PANEER TIKKA MASALA

Paneer tikka masala is a spicy and creamy north indian gravy recipe where marinated pieces of paneer are simmered in a tomato based creamy curry. The recipe of paneer tikka is very inherited from the meat counterpart of chicken tikka masala for veggie lovers. This paneer tikka masala goes well with naan, roti, chapati, paratha, steamed plain rice and jeera rice.

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME         : 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4 persons)

For marination

• Paneer                                          - 300 g
• Capsicum                                     - 1
• Onion medium size                    - 1
• Ginger garlic paste                     - 1 spoon
• Curd/Yogurt                                 - 5 spoons
• Besan/gram flour                       - 3 spoons
• Red chilli powder                       - 2 spoons
• Garam masala                             - 1 spoon
• Turmeric powder                        - 1/2 spoon
• Amchur/Dry mango powder    - 1/2 spoon
• Chat masala                                - 1/2 spoon
• Oil                                                 - 2 spoons
• Salt

For tikka masala:

• Onion medium size            - 2
• Tomato medium size         - 3
• Green chilli                          - 1
• Bay leaf                                - 1
• Cinnamon stick small        - 1
• Star anise                             - 2 small pieces
• Cloves                                   - 2
• Oil/Ghee                              - 3 spoons
• Red chilli powder               - 2 spoons
• Water
• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

 1. Cut paneer into cubes. Cut Onion and capsicum into wedges.  Get ready with all ingredients for marination.

2. Mix paneer cubes, onion wedges, capsicum wedges, oil, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chat masala, garam masala, amchur powder, curd and besan flour. Marinate and keep aside for 20 minutes.

3. Get ready with all the ingredients for paneer tikka masala.

4. Heat oil in a pan and spread the marinated mixture. Turn and fry well both sides. Transfer to a plate. (Tip: keep checking, do not burn.)

5. Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and green chilli (slitted). Saute for a minute.

6. Add finely chopped onions and salt. Saute well until the onion turns translucent. (Note: Already we have added salt for marination.)

7. Grind roughly chopped tomatoes and red chilli powder and make a puree. Add the tomato puree.

8. Add 400 ml water and cook in a medium flame until the raw aroma disappears.

9. Add the pan-fried paneer, capsicum and onion and mix well.

10. Cover and cook in a low flame for 12-15 minutes, until the flavours are well absorbed. (Tip: Adjust to required consistency with water if needed.)

11. Switch of the flame and Garnish with coriander leaves.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

 => If the paneer tikka masala consistency is watery, you can add besan-water mixture or cashew paste at the end. For Besan-water mixture: Add 1 spoon of besan flour in 100 ml water and mix well, make sure there are no lumps. For cashew paste: Soak 8 cashews in hot water for 5-7 minutes and grind to a fine paste.

=> You can also add fresh cream at the end for making it more creamy.

=> I only use less amount of whole spices. If you like you can add more. You can add 1-2 cardamom if you wish.

=> You can add some kasoori methi at the end to enhance the flavour of the dish.

=> I pan-fried my paneer onions and capsicum. You can also grill it in oven for 30 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.

=> If you don’t have dry mango powder add 1 spoon lemon juice for marination.

=> The specified amount of spiciness is sufficient for me. If you need more or less spicy you can adjust the quantity of red chilli powder accordingly.