Recipe - Paneer Tikka

(Marinated cottage cheese on skewers)

Updates

• 2/16/08 - I have added a blog entry on how to make fresh yogurt (dahi)

Ingredients

• Paneer - little less than half a gallon of milk used for preparing paneer tikka.

Paneer preparation: Boil one gallon milk in a pot (3.78litres). Stir regularly so that the milk won't burn. After the milk comes to a full boil, add half a cup of distilled vinegar or 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir continuously and the milk will start curdling. After a few minutes filter the curds into a cheese cloth and drain all the water. Put some weight on the filtered paneer (cheese) so that the paneer is hard and can be cut into slices after an hour or two.

• Thick yogurt - 1 cup (tied in cloth for 2 hours)

Preparation for marinating sauce:

• Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
• Garlic - 1 (crushed)
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 and a half tsp (according to taste)
• Tandoori Masala - 1 tsp
• Chaat Masala - 1and a half tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp (crushed)
• Capsicum, Onion, Tomato, Carrot juliennes - 1 tbsp each (long thin strips)
• Coriander - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Butter/Oil - 1 tbsp

Process

Cut paneer into 1/2 inch horizontal slabs.

Mix the red chilli, salt, sugar, cumin, tandoori masala, the ginger-garlic and chopped coriander in the curd. Mix well.

Brush the slabs of paneer liberally on both sides and edges with the sauce prepared above.

Marinate for a couple of hours (30 minutes if you are in a hurry to taste this yummy snack) so that the paneer absorbs the marinating sauce well. Place in refrigerator till required. Before serving, heat a non-stick pan.

Add butter/oil and place slices to sizzle till light brown.

Flip and repeat for other side.

Cut into bite size square and arrange in serving dish.
Add a tsp oil/butter to pan, heat.

Add sauted vegetables, chaat masala and salt to taste.

Pour over the tikka paneer.

Serve hot with tooth picks or small forks and sauce of your choice.

Preparation time: Paneer tikka preparation 30 minutes (best if paneer is prepared the same day) excluding yogurt tied in a cloth for 2 hours, Marination - 30 minutes

Serves: 4

PS: Recipe inspiration taken from www.bawarchi.com