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Paneer tikka kebabs - featured image
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5 from 5 votes

Grilled Paneer Tikka Sticks

Grilled paneer tikka sticks are a versatile, easy and delicious veggie-friendly option for dinner or BBQs. This tikka recipe is quick to prepare - requiring less than 30 minutes hands-on work and uses spices you are likely to have in your store cupboard already
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 261kcal

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 150 g Greek yoghurt full fat
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Green chilli
  • 2 cm piece Ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon Ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Oil Mustard oil or vegetable oil

For the Kebabs

  • 225 g Paneer firm - storebought is a good option
  • 1 Red pepper
  • 1 Yellow pepper
  • 1 Onion

For the Dipping Sauce

  • 75 g Greek yoghurt full fat
  • 1 cm piece Ginger
  • 1 Garlic clove small (or ½ a regular sized clove)
  • ½ Green chilli or more to taste
  • 1 handful Fresh mint
  • 1 handful Fresh coriander
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon or lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt

Optional extras

  • ½ teaspoon Dried fenugreek (methi) add to the marinade
  • ½ teaspoon Chaat masala sprinkle over the kebabs when cooked

Instructions

Make the Marinade

  • Peel the garlic and ginger and de-seed the chilli. Chop roughly
  • Use a hand-held stick blender to process the garlic, ginger and chilli with the yogurt until well broken down and no large pieces remain. Stir through the spices, salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice

Prepare the Kebabs

  • Deseed each pepper and cut into 12 pieces
  • Peel the onion and slice into wedges
  • Slice the paneer into 16 cubes
  • Put the vegetables, cheese and marinade into a bowl and stir well, ensuring that everything is covered in the marinade. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours
  • Meanwhile put 4 wooden skewers (if using) to soak in water for an hour
  • When ready to cook thread a cube of cheese onto the skewer, followed by a slice of red pepper, yellow pepper and onion. Repeat twice more then finish the kebab with a final cube of cheese. Make 3 more kebabs in the same way. There will likely be some small pieces of onion left over in the bowl (it's normal for the onion wedges to fall apart when mixed into the marinade)
  • Spray each kebab with a little oil then cook using one of the following methods

Cooking on the BBQ

  • Lay the kebabs on the BBQ grill and cook for 3-4 minutes, then turn and cook for 3-4 more minutes or until nicely charred

Cooking under the Grill

  • Suspend a wire rack over a roasting tin and lay the kebabs onto the rack. Grill for 4-5 minutes, then turn and grill the other side for another 4-5 minutes or until beginning to char
  • If you do not own a wire rack for grilling then lay foil over a roasting tin and lay the kebabs on this. Proceed to cook as instructed above. When ready to turn the kebabs over midway through cooking, try to put them back down onto a clean spot, away from any residual marinade on the foil

Cooking in the Oven

  • Preheat the oven to 225C/ 450F/ GM 7
  • Lay foil onto the base of a roasting tin and brush with a little oil to prevent sticking. Lay the kebabs onto the foil and cook for 10 minutes, turning midway through (when turning the kebabs, put them onto a clean spot on the foil, away from residual marinade)
  • Optional: if you have a kitchen blowtorch you can use it to char the kebabs once cooked

Prepare the Dipping Sauce

  • Peel the garlic & ginger, de-seed the chilli and chop roughly
  • Put into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and process using a stick blender until quite smooth

How to Serve

  • If using chaat masala sprinkle a little over each kebab as soon as they are cooked
  • Serve the kebabs either with the sauce in a bowl alongside for dipping or with the sauce drizzled over them

Video

Notes

  • Normally I'm all for homemade over store-bought anything, but in this instance I recommend store-bought paneer. It is reliably firm and less likely to break apart when chopped and when skewered
  • The paneer needs to marinate for at least 1 hour to pick up the wonderful flavour of the spices
  • The best way to cook these paneer kebabs is on the barbecue to impart a smoky flavour to them
  • Whatever way you choose to cook them, do it quickly (5-10 minutes) to allow the vegetables to soften without drying out the cheese
  • Remember to soak wooden skewers in water for at least an hour before grilling or barbecuing. If they have not been soaked in water they will burn!
  • If using metal skewers remember to use oven gloves when handling them during/ after cooking as they will be hot. Also remember to warn diners if the skewers are hot when serving
  • Remember to spray the kebabs with oil before cooking to stop them drying out
  • If you do not own a wire rack, lay some foil over a baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Never use baking parchment as it will burn under the grill
  • The recipe listed uses 1 medium-heat green chilli but the spice level can be varied by increasing or decreasing the amount of green chilli used
 
How should I store leftovers?
Any spare kebabs should be cooled, covered and stored in the fridge. Though it is fine to eat the kebabs cold, I always prefer to reheat them in the microwave - remember to remove metal skewers if necessary

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1287IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 363mg | Iron: 1mg