Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala recipe is known for its marinated and grilled paneer cubes that are dunked in a creamy onion tomato gravy.
Servings: 3 People
Calories: 443kcal
Equipment
- 1 Grilling Pan (or oven)
- 1 Cooking Pan
Ingredients
For Curry (Sauce):
- ½ tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 green Cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 large white Onion (roughly Chopped, about 200 gms)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 3-4 medium Tomatoes (roughly chopped, about 400-425 gms)
- 1 tsp Paprika Powder (or Kashmiri Red Chili Powder)
- 2 teaspoons Curry Powder (or replace with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
- Salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 6-7 Cashews
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Sugar (to balance the sour taste of tomatoes)
- ½ cup Water (or more if needed to adjust the consistency)
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream or Cashew Cream
- 2 tablespoons Freshly chopped Cilantro Leaves
For the Paneer Tikka:
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt (strained) (full fat)
- ½ tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 teaspoons Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder/paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala/Chole Masala (optional, but so good if you have it in pantry, use it)
- 1 tablespoon Chickpea Flour (Besan)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons Kasuri Methi (optional)
- Salt (to taste)
- 250 gms Paneer (Indian cheese) (cut into 1 and ½ inch cubes)
- 1 medium Onion (Cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 cup Bell Peppers/Green Peppers (Cut into 1 inch cubes)
For second Onion Fry: (Optional, but yum!)
- ½ Tablespoon Butter
- Whole Spices like 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 Mace, 1 Star Anise (or add ½ teaspoon more of garam masala powder)
- ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Onion
- 2 Green Chilies (Optional, just for flavor)
- 2 teaspoons Chaat Masala/Chole Masala (optional, but so good if you have it in pantry, use it)
- ½ teaspoon Curry Powder (or replace with a pinch of turmeric, ¼ teaspoon coriander powder, pinch of ginger powder and a pinch of cumin powder)
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder/paprika powder
- 2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
To make Curry:
- Take a pan and heat ½ tablespoon cooking oil on medium flame. Once hot add two green cardamom pods and cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to crackle. You may also add a tablespoon of butter at this point, if you prefer, I did not.
- Sauté the onions for a minute or so and add ginger-garlic paste. Cook till onions turn golden stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Next add in chopped tomatoes and also add salt, kashmiri red chili powder/paprika, curry powder, garam masala powder and cashews. Allow tomatoes to cook well for about 7-8 minutes. Turn the stove off and allow the curry to cool down. Blend the curry to a fine paste and set it aside.
For Paneer Tikka:
- Now it's time to make Paneer Tikka. In a large mixing bowl, add Greek yogurt, ½ tablespoon oil, chickpea flour, salt, kasuri methi, turmeric powder, red pepper powder, ginger-garlic paste and chaat masala. Give these all a quick mix and add paneer, onion and bell pepper cubes. Gently mix these all with marinade till everything is well coated. You can go in with your hands here to gently coat all the veggies. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- When ready to grill, you can either roast in on stovetop using a skillet or make use of an oven. To roast paneer and veggies in a pan/griddle, spread/spray some oil on the pan and place paneer and veggies on it. Cook them flipping a few times till paneer gets golden and veggies get slightly charred too.Oven Instructions: Arrange tikka on skewers, oil spray them and bake for around 8-10 minutes at 450℉. You can even broil it on 500℉ for 1-2 minutes towards the end for that charred effect.
For Second Onion Fry:
- Now back to finishing the tikka sauce (curry) off. This fry is optional, but you will love the taste and texture contrast this fry gives to your dish. Take butter in the same pan and over medium heat, add 1 black cardamom, 1 star anise, 1 mace and one bay leaf. After a minute add ¼ cup of finely chopped onion to it.Add 2 whole green chilies for flavor (optional). Allow the onions to turn translucent, stirring often. Once onions are cooked, add curry powder, red chili powder/paprika powder, chaat/chole masala, salt to taste and kasuri methi. Give it all a quick stir and add blended puree to this fry.
- Remove whole spices from the curry and add a tablespoon of sugar and remaining tablespoon of butter. Also add water as needed to adjust consistency of the curry. I used about half a cup and allow the curry to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cream now and give it a quick stir.
- In case you choose not to make second onion masala with whole spices, after blending the puree, keep it aside. Then over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pan, add ½ teaspoon of curry powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder (for brighter color) and now add the blended gravy immediately. Allow it to cook adding water and heat up for a few minutes before adding cream.
- Next add grilled tikka (cooked paneer and veggies) to the sauce. Mix well and allow it to cook for another minute or two till the curry and tikkas heat up.
- Garnish it with fresh cilantro leaves, more cream and serve it with roti, naan, or basmati rice.
Notes
- Paneer Tikka Masala can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
- It is crucial to freeze both Paneer Tikka and sauce separately so that it reheats well. Reheat on low flame or at low microwave power, to avoid curry from splitting.
- If you have any leftover marinade it can be added to the curry too, towards the end when you add cream. It will add a boat load of tikka flavor to your sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Person | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 97mg | Sugar: 17g