Grilled Paneer tikka

 

Paneer tikka is a favourite starter among a majority of the people , the texture of the soft paneer , marinated in a host of spices melting in your mouth , followed by the crispness of capsicum, onion provides a mouth watering experience especially for vegetarians with limited options of starters :) . So here is a recipe of grilled paneer tikka , which I adopted from a sanjeev kapoor recipe and tweeked it and added or subtracted a few spices  to suit my taste . It can be grilled in an oven or even toasted on a tava.But the end result is the same,mouth watering,melt in your mouth paneer tikka.

Preparation Time:2 hours
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Serves:2

Ingredients:

Cubed Paneer - 15 pieces(around 1 inch each)

Onion (cut in big squares) - 1

Capsicum (cut in big squares) - 2

Tomato(cut in big squares) - 2(remove the seeds and fleshy portion)

You can use any other vegetables like mushrooms too .

Marinade:

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon

Green cardamon - 2

Cloves - 3-4

Black teaspoon - 1 teaspoon
Star anise - 1/4 piece
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Chaat masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Tumeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Refined oil - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon

Whisked curd- 1/2 a cup

Salt - as required

For garnish:

Thinly sliced onions,lemon wedges

Method:

1. Dry roast cumin seeds,coriander seeds,cardamom,cloves,black pepper and star anise and powder in a mortar or pestle if you have one , else just grind coarsely in a mixie.
2. In a big bowl,add ginger-garlic paste,garam masala,chaat masala,tumeric powder,Red chilli powder,refined oil,lemon juice,salt and curd.
   
3. Marinate the paneer and vegetables in the mixture by mixing well.
4. Skewer the paneer and vegetables for grilling . I used toothpicks as I didnt have skewer sticks.
5. Keep refrigated for upto an hour atleast.
6. Heat a tawa and add some oil and grill the paneer-vegetables mixture till paneer is soft and vegetables appear grilled.
7. Serve hot with the garnish and mint- coriander chutney.

• Notes :
• If using an oven,preheat the oven at 210 deg C and arrange the paneer tikkas in the baking tray and grill the paneer tikkas for 15-18mins turning over the skewers in between for even cooking. 
• You can use different coloured capsicums for beautiful appearance.
• Masalas can be adjusted to suit your taste.

Green chutney:

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

Puthina/Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies - 1
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Garam masala / Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Scraped coconut - 2 teaspoons(optional)

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients together except lemon juice till a smooth consistency is obtained.
2. Take care not to make it too watery . I added coconut to get a slightly thick and creamy consistency , some people add a little hung curd.
3.  Add salt and lemon juice in the end.

Nutritional Information:

Paneer tikka one serving around 100 gms roughly contains around 200 calories.