Paneer Tikka masala – Cottage cheese cubes in creamy tomato gravy

Wherever I go in the Indian restaurants here, I see English eating Tikka Masala dishes like crazy. So much so, that they have declared Chicken Tikka Masala as the national dish of England. While I wouldn’t debate over the fact that an Indian originated dish is claimed to be British, I certainly feel proud that they love it so much. And that’s what really matters. 

There are several versions of this Tikka masala dish to be found here, like prawn tikka masala, lamb tikka masala, fish tikka masala etc. Many of which haven’t even paved their way to the Indian subcontinent yet. So basically they have put in all kind of meats available and incorporated it into the Tikka masala gravy. The day is not too far when we would start getting bacon and beef tikka masala as well. 

The vegetarian version for us, the poor vegetarian clan, is this Paneer Tikka masala, which shoulders modestly with its Chicken-y sibling. I sometimes dream about the times when me and S, we go to an Indian restaurant and Order Chicken Tikka masala and Paneer tikka masala simultaneously and then throw fishy smiles at each other. Sadly, the curries we get in most the restaurants here are not great as per an Indian foodie’s standards. And so I mostly stick to the South Indian food or my restaurant favourite- Palak paneer which can never go wrong. 

More Paneer recipes-> Methi matar malayi paneer | Paneer capsicum in 20 minutes | Kadhayi paneer – no onion garlic | Paneer Pudina | Tawa paneer | Paneer bhurji | Cashew chili paneer | Paneer Makhani – No onion garlic | Restaurant style Matar paneer 

 

So I was saying, this tikka masala dish is basically a Punjabi curry. It’s a pretty rich and heavy curry and requires a bit of practice to get the desired taste as per your liking. Its important to select and use the right tomatoes which are well ripen, juicy and slightly sweet. The yogurt used should be fresh and thick. Try and use homemade paneer for your paneer dishes or use the freshest variety you get so the succulence doesn’t get dried up.   

Making paneer tikka at home is not that difficult as you might believe it to be. Its quite a versatile recipe where tikkas can be grilled, broiled or even pan fried. I had posted the recipe to prepare Paneer tikka at home using Oven or stovetop method, which is also one of the most popular recipes on my blog. It does require a bit of preparation which makes it a two day’s job but it’s all completely worth it. You may choose the method as per your convenience and time. I personally prefer oven broiled tikkas since its less handwork and the roasted flavour is anytime better. But if you don’t have an oven at home, pan frying the paneer cubes on stove top is not a bad idea either. Refer to my recipe for Paneer tikka to get the tips for marination and right flavours. 

More Punjabi recipes-> Maah Chhole ki daal | Rajma curry | Atte ka halwa (whole wheat pudding) | Dahi bhalla | Kadhi pakora  | Sarso ka saag |  Sweet lassi | Malayi kofta 

Paneer tikka masala goes best with naan (plain or butter) and even with tandoori rotis. Although if you are preparing it just for yourself, I would prefer hot phulkas straight from the tawa or some Jeera rice at side. 

The below list of ingredients look quite a long one, be vigilant to use the recommended spices but you may skip anyone you don’t have or don’t like. In the notes below I have given the list which I would never omit from the list personally. 

What you need? 

• 500 gms grams paneer, cut into cubes or squares
• 1 green/red/yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, sliced thick length wise 

For marination paste:

• About ¾ cup thick yogurt
• ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• A generous pinch of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg (jaiphal)
• 1 tbsp corn starch or besan (gram flour)
• 1 tsp salt OR as required
• A pinch of crushed saffron 

For the Gravy/sauce/curry/masala:

• 1 large onion, peeled and halved
• 3 large tomatoes
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ inch ginger piece, roughly chopped  
• ¼ cup fresh full fat curd or Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves
• ½ cup water or add as required
• 3-4  tbsp full fat cream
• 1 tbsp Oil + 1 tbsp butter
• a handful of coriander leaves for garnishing
• 1 tsp salt OR as required

 

How to make?

I am going to have you read my Paneer tikka recipe to get the detailed instructions with tips and tricks.  Here I have only briefly described the procedure. 

Prepare the marination using the listed ingredients. Add paneer cubes, onion slices and capsicum pieces and fold well so the masala is coated evenly on all the pieces. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 3-5 hours or overnight.

For broiling in oven-> Line a baking dish with baking paper,  and preheat the oven at 190-200 degree C. Thread the paneer cubes with onion and bell peppers on a bamboo or metal skewers and place them on the prepared pan. Grill for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Check once or twice in between and turn the skewers to avoid burning.

For pan frying-> heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a wide non-stick pan. Place paneer cubes, onion and capsicum pieces carefully on the pan and let them roast at low flame. You may also thread them in the skewers for easy handling. Keep rotating till all the sides are browned. Add more oil if required while frying. 

Keep the fried/grilled tikkas aside. Now lets prepare the gravy or masala of the curry 

Chop the onions and tomatoes roughly. Puree the tomatoes separately. Whisk or beat the yogurt till smooth and keep aside. 

Now, in a deep and heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add chopped onion with ginger and garlic pieces. Sauté till it turns pinkish brown. Keep the masala aside to cool off a bit and then puree it coarsely. Do not blend while it’s still hot.

In the meanwhile, heat another tbsp. of oil in the same pan. Add the tomato puree to it and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Add in the onion-ginger-garlic puree and let the masala cook for further 3-4 minutes.

Add in all the spices – salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir well so that the spices are incorporated in the masala paste evenly. Cook this for another 7-10 minutes till you see the oil leaving the sides. Turn off the flame and take the pan off.

Add some water as per your desired consistency and mix. Then add in the beaten yogurt gently stirring and mixing.

Place on the hob again and simmer for 8-10 minutes till the gravy thickens and you see fat floating on top. Check the seasoning and the consistency as per your liking.

While keeping the flame at the lowest, add the cream gently and stir. Sprinkle some kasuri methi and simmer for a further minute. Garnish with fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) and serve hot with naan, roti, phulka or rice.

 

Notes:

You may use Greek yogurt for this purpose, or hung curd prepared at home.

I recommend not to omit these spices, you can play with the rest- garam masala, kasuri methi and saffron.

I never add sugar to my Tikka masala dishes since I don’t like the sweet taste of gravies. The curry gets sweet enough with the cream, saffron etc. You may, however, add 1 tsp of sugar if you like towards the end of cooking.

Use of butter is totally optional and you may use oil instead. But I always use a combination since butter gives a really nice flavour to the rich curry.

If you love this paneer recipe, try this Paneer pudina which is a typical Punjabi recipe with a blend of different flavours.