Grilled Paneer Tikka Sticks

5 from 5 votes

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

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

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

Metric - US Customary

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