Paneer Tikka Masala

- Serves 4
​Paneer Tikka Masala, yet another popular paneer dish with a beautifully smooth and delicious tikka masala sauce. This dish is a must have for vegetarians at Indian dinners as well as when eating out in restaurants. Super easy to make and ready within minutes, this recipe is a definite crowd pleaser and goes perfectly with rice, naan or rotis. Want to make it a complete Indian vegetarian meal… combine it with my Aloo Gobi and Cucumber Raita recipes, and you are in for a treat!!

Ingredients for Paneer Tikka Masala

For paneer tikka:
250g fresh or thawed frozen paneer
3 tablespoons thick greek yogurt
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 green bird’s eye chili, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
¼ teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
For curry sauce:
2 tablespoons coconut oil/ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium or 150g g onion, chopped into large cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 green bird’s eye chili, finely chopped
1x400g chopped Italian  tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon or to taste red chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
2-3 tablespoons Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tablespoon butter, optional 
1/2 cup cream or coconut milk 
​Paneer made from 2 liters of milk, cubed or 250g store-bought paneer

Recipe
  1. Making Paneer Tikka: In a  bowl, mix together yogurt, ginger, garlic, chili, coriander powder, garam masala, kashmiri chili powder. red chili powder, and salt. Add paneer cubes - stir well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. To fry paneer tikka, on medium flame heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan or wok, add paneer cubes and fry for 30-40 seconds on each side until lightly golden - set aside.
  2. Making Sauce: In a heavy base saucepan heat oil, add cumin seeds, and let them splutter. Now add onions, ginger, garlic, fresh chili and fry for 5-10 minutes until onion is golden. Add tomatoes, stir well.
  3. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low-medium flame, cover and cook for about 10 minutes for the spices to release their oils and until tomatoes are pulpy. Using a stick blender, blend into a smooth sauce.
  5. Add paneer cubes to the sauce along with 1 cup of water and mix gently. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low flame, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Finally add garam masala powder, butter, Kasuri methi leaves and coconut milk/cream. Stir gently. Serve hot with rice, naan or rotis.
For more delicious recipes, check out our upcoming hands-on cooking classes in Downtown Singapore.
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