Paneer tikka masala, cubes of Indian cottage cheese grilled and served in a creamy, spiced tomato-based gravy; a classic vegetarian winner!
Cooking in under 45 minutes, this boldly flavoured curry is a relatively quick and simple meal that would grace any table.
Indian Cheese Tikka Masala
Paneer tikka masala, a vegetarian take on a modern classic Indian curry. Arguably the world's most well-known curry outside of India.
My version joins a chicken tikka masala and my personal favourite, a lamb tikka masala, already on my website.
It is the archetypal type of curry that features everywhere from pub menus to curry houses across the UK.
It may not be traditional homestyle Indian cooking, but my gosh, it is satisfying.
The lightly sweet and spicy sauce with grilled spicy chunks of goodness is the stuff curry cravings are made of.
My recipe is moderately hot, and you can tinker with how spicy this dish is, really very easily.
Simply increase or decrease the amount of chilli powder in the paneer tikka marinade or fresh chillies in the masala sauce. Adding more cream to the sauce can help moderate that chilli burn too.
If this is your kind of thing, you must check out my creamy shahi paneer and aloo paneer curry, a Bengali-influenced paneer and potato curry also known as chanar dalna. My vegetarian halloumi cheese curry is also a stonking dish!
My paneer tikka recipe sits at the heart of this dish, and it also features in my paneer salad recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to marinate the paneer?
No, not really, paneer cheese does not really "absorb" flavour like tofu, it sits on the surface, so you are good to coat and then cook.
But if you want to get ahead, you can coat the paneer in the yoghurt up to 4 hours in advance.
Can I make this in advance?
I personally would not prepare this too far in advance because the paneer can break up in the sauce. It is not a huge problem, but it does change the way the dish is eaten.
But you can make the masala sauce up for the paneer tikka in advance; in fact, it freezes really well. You can also marinate the paneer early and then just grill it up, heat the sauce and pull it together in 10 minutes.
Are there other ways to cook the paneer tikka?
Yes, the paneer tikka can be grilled (broiled), cooked in the oven or an air fryer, you can even cook it on a barbecue.
For the oven, cook at 220°C or 430°F in a fan-assisted oven for 12-15 minutes.
In an air fryer, cook at 200°C or 400°F for 8-10 minutes.
On a BBQ, simply grill over a flame for as long as it takes to get a nice colour.
Serving Suggestions
I'm a Brummie, and as far as I am concerned, that means that paneer tikka masala must be served with naan bread.
The thick and creamy sauce really does scream for bread to use as a gravy mop. You could, of course, use something like roti or chapati as an alternative.
If I am feeling greedy, then I would add rice, simply boiled basmati rice is my usual side, but a nice pilau like this mushroom pilau would work really well.
If you wanted to do something a little different, then how about adding potatoes as a side?
My roasted Bombay potatoes or aloo methi would work wonderfully with the rich, spicy gravy in this paneer tikka masala recipe.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Grill/broiler.
- 28cm or 11" skillet or frying pan.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Fine mesh sieve.
- Blender (optional).
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 350 g Paneer 12oz
- 4 tablespoon Yoghurt
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ of a Thumb-Sized Piece
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chill Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground Amchoor
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 Green Chilli Peppers
- 12 Curry Leaves
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 75 ml Water ⅓ Cup
- 250 ml Tomato Passata 1 Cup
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- ½-1 tablespoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 75 ml Double Cream ⅓ Cup
Instructions
- Peel and grate the ginger and add it to a mixing bowl.
- Peel and then mash the garlic and add it to the ginger.
- Pour in the yoghurt followed by the salt, herbs and spices and then mix to form a paste.
- Cut the paneer into a 25mm (1" ) dice and add it to the yoghurt and toss to coat.Cover the paneer cubes and allow them to sit in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
- Cut the onion into a 1cm (½") dice.
- Slit the chilli peppers in half lengthways.
- Place a 28cm or 11" skillet or frying pan over a medium-high heat and melt the ghee. Add the curry leaves and sliced chillies when the ghee is hot and cook for 30 seconds.
- Throw in the diced onion and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato passata and tomato puree and stir to combine.
- Add the cinnamon, garam masala, sugar, salt and water, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Thread the paneer onto skewers (soaked for 30 minutes if using bamboo).
- Scrape any remaining marinade from the paneer tikka into the sauce and stir to combine.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender and give it a blend. Return the sauce to the pan, passing it through a fine-mesh sieve to get the silkiest of sauces, stir through the double cream and return to temperature.
- Place the skewers under a hot grill or broiler and cook until they are nicely coloured on all sides (around 10 minutes).
- Slide the tikka off the skewers and into the sauce, pour over the cream, stir to coat and reheat before serving.
Al Suba
Sunday 31st of October 2021
20 ingredients and 18 steps to prepare 2 servings. I'll pass.
Brian Jones
Friday 5th of November 2021
I am entirely unsure of the point that you are trying to make here?
Do you believe that feeding fewer people necessitates fewer ingredients and that it will result in the same flavour?
As for the methodology, you will find that it is broadly similar to other recipes of a similar type, however, I take the approach of being very precise in the writing of my methodology with each step having a separate line.
Maybe if you spent less time telling folk on the internet that you will not be cooking their food you would have more time for cooking?