Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe

Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made of marinated & grilled paneer cooked in a rich onion tomato based creamy gravy.

4.78 from 122 votes

Recipe Info

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings 4

Category Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Strain yogurt in a muslin cloth to remove water. Alternatively you can use greek yogurt. Then beat the yogurt in a large mixing bowl.
1/2 Cup Hung Curd (Strained yogurt / Greek yogurt)
Add ginger-garlic paste to the yogurt. Also add turmeric powder (haldi), red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, chaat masala and salt. You can also add 2 tablespoons of roasted besan (chickpea flour) to the yogurt.
1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste, 1/3 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1/4 Teaspoon Garam Masala, 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder), 1.5 Teaspoons Chaat Masala, 1 Teaspoon Salt, or according to taste
Mix all the contents. Whisk until smooth. Add a dash of fresh lemon juice and a few drops of oil.
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Dice the paneer into 1/2 inch thick cubes. Remove the seeds from the capsicum. Dice the onions and capsicum (bell peppers) into 1/2 inch squares.
250 gm Paneer, 1/2 Cup Diced Onions, 1/2 Cup Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch)
Mix well to coat the paneer and vegetables with the spicy yogurt paste. Cover the bowl and let the paneer marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Brush oil on a hot pan or tawa. Place these marinated paneer and vegetable pieces on the pan or tawa. Brush some more oil on the top.
When the paneer has cooked from the bottom, turn the pieces to cook them on all sides till they turn golden in color. The paneer and the vegetables should get slightly charred.

Now we will make the curry for the paneer tikka masala. Heat of oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds along with a pinch of asafoetida.
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil, 1/8 Teaspoon Heeng (Asafoetida)
When the seeds start to crackle, add the chopped onions, crushed garlic pods and chopped ginger. Fry till the onions turn golden brown in color.
1 Medium Sized Onion, 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
Chop or puree the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Saute on medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked, around 4-5 minutes.
2 Large Tomatoes
Add the spices like turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt.
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala, 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 1 Teaspoon Salt
Pour a tablespoon of curd and cook for another couple of minutes.
1 Tablespoon Plain Curd (Yogurt)
Add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and boil the curry for a minute. Add kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) to the gravy.
1 Tablespoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
When the gravy turns thick, add the grilled paneer and vegetables in the gravy.
Mix everything well and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Paneer tikka masala is ready. Garnish it with freshly cut coriander leaves (hara dhania). Serve paneer tikka masala hot with butter naan, plain paratha, roti or jeera rice.