Paneer Tikka Masala
a dinner recipe
I'm Jayalakshmi Rangarajan, a software engineer by profession and a food photographer by passion. I'm currently based out of Memphis, Tennessee. A winner of 16 international food photography awards, I enjoy styling and photographing food and produce. I've worked with leading brands to create images and videos that convey a food story.
Check out my Instagram handle at
@jayalakshmi.rangarajan.
Paneer Tikka Masala a popular Indian curry made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onions, and peppers.
There are 2 parts to this recipe-
The tikka part where paneer, onions, and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices and then grilled/pan fried.
The other part is the curry made with onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and spices. The tikka is then simmered in the curry.
Served with Naan/Jeera (Cumin) rice.
TIME (ACTIVE) | 30 M
TIME (INACTIVE) | 30 M
TOTAL | 1 H
2 SERVINGS
For the Tikka:
- To a mixing bowl, add yogurt and all the ingredients listed under 'marinade'. Whisk together until combined well.
- To the yogurt mix, add paneer (cubed), onion (cubed and separated into petals) and peppers (cubed).
- Mix gently until the paneer and vegetables are well coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- This mix can be either grilled or pan fried.
- For the cooktop method, add a little oil to a pan, add the marinade, flip and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until golden. Do not overcook, as the paneer would turn hard.
- For grilling in oven, bake in a preheated oven at 430°F or 220°C for 8 to 10 minutes.
For the curry:
- Heat oil and butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add Indian bay leaf, cumin seeds and the cinnamon stick.
- Once the seeds sizzle,add roughly cubed onion, garlic cloves and ginger.
- Stir and cook until onions turn light golden brown in color.
- Then add 3 large tomatoes (roughly cubed) along with chilli powder.
- Add salt as needed.
- Stir and cook the tomatoes until soft and completely cooked.
- Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down. Once cooled, transfer to a blender and blend to a fine paste.
- Now put the pan back on medium heat. Add a little butter to it. Add Kashmiri red chili powder (This step adds a good color to the curry).
- Now add the pureed curry to it. Add 1 cup water (or more depending on the gravy consistency required). Mix and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry.
- Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust salt as needed.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or rice.
- The Tikka masala goes well with a side of Butter/Garlic/Plain Naan or Plain Basmati rice/Jeera (Cumin) rice.
- Paneer can be replaced with Chicken or Tofu.
- The gravy can be prepared ahead and refrigerated. Stays good upto a week when refrigerated. Paneer and veggies can be added and simmered whenever needed.
ground
A versatile spice with a bright citrusy flavor. Coriander seed is found in dishes from many cultures: Tex-Mex, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. Whole seeds are also found in pickling spices.
0.21 oz - PORTION$0.50
1.5 oz - JAR$5
1.5 oz - REFILL$4
6 oz - REFILL$13
Spanish (de la Vera)
powder
Brick red and slightly clumpy, this rich-looking smoked Spanish paprika powder is from the La Vera region.
mild
blend
The mild heat of this chili powder blend allows all these spices to declare themselves nicely without being too overt.
0.35 oz - PORTION$0.50
2 oz - JAR$8
2 oz - REFILL$7
whole
These oblong light-brown seeds are distinctively earthy, musky, and almost charred in flavor. They are aromatic and respond particularly well to toasting.
0.28 oz - PORTION$0.50
1.25 oz - JAR$4
1.25 oz - REFILL$3
6 oz - REFILL$9
(Tej Patta)
whole, various sizes
Commonly used in Indian and South Asian cuisines. It has a distinctive fragrance and a warm, slightly sweet flavor. NOT to be confused with bay laurel bay leaves.
cassia
2 3/4" quills
Cassia cinnamon sticks are rigid and difficult to break making them ideal for aromatic crafting or for use as flavor-imbuing stirrers for festive beverages.
1.2 oz - REFILL$4
5 oz - REFILL$12
