food, paneer tikka is marinated paneer (cottage chese cubes), arranged on skewers and grilled or baked in the oven. specifically the recipe is called as tandoori paneer tikka, as the paneer is cooked in the tandoor which lends a subtle smoky charcoal flavor to the paneer. paneer tikka is usually served as a starter.

i have made the paneer tikka in the oven and not in a tandoor. hence i am not calling it tandoori paneer tikaa 😉 even though i made it at home, the recipe was similar to the one which is served in the restaurants. in fact it was much better than the paneer tikka served in the restaurants. to make this paneer tikka in tava, please check the notes below in the recipe section.

since diwali is just after a day, i thought of sharing this paneer tikka recipe. yes, it one of those recipes that you can make on any special or festive occasion. at my mom’s place, biryani or pulao are special recipes that are made on all festive or special occasions. and at my in law’s place it is either rajma chawal or chana masala or punjabi kadhi or dal makhani.

but in both our families paneer tikka is a favorite with everyone. when we go to any restaurant, most of the times we have paneer tikka as a starter dish or we have paneer tikka masala with naan or tandoori rotis, if we do not have any starters.

paneer tikka is served with mint chutney. it is the same chutney that is served with all tandoori items. few more tikka recipes on blog are mushroom tikka, aloo tikka, tandoori aloo and gobi tikka recipe.

few points making paneer tikka recipe:

you can also grill or barbeque the paneer tikka. if you have a grill option in your oven, you can use it. i baked the paneer tikka for 2o minutes in the oven at 240 degree celsius with only the top heating element on.
best to marinate the paneer cubes for 2 hours or more. you can also keep the marinated paneer overnight in the fridge. since i made the paneer tikka for dinner, i marinated the paneer and veggies for 2 hours in the refrigerator. more marination, the better the flavors gets infused in the paneer and veggies.
the veggies used can be of your choice. i used red, yellow and green bell pepper with onions. you can use baby corn, mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli etc.
if you do not have oven or grill, then this should not stop you from making paneer tikka at home. on a non stick tava/flat pan heat some oil. keep the skewered paneer on the tava and fry the paneer and veggies till cooked. i have done both the methods and there is not any difference in the taste except the texture. frying makes the veggies and paneer a little crispy than baking or grilling these.
just to ensure that you have a smooth frying experience. add some besan (gram flour) to the marinade as it avoids the paneer from sticking to the pan.
whilst grilling or baking the paneer tikka, they become dry. hence oil is applied to the paneer and veggies to avoid them from becoming dry.
don’t overcook the paneer as they then become rubbery, dry and hard. the paneer shoud be soft, well cooked and yet succulent.
the extra marinade can be applied or brushed on the paneer tikka before baking/grilling them. if you are making paneer tikka masala, you can use the extra marinade in the gravy.

if you are looking for more paneer recipes then do check paneer butter masala, kadai paneer, palak paneer, paneer pasanda, matar paneer and tawa paneer masala recipe.

please note that i have updated the post with a video and final new pics.

paneer tikka video below:

paneer tikka recipe details below:

4.58 from 50 votes

dry paneer tikka recipe

Prep Time

2 hr 10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

2 hr 30 mins

paneer tikka recipe - spiced marianted grilled cottage cheese cubes.

Course: snacks, starters

Cuisine: north indian

Servings: 3

Author: dassana

Ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

main ingredients for paneer tikka:

250 grams paneer or cottage cheese
1 bell pepper - green, yellow or red (capsicum or shimla mirch)
1 medium sized onion

for paneer tikka marination:

200 grams hung curd or thick curd or greek yogurt
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic
1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1 to 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin seeds powder)
1 teaspoon dhania powder (coriander powder)
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
1 teaspoon chaat masala
½ teaspoon black pepper powder, optional
½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon black salt (optional)
regular salt as required

How to make recipe

preparation for paneer tikka:

chop the paneer in square shaped cubes.
the veggies also should be chopped in square shapes. keep the chopped veggies and paneer aside.

making marination for paneer tikka:

in a large bowl, take the curd and whisk it till it becomes smooth
add ginger garlic paste and all the spice powders plus ajwain, including black salt.
mix the spice powders with the curd.
you could also add oil at this stage if you do not want to brush the paneer tikka with oil later.
add the veggies and paneer to the marinade.
marinate for atleast 2 hours or more in the refrigerator.
remove after 2 hours and bring the marinated paneer and veggies at room temperature.
skewer the veggies and paneer alternately on skewers or tooth picks.

making paneer tikka:

preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 240 degree celsius.
on a rack or a plate arrange the paneer skewers. brush some oil on the veggies and paneer.
bake the paneer tikka for 15 to 20 minutes at 240 degree celsius or till the sides of the paneer are golden or slightly charred. baking time will vary from oven to oven.
half way through turn the skewers.
keep again in the oven and bake till golden.
arrange the panner tikka on a plate. sprinkle some chaat masala and lemon juice on paneer tikka.
serve the yummy panner tikka with mint chutney and onion rings with lemon wedges

Recipe Notes

to make paneer tikka on tava follow these steps:

use a non stick tava so that paneer does not stick while frying.
add two tablespoons besan in the marination. this will prevent the paneer from sticking to the tava and will give a nice taste.

how to make paneer tikka recipe in the oven.

1. take 200 grams thick curd/yogurt or hung curd in a bowl and smoothen the curd.

2. add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic to the curd.

3. add all the dry spice powders and black salt to the curd. below you see the following indian spice powders in clock wise order: 1 to 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) and 1 tablespoon oil. in the center is black salt.

4. hmmm. i have not used any red color in the recipe and i feel that the redness is less in the marinade… hence i added some more kashmiri red chili powder to the marinade. kashmiri red chili powder gives a nice red color to the food and its not hot.

5. mix well. can you see some little more redness in the marinade?

6. add ½ tablespoon lemon juice, mix and keep the marinade aside.

7. dice the veggies (bell peppers and onions). you can also use tomatoes if you want.

8. chop 250 gms paneer (cottage cheese) and cube them. best to use homemade paneer.

9. add the veggies and paneer to the marinade.

10. and slowly and gently mix them with the marinade. i tasted the marinade with my sis and both of us felt that some thing is missing in the marinade… it was close but not very close… what is it???…. and lo… i realized that i had forgotten to add chaat masala… so obviously the next step is adding 1 tsp chaat masala…. no prizes for guessing this step 🙂

11. ok… everything is marinated well. cover and keep the marinated paneer and veggies in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

12. this is how they look after 2 hours.

13. skewer the veggies and paneer in a skewer or tooth pick.

14. arrange them on a plate or a rack. brush with some oil and keep in the oven which has been preheated for 15 minutes at 240 degree celsius. half way through, remove from the oven and turn the skewers. again keep back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or till the edges of paneer and veggies are golden or slightly charred.

15. remove once done. serve the paneer tikka sprinkled with 1 tsp chaat masala and lemon juice. also serve mint chutney, onion slices and lemon wedges as sides.

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