Multani Paneer Tikka

A special appetizer, Multani Paneer Tikka, is cooked and char-grilled to perfection with a marinade of paneer cubes and other aromatic herbs and spices, adding an extra smoky flavour to the dish. This delicacy is crispy on the outside and exquisitely soft and creamy as you savor the first bite. Please do like and subscribe my recipe. The link is given below: Video link https://youtu.be/8jfRQ8YJAW0

Important Tips:

Plain Greek yogurt is perfect for making the marinade. 

 

Do not use non-roasted gram flour for the marinade. If readymade roasted gram flour is not available, dry roast regular gram flour for 1 minute in a frying pan.

 

To get the bright red color use only Kashmiri Red Chili Powder. 

Gently crush the Kasuri methi between your palms to help release its flavour and aroma.

 

Do not add hot mustard oil to the marinade. Allow it to cool down before adding to the marinade. 

 

Adding pickle spice mix is optional in this paneer tikka recipe. If you do not have pickle masala, add a teaspoon of mango pickle, mix vegetable pickle, or red chilli pickle. Make sure to chop the pickle nicely. 

 

While grilling, once the paneer and the vegetables turn a little brown from the edges they are ready to serve.

 

The longer paneer (cottage cheese) and vegetables sit in the marinade, the more flavoursome and juicy they will taste.  Usually prefer overnight or at least 1 – 2 hours to rest the marinated cottage cheese and vegetables.

 

To make vegan tikka, use tofu cubes or cauliflower florets instead of paneer (cottage cheese). For a vegan marinade for the tikka, skip curd and replace it with vegan yogurt or coconut cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Marination: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

 

Servings: 6

 

Ingredients

1 Cup paneer cubes, cottage cheese

1 Cup capsicum, cut into cubes

1 Cup tomato, discard pulp

1 Cup onion, cut into cubes

Ingredients for Marinade

1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)

Quarter tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)

Quarter tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

1 Cup thick or hung curd (yogurt) 

2 tbsp roasted gram flour (besan)

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp roasted cumin powder

Half tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ginger – garlic paste 

1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

1 tsp pickle spice mix,

2 tbsp nut pieces, soaked

1 tbsp khoya, grated

Quarter cup brown onion (sauté sliced onions until they turn brown)

Salt and red chilli power as per taste

Mustard oil as required

Water as required

Ingredients For Smoked Flavor:

2 – 3 hot coal pieces

1 tbsp ghee or butter, hot

Prep Work for Paneer Tikka

Cut the paneer and the vegetables. keep them aside in a bowl.

In a frying pan or tadka pan, smoke mustard oil over the gas flame. Add nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, and carom seeds. Turn off the heat immediately. Swirl and allow the oil to cool down. Set aside.

Prepare Marinade:

Combine thick curd, gram flour, spices, salt in a bowl and whisk to form a smooth, lump free mixture.

Mix all the ingredients and grind them to a smooth paste. Keep aside for later use.

Now add the cooled down, smoked mustard oil. Whisk the marinade nicely once again to combine all the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the paneer cubes and vegetables to the marinade. Mix to coat each piece with the marinade. You can marinade the tikka overnight or at least for 1 – 2 hours. While marinating keep tikka in the refrigerator.

Adding Smoked Flavor:

In the bowl of marinated tikka, place a small stainless steel bowl in the center. Add hot live pieces of coal to the small bowl. Immediately drizzle hot ghee or butter over the coal pieces to create smoke. Cover the big bowl with a lid. Let the smoke engulf the entire bowl of marinated paneer tikka for 5 – 6 minutes.

Cook over the gas stove on a grill pan. Either ways it does not take more than 15 – 20 minutes to get ready.

Drizzle lemon juice on tikka before serving.

Serve Achari Paneer Tikka with green chutney.