I love paneer and often make matar paneer, which is an all time favourite of mine. It's great served as a side dish, but also works really well as a main for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
However, in an attempt to mix things up a bit, I've been experimenting using paneer in other dishes, including this delicious Paneer tikka masala. Like Chicken Tikka Masala (which some say originated in a restaurant in Glasgow), the paneer is first marinated in a spiced yoghurt mix before being grilled or fried.
The chargrilled chicken, or in this case paneer, is then added to a delicious masala curry sauce. The sauce is then finished by adding either yoghurt or double cream.
For the Paneer Tikka
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
225-250g (1 pack) paneer
3 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of garam masala
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 - ½ teaspoon of chilli powder
Salt
For the Masala curry sauce
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 large white onion
3 teaspoons of fresh ginger
3 teaspoons of garlic
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
4 cardamon pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 fat green chilli (or chill to taste)
1 teaspoon of fenugreek
200g (½ tin) of chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon of salt
Water
To serve
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander
To make the Paneer Tikka
- Place the paneer in a heat-proof dish and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes.
- Drain the paneer, then cut it into 1-2cm cubes.
- Mix together the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and then stir in the paneer.
- Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes (if time allows!).
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium heat.
- Once the oil is up to temperature add the paneer.
- Be careful not to let the paneer burn, reducing the heat if required.
- Turn the paneer pieces carefully so they are browned on all sides (this can be a bit tricky and time-consuming!).
- Remove from the pan.
To make the Masala curry sauce
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Peel and grate the garlic and ginger.
- Bash the cardamon pods in a pestle and mortar.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a low to medium heat.
- Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger, dry spices (except the fenugreek) and salt. Fry for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.
- Add the tomatoes and stir to combine with the onion and spice mix. Reduce the heat and cook until the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes - this usually takes about 10 minutes.
- At this point, the sauce will be quite thick, so add water until you get the desired consistency.
To make the Paneer Tikka Masala
- Now add the sautéed paneer and fenugreek to the masala curry sauce. Stir to combine and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes.
