Paneer Tikka - Pan Made with A Smoky Touch

Paneer Tikka - Pan Made with A Smoky Touch

This smoky flavoured paneer tikka was a super hit in our house, without a barbeque or a tandoor i managed to bring that awesome smoky fire wood aroma in the paneer tikka. i will share the tip with you in this post.

i made this paneer tikka as snack one evening. it was pretty good and heavy that we had to skip the dinner. i also made mint dip which made the dish very much like restaurant style. to my surprise it was easy to make too. i made with 400 grams of paneer and we had enough for the evening and the left over was even better the next day.

the list of ingredients is quiet long.. yet worth a try. kids would love it. surprise them some time. here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• paneer cubes - 200 grams
• diced onions
• diced green/red capsicum
• chilli powder
• coriander powder
• roasted cumin powder
• kasoori methi
• thick curd
• lemon juice
• salt
• turmeric powder
• oil couple teaspoons for marinade
• oil for roasting
• chat masala
• kasmiri chilli powder (or food colour for colour)
• garam masala
• roasted besan - 2 teaspoons
• ginger garlic paste

For chutney or the dip:

• mint - a fist full
• coriander - a fist full
• green chillies
• black salt a pinch
• ginger a piece
• salt
• thick curd

Procedure:

• mix all the ingredients for the main dish and marinate the paneer and vegetables for atleast 30 minutes.
• a non stick pan is easy for the next step. heat enough oil, around 3 to 4 table spoon in the pan.
• when the oil is hot.. spread the marinated paneer, onion and capsicum. 
• let it roast one side and swirl the pan so that the whole content just swirls along with it and doesn't stick to the bottom. 
• when it is roasted, flip the paneer to the other side with the help if a fork or a small spoon.
• once golden brown.. remove from oil and finish roasting the rest of the paneer in batches.
• paneer tikka is ready but the special effect is yet to be given.
• now comes the trick for the smoky effect of the paneer tikka. 
• today i used the dry coconut shell at home. kept it on the gas stove burner and left it to burn. 
• in the mean while spread the paneer tikkas in a plate and keep a small stainless steel bowl in the centre. 
• once the coconut shell is well burnt, blow off the flame and keep the red glowing burnt coconut shell in the steel bowl and add few drops of ghee. 
• this releases lot of smoke. close the plate immediately with the right size lid or another plate. leave it for 5 minutes.
• thats it..! smoky awesome paneer tikka is ready to be barged. :)

For the chutney or the dip:

• transfer the ingredients for the dip except the curd, into the mixer jar and blend to a smooth paste. when it is done, add the curd and give a final whip to make it an even minty curd dip. our minty curd dip is ready to be accompanied with the smoky paneer tikka.

Enjoy the smoky flavoured paneer tikka with the minty curd dip with your family. this goes well as side for pulav, naan, roti, chapathi, veg biryani, fried rice etc. the best way to have it... is as a snack. we can taste the actual spicy flavourful paneer tikka with a subtle smoky aroma touch.

The previous day's paneer tikkas can be used to make paneer-tikka sandwiches or rolls too which will be another super hit idea among children.

happy cooking !!