Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian recipe, made with marinated and grilled paneer cubes (cottage cheese) simmered in flavorful tomato based curry with aromatic spices!
Panner Tikka Masala – The best Indian vegetarian curry recipe
There are few Indian recipes which are world famous, “Paneer Tikka Masala” is one among them! The unique flavor coming from the tikka masala is different from all the other Indian curries. That’s why we order “Paneer Tikka Masala “again and again when we go to the restaurants. Actually Paneer tikka masala is the vegetarian version of Chicken tikka masala. Instead of chicken pieces we are using paneer cubes in the spicy curry.
Paneer Tikka Masala goes very well with naan, roti and rice. There is a lot of variation of the tikka masala recipe available in the internet. The authentic recipe involves in grilling the paneer cubes in the tandoor oven which gives the smoky flavor to the curry. Here we are going to grill the paneer in the pan to make it easy and convenient to all to try this recipe. Tikka Masala is a perfect recipe for potluck. You can make the masala sauce and marinate the paneer cubes in advance and freeze it. At the time of dinner you can grill the paneer cubes and add it to the masala before serving.
How long the paneer should be marinated?
Allow the paneer to marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight for better results.
Can I add any other vegetables instead of paneer?
Yes, you can add vegetables like
- cauliflower
- potato
- mushroom
How to grill the paneer using oven?
Place the marinated paneer in the skewers and bake it in a preheated oven at 350F for 10 minutes.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes you can!
Replace the paneer with tofu. And for milk cream you can use unsweetened coconut cream instead.
How to make PANEER TIKKA MASALA?
Making the paneer tikka masala involves two important steps:
-Grilling the marinated paneer
-Making tikka masala curry
Let’s see the steps involved in marinating the paneer cubes:
In a wide bowl and add yogurt(curd), gram flour, ginger & garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, oil, kasthuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves) and mix it well.
Add the paneer cubes, cubed onions and capsicum to the marination and coat the masala well and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile add the chopped tomatoes and cashew and grind it to a smooth paste without adding water.
Now heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil to grill the marinated paneer cubes.
Grilling part, add the marinated paneer, capsicum and onions and grill it on both the sides.
Flip it and roast until a golden crust is formed on both the sides. Once done remove the grilled paneer and capsicum to a plate.
Making tikka masala:
In the same pan add some more oil and let’s start making tikka masala curry.
Add the bay leaf and chopped onions and sauté. In addition, add the ginger and garlic paste and cook until the raw flavor goes. Now add the spice powders one by one (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder) and cook it for 2 minutes in low flame.
Then add the pureed tomato and cashew paste with salt and give it a mix and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Close the pan with lid to avoid the splash of the masala everywhere.
After 10 minutes, the masala sauce would have thickened and you can see the oil started floating on top.
Its the time to add the grilled paneer cubes and bell peppers. Add the garam masala, kasthuri methi and cream. Let the masala simmer for 2-5 minutes.
Transfer the paneer tikka masala to a serving bowl and serve it with Naan, Jeera rice or roti.
Here is the detailed recipe video of the “PANEER TIKKA MASALA RECIPE”
Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
For Paneer Tikka:
- 200 grams of Paneer cubes 1 cup
- ½ cup of Capsicum/Bell pepper cubed
- ¼ cup of Red onion cubed
- 3 tablespoons of thick Curd/Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of Gram flour/Besan
- 1 teaspoon of ginger & garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon of Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of Red chili powder or Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon of Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon of Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon of Oil
- ½ teaspoon of Kasthuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
- Salt to taste
For Masala:
- 2 tablespoons of Oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ of Onion chopped
- 1 cup of Tomato chopped
- 10 Cashews
- ½ teaspoon of Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon of Red chili powder or Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon of Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon of Kasthuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons of cream optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a wide bowl add the ingredients under “For paneer tikka” section and mix it well and allow that to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile add the chopped tomatoes and cashew and grind it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Now heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil to grill the marinated paneer cubes, capsicum and onions.
- Flip it and roast until a golden crust is formed on both the sides. Once done remove the grilled paneer and capsicum to a plate.
- In the same pan add some more oil and then add the bay leaf.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté. Then add the ginger and garlic paste and cook until the raw flavor goes.
- Add the spice powders one by one (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder) and cook it for 2 minutes in low flame.
- Then add the pureed tomato and cashew paste with salt and give it a mix and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once you see the oil started floating on top and thickened, add a cup of water and mix it well.
- Now add the grilled paneer cubes and bell peppers to the tikka masala.
- Finally add the Garam masala, Kasthuri methi and cream. Let the masala simmer for 2-5 minutes.
- Then transfer the paneer tikka masala to a serving bowl and serve it with Naan, Jeera rice or roti.
Notes
- If you are looking for dark red colored paneer tikka masala like the restaurant one add ½ cup of tomato sauce instead of fresh tomato puree.
- For vegan version, replace the paneer with Tofu and instead of milk cream add coconut cream in the recipe.
- If you want to make this recipe in instant pot, follow the same exact recipe and cook the sauce by turning ON the “Manual mode” for 4 minutes and add the grilled paneer cubes and simmer the masala for 2 minutes in “Sauté mode”
Nutrition
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