Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe Restaurant Style Delight

What is Paneer Tikka Masala

For any non-native Indians, I believe it is easiest to explain if we break it down into its component parts. First, we have paneer. Paneer is ubiquitous in Indian cooking and is a great vegetarian alternative to chicken, lamb and other meats. It is a firm, non-melting cheese that is similar in consistency to tofu. Tikka refers to a piece of food that has been marinated and grilled. In this case, the paneer cubes are first marinated and later grilled before adding to the gravy. Finally, we have masala. While masala means any number of spices that are mixed, in this case the masala is referring to the spice laden gravy. There you have it! Paneer Tikka Masala can literally be translated to a marinated grilled paneer in a creamy, spiced gravy!

How to make Paneer Tikka Masala

While Paneer Tikka Masala recipe has many steps, do not be discouraged! Nothing is particularly technical or difficult, and I will walk you through each and every step with detailed notes and pictures.

Marinate Paneer

In a large bowl, whisk 6 tablespoons hung curd until smooth. Tip: Hung curd is made by bundling curd (yogurt) in cheesecloth and allowing the whey to drip away. This will result in a thicker yogurt. To omit this step, you can also use Greek yogurt, Icelandic Skyr or Middle Eastern Labneh.
One by one, add the spices, herbs and seasonings listed below:

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder ½ teaspoon garam masala powder ½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional) 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder 1 generous pinch of crushed saffron or saffron powder 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or gram flour ½ teaspoon salt or as required

Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix everything very well.
Add the paneer cubes (250 to 300 grams), 1 medium-sized onion (layers separated and cut in squares), 1 medium bell pepper (cut in squares or cubes).
Gently mix again so that the marination coats the paneer, onions and bell peppers evenly. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight. Tip: Do not skimp on marinating time! This marinating process imparts a lot of flavor and is an essential part of making this authentic Paneer Tikka Masala recipe.

Grill Paneer in Oven

Line a baking tray or pan with aluminum foil or parchment. While this step is technically optional, this method makes it much easier to clean the pan later. Next, thread the paneer cubes and vegetables on bamboo or metal skewers and place them on the prepared pan. While you don’t have to skewer the paneer, I find that it makes for less work turning the cubes in all preparations. Tip: If using bamboo skewers, you should soak them in water for at least 10 minutes before skewering the paneer. This will ensure that they do not catch fire while cooking. Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F) for at least 10 minutes before you grill the paneer cubes. For a regular oven, keep the top heating element on and keep the pan on the top rack. For a microwave oven use the convection mode and preheat at 180° C (350° F).
Brush about 1 to 2 teaspoons oil evenly on the paneer, onion and bell pepper cubes.
Grill the skewered paneer cubes and veggies in a preheated oven at 200° C (390° F) for a total of 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the oven temperatures). Halfway through remove the skewers and turn over for even grilling. Just keep an eye when the paneer is baking in the oven. You want the cubes to begin to brown at the edges, but you don’t want it to burn.
Below is the oven grilled tikka cubes. You can brown the edges a bit more if you want but do not overcook the paneer cubes.

Pan Fry Marinated Paneer

Heat about 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in a flat pan or frying pan or a skillet until shimmering. Place the skewers on the pan and begin to pan fry them on medium heat.
When one side is crisp and browned, gently rotate the skewers. Keep on rotating until all sides are browned. If necessary, add more oil to the pan while frying. However you cook your paneer, you’ll want to remove the skewers and set the grilled paneer and vegetables to the side while you make your gravy.

More Prep

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add halved onions (2 medium sized) and 3 medium-sized tomatoes to the boiling water. Cook for one or two minutes. Turn off heat. Cover and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Tip 1: For a slightly sweeter gravy, you can add 10 to 12 cashews to the hot water with the onion and tomato. Adding cashews gives a creamier consistency with a nice sweetness. You can add them to the onion paste in the next step. Tip 2: To make the tomatoes easier to peel, make a small “x” in the skin with a paring knife or a small knife before adding to the boiling water. The skin will slide right off!
Later chop the onions roughly and make a smooth paste in a grinder, blender or with a mortar and pestle. Do not add any water while blending the onions.
Peel and roughly chop the tomatoes. Make a smooth puree of the tomatoes in the grinder or blender. Keep both the onion paste and tomato puree aside.
Whisk or beat 2 to 2.5 tablespoons fresh curd (yogurt) till smooth and keep aside. There should be no lumps in the yogurt and it should be beaten well.

Sauté

In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering and add the onion paste. Tip: If you pan fried the paneer, use the same pan for easier clean up! 18. Stir often and sauté until the onion paste turns golden. This takes time so do not be in a hurry.
Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the scent of raw ginger and garlic goes away. This should take approximately some 5 to 10 seconds. Tip: Burnt garlic has a very bitter, acrid taste. Be sure to stir the ginger-garlic paste continuously and add the tomato purée as soon as the garlic is cooked through.
Add the prepared tomato purée. Stir well and sauté until you see fat leaving sides of the masala. Do not rush this process.
Now add all the dry spice powders listed below:

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder or sweet paprika 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander) ½ teaspoon cumin powder – optional ½ teaspoon garam masala powder or tandoori masala

Stir and combine well so that the spices are incorporated in the masala paste evenly. Now remove the pan from heat and place it on the kitchen countertop.
Add the 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of beaten fresh curd (yogurt). Be sure to use full fat fresh curd. Tip: When adding cultured dairy to a dish, you should always remove the pan from heat before stirring it in. This will keep the dairy from breaking or separating in your sauce.
Mix very well.

Make Paneer Tikka Masala

Add water and salt. Mix and stir again. Place the pan again on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat.
Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes or till the gravy thickens and you see fat floating on the top. The consistency ranges from medium to slightly thick. You can alter the consistency to your liking by adding more or less water.
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons light cream (or low-fat cream) or 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream and ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Stir to mix well and simmer on a low heat for a minute. Check the taste and add more salt or cream if you prefer. Tip: You can also about ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar for a bit of extra sweetness.
Finally, add the grilled or pan-fried paneer and veggies cubes.
Turn off the heat and mix well. 30: Garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and serve your homemade Paneer Tikka Masala with some naan, roti or jeera rice. Tuck in with a spoon and watch your family’s faces dissolve into ecstasy! This dish is always a hit, even with people new to Indian cuisine.

Expert Tips

Gravy or sauce: For the gravy or curry, use ripe, red and slightly sweet tomatoes. Avoid using tomatoes which are too tangy or sour or unripe. Curd (Yogurt): For marinating the paneer cubes, use fresh hung curd or use fresh full fat thick yogurt (thick curd). Do not use curd which has become sour. How is hung curd made? Hung curd is made by allowing all the whey (water) to drain from fresh curd or yogurt. The curd is bundled in a muslin or cheese cloth, placed on a sieve having a bowl beneath (to collect the whey) overnight or for 4 to 5 hours in the refrigerator. A heavy object like a small pan or pestle is kept on top of the bundle. Use 1 cup of fresh curd (yogurt) to make hung curd for this recipe. Paneer: Paneer is firm cottage cheese made by curdling milk with lemon juice or vinegar. It is very easy to make paneer. For making any paneer based curry dish, it is always best to make the paneer at home. If using packaged paneer, then follow the instructions mentioned on the pack before marinating them. Check my Homemade Paneer recipe. Grilling or pan-frying: Do not grill or pan-fry the paneer cubes for a long time as this will result in the cubes getting dense and rubbery. Consistency: The consistency of the gravy is medium to medium-thick. So add water accordingly to get the consistency you prefer. Paneer Swap: Simply substitute extra firm tofu or seitan for any recipe that calls for paneer. You could also opt to use soya chaap (or soy curls) instead.