This recipe shows you how to make tandoori paneer tikka easily at home on a tawa or pan. Learn the secret to getting the bright color and smoky flavor without food coloring or fancy ingredients!
Heat ½ tablespoon mustard oil in a small pan until warm. Add it to 2 teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder and mix.
Once it cools down, add 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon chaat masala, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Mix well until the spices and salt dissolve and you get a uniform consistency.
Marinate paneer
Slice the block of paneer into ½-inch thick slabs. (Refer to the pictures in the post above.)
Place the paneer slabs in a large bowl and add the tikka marinade. Coat the paneer slabs with the marinade on all sides. Do it gently without breaking the paneer.
Let the paneer marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.
Make paneer tikka on tawa
Brush a tawa or pan (or a grill pan) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat the pan and place the marinated paneer slabs without overcrowding the pan.
Cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until browned (or charred according to your preference).
Flip and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove paneer tikka from the pan and let them rest for 5 minutes.
Serve tawa paneer tikka with restaurant-style green chutney or avocado chutney.
Notes
Kashmiri chili powder gives flavor and color without heat. You can use paprika as a close substitute.
Tandoori marinade: If you like some heat in your paneer tikka, add ½ teaspoon of regular chili powder or cayenne pepper. (Kashmiri chili powder gives the flavor and color, without the heat.
Excess marinade: Shake off the excess marinade before you cook the paneer.
Leftover marinade: Dice green and red bell peppers and mix with the leftover marinade. Cook them on the same tawa and serve with paneer tikka.
Kasuri methi: These are dried fenugreek leaves with a slight bitter, earthy flavor. It is a common ingredient used in most of the paneer dishes. Add ½ teaspoon of it for more depth of flavor.
To add some richness to the tikka: You can use ghee for basting the paneer tikka while cooking on the tawa.
Scaling: This recipe can be doubled or tripled to serve more people.
Make ahead and storing leftovers: Tandoori paneer tikka stays fresh in the fridge for about 2 days. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. If you want to store longer, freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge before you reheat.
Reheating hack: Before you reheat paneer tikka in the microwave, sprinkle 1 or 2 teaspoons of hot water on the paneer. Or place a bowl of water next to the container while reheating. This will help the paneer stay moist.
Making paneer tikka in oven: The oven-cooking instructions are the same as for hariyali paneer tikka recipe. Add roasted besan/chickpea flour to the marinated paneer and toss before threading the paneer tikka on to skewers.