Paneer tikka

Name: Paneer tikka
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400 g Paneer, in 3 cm cubes; 1 medium Bell pepper, green or red, in 3 cm squares; 1 medium Red onion, quartered, layers separated; 15 g Butter, melted, or ghee, for basting; 1 piece Lemon, in wedges, to serve; 200 g Yoghurt, hung or Greek-style, very thick; 2 tbsp Chickpea flour, besan, dry-toasted; 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste; 2 tsp Chilli powder, Kashmiri; 0.25 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Garam masala; 0.5 tsp Cumin, ground; 0.25 tsp Ajwain, crushed; 1 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi, crushed; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 1 tbsp Mustard oil, or neutral oil; 1 tsp Salt

पनीर टिक्का

Cubes of paneer, onion and pepper marinated in thick spiced yoghurt and toasted gram flour, skewered and charred under a very hot grill.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: पनीर टिक्का.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

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About

Paneer tikka is the vegetarian answer to chicken tikka: thick cubes of paneer coated in hung yoghurt, toasted gram flour, ginger, garlic, chilli and garam masala, threaded on skewers with onion and pepper and charred. The gram flour is toasted in a dry pan first until it smells nutty, and it does two jobs: it binds the marinade to the cheese and stops the yoghurt running off. A spoon of mustard oil gives the sharp, faintly bitter edge that marks the North Indian version. Restaurants cook it in a tandoor at around 400°C. At home the hottest grill setting, with the tray close to the element, gets you near enough.

What you'll need

17 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 17 ready

4 servings

Tikka
Marinade

Ingredients

Servings

Tikka

Paneer, in 3 cm cubes400 g
Bell pepper, green or red, in 3 cm squares1 medium
Red onion, quartered, layers separated1 medium
Butter, melted, or ghee, for basting15 g
Lemon, in wedges, to serve1

Marinade

Yoghurt, hung or Greek-style, very thick200 g
Chickpea flour, besan, dry-toasted30 ml
Ginger garlic paste15 ml
Chilli powder, Kashmiri9.9 ml
Turmeric1.2 ml
Garam masala4.9 ml
Cumin, ground2½ ml
Ajwain, crushed (optional)1.2 ml
Dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi, crushed4.9 ml
Lemon juice15 ml
Mustard oil, or neutral oil15 ml
Salt4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Toast the gram flour in a dry frying pan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells nutty. Tip it into a bowl to cool.
4 min
Step 2
Whisk the yoghurt with the toasted gram flour, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, ajwain, crushed fenugreek, lemon juice, mustard oil and salt into a thick paste that holds on a spoon.
5 min
Step 3
Fold the paneer, pepper and onion gently through the marinade so every side is coated. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water meanwhile.
5 min
Step 4
Heat the grill to its highest setting with a rack about 8 cm below the element. Thread the paneer, onion and pepper alternately onto skewers and lay them on a rack set over a foil-lined tray.
10 min250°C
Step 5
Grill for 6 to 7 minutes until the edges catch, turn, brush with melted butter and grill 4 to 5 minutes more until charred in spots. Serve at once with lemon wedges, sliced onion and green chutney.
12 min250°C
Watch: Paneer goes rubbery if grilled too long. Pull it when the edges are charred, even if the middle still looks pale.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 218 kcal
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 23.3 g
Fat: 11.4 g
Saturated fat: 4.2 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 555 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.

Substitutions

Hung yoghurt → Greek yoghurt
Thick enough as it is. Ordinary yoghurt needs draining in a cloth for an hour first.
Mustard oil → Neutral oil
You lose the sharp edge but nothing else changes.

Tips

Thin marinade slides off and steams the paneer. If yours runs, stir in another spoon of toasted gram flour.
Bring the paneer to room temperature before grilling so the centre is warm by the time the outside chars.

History & culture

Paneer tikka is the starter at weddings, parties and restaurant dinners across North India, and often the reason vegetarian guests stay near the grill. It comes sizzling with sliced onion, lemon and mint chutney. Leftovers go into a paneer tikka masala or a wrap the next day.

Tikka means small pieces, and the method comes from the tandoor cooking of Punjab and the North-West Frontier. Tandoori food spread across India after Partition, carried by Punjabi cooks to Delhi restaurants such as Moti Mahal. Paneer tikka followed chicken tikka onto menus later, as restaurants catered for the large number of vegetarian diners.

Modern adaptation — A tandoor's clay walls char the outside before the paneer can weep. A domestic grill runs cooler, so the tikka goes close to the element and gets less char. A smoking-hot cast-iron pan or a charcoal barbecue gets closer. For a smoky finish, some cooks put a hot coal in a small bowl in the dish, drip ghee on it and cover for two minutes (dhungar).

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Paneer tikka take?

1 hr 5 min all in — 20 min prep, 15 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Mixing bowl, Oven, Baking tray.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Hung yoghurt → Greek yoghurt. Thick enough as it is. Ordinary yoghurt needs draining in a cloth for an hour first. Mustard oil → Neutral oil. You lose the sharp edge but nothing else changes.

What should I watch for?

Paneer goes rubbery if grilled too long. Pull it when the edges are charred, even if the middle still looks pale.

Any tips from this recipe?

Thin marinade slides off and steams the paneer. If yours runs, stir in another spoon of toasted gram flour. Bring the paneer to room temperature before grilling so the centre is warm by the time the outside chars.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.