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Recipe: Tandoori Paneer Tikka Three Ways

August 10, 2023 16:24 IST

Chef Merajuddin Ansari's Paneer Tikka has a tandoor dish for your weekend menu.

The paneer is marinated twice -- first, in a ginger-garlic paste, and later, in a spiced yogurt marinade.

It can be grilled on the barbeque or roasted in the grill/oven or shallow fried. Enjoy it on skewers as a starter served with fresh mint chutney and onion rings, as a side with your favourite biryani or sandwich it in between a naan or tandoori roti.

Chef Meraj has over 19 years of experience and has handled continental, Italian, Mexican, bistro-style, fast food and Indian regional specialities.

Paneer Tikka

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the marinade

To serve

Method

Chef Meraj's Note: For a less spicy version, make a white marinade with 30 gm hung curd, 3 tbsp fresh cream, 30 gm grated cheese cubes, a pinch green elaichi or cardamom powder, 3 gm white pepper powder, 3 gm ground saunf or fennel seeds and 30 gm cashews (blended into a smooth paste with few tbsp water).
In a bowl, add the hung curd and the white marinade and mix until well combined. Add the paneer cubes and let it marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
And then grill.

If you want a chatpata option, try a green marinade.
Grind 40 gm pudina or mint leaves, 2 green chillies, 40 gm roughly chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, 2 gm kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves.
In a bowl, combine this green paste with 40 gm hung curd, 2 tbsp chaat masala and the juice of one neebu or lemon.
Mix and add the paneer cubes and let it marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
And then grill.

Editor's Note: For a recipe for mint chutney try Lahu Kapudskar's Mint Chutney.

For a vegan option, substitute paneer with an equivalent amount of tofu.

For Jain tandoori paneer, skip the ginger-garlic paste.

Chef Merajuddin Ansari is the executive chef at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai.

Chef MERAJUDDIN ANSARI