Hariyali Paneer Tikka (Stovetop & Oven)

Hariyali Paneer Tikka is a delicious starter snack that is made by marinating paneer cubes in a green paste or green chutney that are grilled or pan-fried. It is also one of those Paneer Recipes, which is a family favorite too as it serves for a great starter for our house parties and get-togethers. This delicious recipe can be made both in the oven as well as the stovetop. In this post, I have shared both these ways of making this lovely dish with Indian cottage cheese a.k.a paneer.

About Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Paneer Tikka, be it the classic one, this Hariyali Paneer Tikka or any other variation, is one of the easiest starter or snack recipes that can be made. Although the marination bit does take up some time, but otherwise, the preparation method is quite simple.

The word ‘hariyali’ means ‘greenery’ in Hindi language. Since, this recipe has a marinade made of fresh green herbs that lend a green color to the Indian cottage cheese (paneer) tikka, the name is Hariyali Paneer Tikka.

Most of the North Indian restaurants usually feature a couple of tikka varieties on their menus. Where the regular paneer tikka recipe is popular, even this Hariyali Paneer Tikka is widely popular with many folks. It is not just sumptuous but also beautiful to look at.

Though you might find the list of ingredients of this recipe lengthy, they are not difficult to get. Most of them are always available in an Indian home kitchen. So, you just have to get everything together and begin prepping up for the recipe.

You simply have to marinate the paneer cubes in the green marinade and then either grill or pan fry. There are many variations of making this popular dish and this recipe is one such variation.

Some other tasty tikka variations that you must try are this Malai Paneer Tikka, Achari Paneer Tikka and Amritsari Paneer.

About My Recipe

The recipe that I have shared here is a simple and easy recipe, but one, which results in a scrumptious tikka. The paneer cubes that are made in the pan have a crispy texture as they are pan fried.

For the main element, that is the hariyali or green chutney paste, you will require fresh coriander leaves, fresh mint leaves, ginger, garlic, green chili and curd (yogurt).

You just have to blend all of this together to a smooth paste, without adding any water. Also, make sure not to add the whey of the curd as it can add to the thinning of the marinade.

Rest of the ingredients that go in the marinade are a bunch of your regular spices – carom seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, dried mango powder and chaat masala powder. Also, some rice flour, lemon juice and salts.

Serve it as a starter with any North Indian meal or relish the flavors of the tikka by wrapping them in tortillas or rotis to make an on-the-go, delish tikka wrap.

How to make Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Make Hariyali Paste (Green Paste)

1. In a blender jar, take ½ cup rinsed coriander leaves.

2. Then, add ¼ cup rinsed mint leaves.

3. Add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic.

4. Add 1 teaspoon chopped green chili.

5. Then, add 3 tablespoons of thick fresh curd (yogurt). Do not add the whey of the curd. Just add the curd or else the marination becomes thin.

You can also use Greek Yogurt or hung curd. The marination has to be thick. If not, then it won’t coat the paneer cubes and you will just get a bland taste of grilled paneer.

6. Blend to a fine and smooth paste, without adding any water.

Prepare Marinade

7. Take the prepared green paste in a bowl. Then, add the following ingredients:

• ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur powder)
• ¼ teaspoon chaat masala powder

8. Next, add 1 tablespoon rice flour. You can also use 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan) or chickpea flour or cornflour, instead.

9. Next, add ¼ teaspoon black salt and ¼ teaspoon regular salt or as required.

10. Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.

11. Mix everything very well. Check the taste and add more salt, if required.

Marinating paneer

12. Add 200 grams paneer cubes to the prepared marinade. You can even add 1 small onion, 1 small tomato and 1 small capsicum (all cubed), if you want. I have not added them.

13. Gently mix the paneer cubes with the marinade.

14. Cover with lid and keep aside to marinate for minimum 30 minutes at room temperature or a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Below is the picture after marinating for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Grill In Oven

15. Now, coat the paneer cubes well with the marinade and thread on a bamboo or metal skewer.

Rinse or soak bamboo skewers (for 10 minutes) in water, so that they do not get burnt while grilling.

Place the skewers on a metal rack (kept on top of baking tray to collect the drippings) or straightaway on a tray.

It is better to line the baking tray with parchment or foil for easy clean up.

16. Keep the tray in an oven which is already preheated at 250° C/480° F for 10 minutes.

Keep in the center rack and grill at 250° C/480° F, with only the top heating element on.

17. Carefully remove the tray from oven, roughly after 8 to 10 minutes.

18. Brush some oil on the tikka. You can skip oil, if you prefer.

19. Turn over and brush oil on the other side too.

20. Keep the tray back in the oven and continue to grill for 8 to 10 minutes or till you see a few charred spots at the edges of the paneer cubes.

Overall, you need to grill for a total of 16 to 20 minutes.

22. Serve grilled tikka with mint-curd chutney or coriander chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala on the tikka before serving. Also, accompany with some onion slices and lemon wedges.

Pan Frying

23. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil on a flat skillet or tawa. Coat the paneer cubes well with the marinade and place them on the tawa.

Pan fry paneer cubes on medium heat.

24. When one side is crisp and golden, turn each paneer cube and fry the second side.

25. Fry the second side also till crisp and golden. Flip a couple of times, for even frying. Add more oil, if required. This way fry the paneer in batches of 2 to 3.

Make sure not to over do the frying of paneer cubes as this can make them chewy or dense.

26. Remove the paneer cubes on a plate. You can place them on kitchen paper towels to remove extra oil.

27. Once the heat is enough to handle, then you can thread them on toothpicks if you like. Or you can simply serve the tikka directly with small fork or toothpicks.

28. Serve crispy Hariyali Paneer Tikka with mint chutney or coriander chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala on the tikka before serving. Also, accompany with some onion slices and lemon wedges.

Expert Tips

1. Ensure that you are not adding the whey of the curd while making the green paste. It can make the marinade thin. Also, you can use hung curd or Greek Yogurt in place of fresh curd for the paste.
2. The marinade has to be thick. If not so, then it will not coat the paneer cubes properly and you will end up with bland tasting grilled paneer cubes.
3. Be sure to use fresh paneer. Homemade paneer is always better.
4. You can make this recipe with tofu, instead of paneer.
5. In place of rice flour, you can also use chickpea flour or gram flour (besan) or cornstarch (cornflour).
6. Vegetables like onion, tomato and capsicum (bell pepper) can be added in the marinade, along with paneer cubes.
7. You can add the spice powders more or less, according to your taste preferences.
8. Oil can also be skipped, if you prefer.
9. If using bamboo skewers, then rinse or soak them in water for about 10 minutes before using them. This will ensure that they don’t get burnt while the paneer is getting cooked or grilled in the oven.

This Hariyali Paneer Tikka from the archives first published on March 2014 has been updated and republished on March 2023.