I am all about the cheese. I’m one of those people whom, if you ask whether they had to give up one between cheese and chocolate, would give up chocolate in a heartbeat. There’s just so much variety of cheeses, and Paneer is a wonderful example of that. It’s a staple of Indian cuisine and appears in main dishes, appetisers and side dishes alike. It’s very similar to Halloumi in that it’s firm, slightly rubbery (in a good way) and doesn’t really melt, making it ideal for pan frying!
While I can’t claim this to be an 100% authentic Indian recipe, since it is of my own creation and I don’t own a Tandoor, it does make for a great starter or side dish for an Indian night at home. It’s also really simple and quick to do, with most of the time taken up by the marinading!
Paneer Tikka
Print RecipeIngredients
- 250g Paneer
- 200g Yoghurt
- 2 tsp Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Tumeric
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 x Garlic Cloves
- 15g Fresh Ginger
- 1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
Instructions
Peel and finely grate the garlic and ginger, and add to the yoghurt along with the herbs and spices and mix together thoroughly in a large bowl.
Dry the paneer thoroughly with kitchen towel, and then cut into 4 - 6 quite thick pieces.
Add the paneer to the marinade and make sure it's completely coated. Cover with cling film and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.
Place a griddle pan (or ordinary frying pan if you don't have one) over a high heat and add the sunflower oil and allow to heat up for a minute or so.
Remove the paneer from the marinade and cook in the pan on both sides for 4 - 5 minutes each until they turn a nice golden brown.
