paneer tikka masala recipe with step by step method. paneer tikka masala is favorite with many people across India and its a popular punjabi dish.

this paneer tikka masala recipe is pretty rich and heavy. the gravy is made with onions, tomato puree, yogurt and cream.

While making the gravy, one point which is essential is balance in the flavors and taste.  i suggest to use ripe, red and slightly sweet tomatoes and fresh curd/yogurt. Avoid using tomatoes which are too tangy or sour. The same rule applies with yogurt. Use fresh full fat yogurt and not one which has become sour.

Paneer tikka masala is a lengthy dish so some prep work often helps. You can marinate paneer the night before and keep in the refrigerator. Minimum marination is of 1 hour.

the tikka recipe is very versatile and can be grilled, broiled or even pan fried. i have shown both the grilled and pan fried method in this post. If you prefer less hand work then grill the paneer tikka in the oven. If you don’t have an oven, then heat some oil in a non stick pan or tava/griddle and pan fry the paneer tikka cubes till golden.

paneer tikka masala goes best with naan, paratha and even with tandoori rotis. however they also can be served with plain rice and Jeera rice. so do try this restaurant style paneer tikka masala recipe.

paneer tikka masala

PREP TIME

1 hour 30 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

2 hours

paneer tikka masala - marinated grilled paneer cubes in onion-tomato yogurt based curry.

RECIPE TYPE: main

CUISINE: punjabi, north indian

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for the paneer tikka:

·         250 to 300 grams paneer, cut into cubes or squares

·         1 medium green/red/yellow bell pepper, diced

·         1 medium onion, halved and the layers removed

·         6 tbsp thick yogurt or hung yogurt/curd

·         ½ inch ginger + 2 small garlic, crushed to a smooth paste in mortar-pestle, about ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste

·         1 tsp lime juice

·         ½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch or red chili powder

·         ½ tsp garam masala powder or tandoori masala powder

·         ¼ tsp turmeric powder

·         2 to 3 pinches of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg

·         a generous pinch of crushed saffron or saffron powder (optional)

·         1 tbsp corn starch or besan/gram flour

·         ½ to tsp oil for brushing

·         ½ tsp salt or as required

for the tikka masala/gravy/sauce/curry:

·         2 medium onions or 1 large onion, 100 gms, peeled and halved

·         3 medium tomatoes, 200 gms

·         3 to 4 garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger - crushed in a mortar-pestle to a paste. about 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

·         2 to 2.5 tbsp fresh full fat curd or yogurt- whisked well till smooth

·         1 tsp coriander powder

·         ½ tsp cumin powder (optional)

·         ½ tsp garam masala powder

·         ½ tsp red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch

·         ¼ tsp turmeric powder

·         ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves

·         ½ cup water or add as required

·         3 to 4 tbsp low fat cream, 25% to 35% low fat (i used amul cream)

·         2 tbsp oil or 2 tbsp butter

·         ½ to 1 tsp sugar (optional)

·         a few coriander leaves for garnishing

·         salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

Making the grilled paneer tikka:

1.      Whisk the hung curd/yogurt till smooth in a large bowl. You can also use a really thick curd instead of hung curd.

2.      Add all the ginger-garlic paste, spice powders, corn starch or gram flour & salt. mix well.

3.      Add the paneer cubes, onions, bell pepper.

4.      Gently mix again so that the marination coats the paneer, onions and bell peppers evenly. Cover the bowl & marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Grilling method:

1.      Line a baking tray or pan with aluminum foil. This method makes its easier to clean the pan later.

2.      Thread the paneer cubes on a bamboo or metal skewers and place them on the prepared pan. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit for at least 10 minutes before you grill the tikkas. for a regular oven, keep both the top and bottom elements on and keep the pan in the center rack. For a microwave oven use the convection mode and preheat at 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees fahrenheit.

3.      Brush about ½ tsp oil evenly on the paneer and bell pepper cubes.

4.      Grill the paneer in an preheated oven at 200 degrees C/390 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-25 minutes (depending on the oven temperatures). i have a really slow oven, so it took 28 mins for the paneer cubes to be grilled and browned at the edges. just keep an eye when the paneer is getting grilled in the oven. For a microwave oven in the convection mode, use 180 degrees celsius/350 degrees fahrenheit for grilling the tikka.

Pan frying method:

1.      Heat about ½ tbsp oil in a pan. Place the threaded paneer tikka with the skewers on the pan.

2.      Gently rotate the skewers, when one side is crisp and browned. keep on rotating till all the sides are browned. add more oil if required, while frying. Keep the fried paneer tikka aside.

Preparing the tikka masala/gravy/sauce/curry:

1.      Boil water with a pinch of salt. Add halved onions and tomatoes to the boiling water. cook for one or two minutes. Switch off. Cover and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. you can also add cashews to the hot water. Adding cashews gives a creamier consistency with a nice sweetness. Later drain and chop the onions and tomatoes roughly. It’s not necessary to blanch, but blanching reduces the cooking time later.

2.      Later chop the onions roughly and make a smooth fine paste in a grinder or blender.

3.      Peel and roughly chop the tomatoes. Make a smooth puree of the tomatoes in the grinder or blender. keep both the onion & tomato puree aside.

4.      Whisk or beat the yogurt till smooth and keep aside. there should be no lumps in the yogurt and it should be beaten well.

5.      In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and then add the onion paste.

6.      Stir often and saute till the onions paste turns golden.

7.      Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

8.      Add the tomato puree. stir well and saute till you see fat leaving sides of the masala.

9.      Now add all the dry spice powders - turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala/tandoori masala.

10.  Stir well so that the spices are incorporated in the masala paste evenly.

11.  Now remove the pan from the fire. Add beaten fresh curd/yogurt. removing the pan from fire, won't allow the yogurt to curdle. Use full fat and fresh curd.

12.  Stir well. add water and salt. stir again.

13.  Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes or till the gravy thicken and you see fat floating on the top. you can keep the consistency from medium to slightly thick. the consistency can be altered by adding more or less water.

14.  Add cream and kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). stir well and simmer on a low flame for a minute. Check the taste and add more salt or cream if you prefer. You can also about ½ to 1 tsp of sugar for a light sweet taste.

15.  Then add the paneer tikka along with the veggies. stir again and switch off the flame.

16.  Garnish with coriander leaves & serve paneer tikka masala with some naan, rotis or jeera rice.


Also check:
vegetable pulao recipe