Easy Paneer Tikka Tawa Recipe / Healthy Indian Starter Recipe – step by step instructions with pictures to show how to make restaurant-style tandoori paneer tikka at home without using an oven or tandoor.

Paneer tikka is a popular Indian starter dish served mainly in restaurants and prepared at home on special occasions served with mint chutney or green chutney. It is high in protein, gluten-free with a rich buttery flavour. This is one of the most ordered appetizers in Indian restaurants as well as famous in some other Asian countries. It is enjoyed by everyone for its amazing marinated texture and smoky flavour.

What is paneer tikka?

Paneer tikka is a protein-rich, gluten-free Indian starter or appetizer made with marinated paneer cubes and vegetables in a thick curd, roasted besan and Indian spice mixture. Then put in skewers and grilled or baked in a tandoor, oven or using a grill. You can also directly place them on a greased tawa and roast them.

Traditional paneer tikka in restaurants is made in a traditional clay oven at a very high temperature which makes it a little charred and gives a smoky flavour.

Video of Easy paneer tikka on tawa recipe

How to prepare paneer tikka at home

At home, we can also make this delicious smoky flavoured paneer tikka using an electric oven, on a coal grill, air fryers or even on the gas stove using Tawa, that is an Indian iron griddle used for making chapatti. Or we can use a heavy bottom cast iron griddle for this purpose. As lots of people do not have an oven at home so here, in this post I am sharing this restaurant style tandoori paneer tikka recipe on the stove using a cast iron tawa. you can also use regular iron tawa or griddle with a heavy bottom.

I prefer to use tawa more than an electric oven because

• It is economical
• Easy to use
• Easy to assemble
• Short cooking time
• Paneer and vegetable stay soft and juicy

There is not any difference in the preparation of the paneer tikka recipe whether we are cooking it in the oven or on tawa just the last step of grilling is different. After grilling, we give it the most loved smoky flavour using a piece of burnt coal that is called the dhungar method.

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I will say that this homemade paneer tikka is more healthy and flavourful than the tandoori paneer tikka served in restaurants. also, it does not take a long time to prepare it at home. So, try this yummy and mouth watering homemade healthy paneer tikka recipe and enjoy with your family!

Step by step preparation of Easy Paneer Tikka Tawa Recipe / Healthy Indian Starter Recipe

Marination process

1. Roast 2 tbsp besan in a pan till its raw smell is gone. It will take around 1 and ½ minutes on low flame. Let it cool.

2. Cut green pepper, onion and tomato into 1 inches pieces. Make big cubes of paneer and put them aside.

3. Now, In a wide bowl add hung curd, roasted besan, salt, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, ginger powder, cardamom powder, chat masala, turmeric powder, kasoori methi, garlic and green chilli paste and 1 tbsp oil.

4. Give a good mix, add pieces of green pepper, tomato, onion and paneer cubes.Now mix them with the using your hands so that the masala coats paneer and vegetable nicely. Cover the bowl and leave aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 to 2 hours to make it more flavourful.

Grilling Process

5. After 30 minutes, take a skewer and put vegetables and paneer pieces alternatively in it. Keep aside the leftover pieces.

6. Take a cast iron tawa, put it on a low medium heat. Grease them with 1 tsp oil and place the skewers on it.

7. Now take another iron tawa on a low medium heat and grease it with 1 tsp oil and transfer the leftover marinated vegetable and paneer. pieces.

8. Cook them for 5-7 minutes on low medium heat and in between turn them around to get cooked from all the sides.

9. Remove them from the heat and transfer them to a serving bowl. Now make a space in the centre.

10. Then take a coal piece, put it on the direct heat and wait till it becomes red hot. Place it in a small Katori or bowl then immediately place in the middle of the bowl of grilled paneer tikka. Pour ½ tsp ghee on it. It starts smoking, immediately cover the bowl and leave it for 8-10 minutes.

Seasoning process

11. Now in a frying pan melt 1 ½ tbsp butter. Once it becomes hot add a pinch of heeng and leftover marinated masala and mix well.

12. After 10 minutes, remove the coal bowl from paneer tikka and then squeeze ½ lemon juice on it and then pour the hot butter mixture. mix it and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

Paneer tikka is served as a starter with green chutney before main meals during special occasions or parties. It is also a must-have dish on the menu of any wedding or big functions. As it is rich in protein also a good snack and finger food for kids(just keep in mind make it less spicy when making it for kids). To give it a fusion look try it for making sandwiches, pizza, wraps, biryani or curry-based dish.

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Tips and tricks

1. Use hung curd or greek yoghurt for the marination process otherwise spices will not coat nicely to the paneer and vegetable and take more time to cook.
2. Marinate it for atleast 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator to make it more flavourful.
3. Grill it on low medium heat while using tawa as it becomes very hot and burnt the paneer and vegetables.
4. While grilling on tawa keep an eye and turn them around to cook all sides equally.
5. Make it a vegan recipe use tofu and replace curd with non-dairy yoghurt. Also, replace butter for seasoning with refined oil.
6. Electric Barbeque grill or coal grill can also be used for making paneer tikka.

Recipe card for Easy Paneer Tikka Tawa Recipe / Healthy Indian Starter Recipe

Easy Paneer Tikka Tawa Recipe / Healthy Indian Starter Recipe

Babita Singh

Paneer tikka is a protein rich, gluten free indian starter or appetizer made with marinated paneer cubes and vegetables in a thick curd, besan and indian spice mixture.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 5 Servings

Ingredients

  

Ingredients for marination

• 225 gm low fat homemade paneer
• 1 big size green pepper (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 big size onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 medium size tomato (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 3 tbsp hung curd
• 2 tbsp roasted besan (gram flour)
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp refined oil (I used sunflower oil)
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp roasted cumin seeds powder (jeera powder)
• ½ tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ tsp chat masala
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1 tsp garlic and green chilli paste 3-4 clove garlic +2 green chilli
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• ⅛ tsp black pepper powder kali mirch
• ¼ tsp small cardamom powder choti eliachi
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• 1 pinch turmeric powder haldi

For seasoning

• ½ lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp homemade unsalted butter
• 1 pinch heeng

For smoking effect(optional)

• 1 small piece of coal (koyla)
• ½ tsp ghee

Instructions

 

• Roast 2 tbsp besan in a pan till its raw smell is gone. It will take around 1 and ½ minutes on low flame. Let it cool.
• Cut green pepper, onion and tomato into 1 inches pieces.
• Make big cubes of paneer and put them aside.
• Now, In a wide bowl add hung curd, roasted besan, salt, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, ginger powder, cardamom powder, chat masala, turmeric powder, kasoori methi, garlic and green chilli paste and 1 tbsp oil.
• Give a good mix, add pieces of green pepper, tomato, onion and paneer cubes.
• Now mix them with the using your hands so that the masala coats paneer and vegetable nicely.
• Cover the bowl and leave aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 to 2 hours to make it more flavourful.
• After 30 minutes, take a skewer and put vegetables and paneer pieces alternatively in it.
• Keep aside the Leftover pieces.
• Take a cast iron tawa, put it on a low medium heat. Grease them with 1 tsp oil and place the skewer on it
• Now take another iron tawa on heat and grease it with 1 tsp oil and transfer the leftover marinated vegetable and paneer pieces.
• Cook them for 5-7 minutes on low medium heat and in between turn them around to get cooked from all the sides.
• Remove them from the heat and transfer them to a serving bowl. Now make a space in the centre.
• Then take a coal piece, put it on the direct heat and wait till it becomes red hot. Place it in a small Katori or bowl then immediately place in the middle of the bowl of grilled paneer tikka. pour ½ tsp ghee on it. It starts smoking, immediately cover the bowl and leave it for 8-10 minutes.
• Now in a frying pan melt 1 ½ tbsp butter. Once it becomes hot add a pinch of heeng and leftover marinated masala and mix well.
• After 10 minutes, remove the coal bowl from paneer tikka and then squeeze ½ lemon juice on it and then pour the hot butter mixture. mix it and serve immediately.

Notes

1. Use hung curd or greek yoghurt for the marination process otherwise spices will not coat nicely to the paneer and vegetable and take more time to cook.

2. Marinate the veggies for atleast 30 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator to make it more flavourfil.

3. Grill it on low medium heat while using tawa as it becomes very hot and burnt the paneer and vegetables.

4. While grilling on tawa keep an eye and turn them around to cook all sides equally.

5. Make it a vegan recipe use tofu and replace curd with non-dairy yoghurt. Also, replace butter for seasoning with refined oil.

6. Electric Barbeque grill or coal grill can also be used for making paneer tikka.

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