Paneer Tikka Masala is a rich, creamy, and classical Indian veg curry. It is the adapted version of the popular chicken tikka masala in which the grilled paneer cubes are added into the onion-tomato gravy instead of chicken. Here I have shared the recipe for Paneer Tikka Masala with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process simple and clear. This Paneer Tikka Masala is one of the best Indian dishes that pair great as a side dish with roti, naan, matar pulao, basmati rice, white rice or similar others dishes. And it tastes similar to your favorite Indian restaurant and can be served for lunch and dinner.
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What is Paneer Tikka Masala?
Paneer Tikka Masala is a traditional Indian Punjabi style veg curry made with cubes of paneer and veggies. The term Paneer is nothing but Indian cottage cheese, tikka refers to grilled meat or vegetable and masala here refers to an onion-tomato-based curry made with Indian spices and powders. Hence Paneer Tikka Masala is nothing but a spicy Indian gravy made with grilled Indian cottage cheese and veggies.
This Paneer Tikka Masala is one of the famous dishes and you can find them in most of the Indian restaurants across the globe. Usually, in restaurants, tikkas are prepared in large clay pots called tandoor and this process makes the dish smoky and extremely delicious. And they also add heavy cream to the onion-tomato curry to achieve a silky smooth finish.
While chicken tikka masala is popular among non-veg lovers, Paneer Tikka Masala is the vegetarian-friendly version that delivers a similar taste and flavor. And you can also use extra firm tofu instead of paneer for a vegan-friendly dish.
So here I have shared how to make Paneer Tikka Masala easily at home on the stovetop without compromising on taste and flavor. I have also added some tips to make the process easy and also to achieve the perfect restaurant-style dish. And I hope you will try and enjoy this dish with your family and loved ones.
Ingredients
The Ingredients you will need to make this Paneer Tikka Masala are mostly Indian kitchen pantry basics. And you may find them easily in mostly in Indian grocery stores around. So let's check out what are they below.
For Marinade and Grilling
- Paneer - I have used store-bought whole milk paneer here, and you can also use Malai paneer to achieve similar results
- Bell Peppers - Onion, green, and red bell peppers give nice flavor and taste to your tikka
- Spice Powders - I have used paprika, coriander, tandoori masala, cumin, and turmeric powder in the marinade. You can also use ajwain, chaat masala, amchur, and pepper powder to enhance the flavor
- Kasuri Methi - It is nothing but dried fenugreek leaves and it gives a fresh aroma to your dish
- Hung curd/Greek Yogurt - Thick hung curd or Greek yogurt helps as the base for the marinade
- Gram Flour - Gram flour or besan helps to create a perfect coating for the paneer and veggies
- Mustard Oil - Gives the authentic and unique flavor to your tikka
- Wooden Skewers - I have used wooden skewers here but you can also grill them without it
For Making Tikka Masala
- Onion and Tomatoes - Freshly cut onion and tomatoes for making the masala paste and to season the gravy. I would always recommend fresh tomatoes as the store brought tomato puree to make the gravy sour and tangy
- Cashew nuts - Helps to make the curry thick, rich and creamy. You can also use heavy cream or plain yogurt to achieve similar results
- Indian Spices and Powders - Spices like cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, and cinnamon sticks. And powders like paprika, Garam Masala, and coriander powder give the authentic taste and flavor
- Indian Herbs - Kasuri methi and coriander leaves to garnish the curry. Kasuri methi is nothing but dried fenugreek leaves that give the unique aroma and taste to the curry, so I would recommend not skipping it
- Heavy Cream (optional) - It is an optional ingredient, you can use it for final garnishing as a finishing touch
How to make Paneer Tikka Masala?
The recipe I have shared here is a classical Indian Paneer Tikka Masala made with fresh ingredients. The recipe involves three steps grilling marinated paneer and veggies, making masala paste, and then tikka masala gravy. In this method, I have used cashew nuts instead of heavy cream to make it rich and creamy. And it tastes delicious similar to your favorite Indian restaurant take-out.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this dish but for detailed step-by-step instructions, please check out the recipe card below.
To Grill the Paneer and Veggies
- Make the marinade - In a bowl, pour mustard oil and add paprika. Mix until the paprika dilutes with the oil and add coriander, tandoori, cumin and turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, curd, and gram flour. Mix until everything is incorporated well
- Marinate paneer and veggies - Now add the paneer cubes, red, green bell pepper, and onion. Mix gently with your hands until the marinade coats well on all paneer and veggies
- Rest it for 30 minutes - Close the bowl with a lid and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes
- Thread the paneer and veggies - Now take a wooden skewer and insert the marinated onion, bell pepper, and paneer alternatively and it is now ready to be grilled. You can also grill them without the skewers if it is not handy
- Grill - Now in a grilling pan with medium heat, drizzle some oil, and place the skewers. Make sure to rotate on all the sides to cook the veggies and paneer evenly or until you notice a nice golden and charred texture
- Remove and reserve - Remove the grilled Paneer and veggies from heat and reserve them for later use
To make Masala Paste
- Saute the onion - In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add cashew nuts and onion. Saute until the onion turns soft
- Add the tomatoes - Now add the tomatoes and saute until it turns mushy
- Make a smooth paste - Now transfer the onion-tomato mixture to the blender and grind it into a smooth paste. Make sure to grind the mixture once it completely cools down. And reserve the paste for later use
To make Paneer Tikka Masala
- Season with spices -In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, green chili, and onion. Saute until the onion turns soft
- Add in the spice powders - Add paprika, coriander powder, tandoori masala, turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, and leftover marinade. Saute until they turn fragrant
- Add in the masala paste - Now add the reserved masala paste, 2 cups of water, and give a good mix
- Boil the gravy - Allow the gravy to boil for 5 to 7 minutes
- Add in the paneer and veggies - Now add the grilled paneer and veggies to the masala gravy and give a good mix
- Garnish the gravy - Finally add the crushed Kasuri methi, and coriander leaves and give a quick mix. Now the delicious Paneer Tikka Masala is ready for you to taste and enjoy
- Serve - Serve this lip-smacking Paneer Tikka Masala with Naan, roti, chapati, Basmati rice, or other rice dishes of your choice
Tips
- For Taste and Flavor - The best taste and flavor lies in the Tikka marinade and using quality fresh spice powders, thick yogurt/curd, and mustard oil gives the best flavor and taste to this dish
- Grilling Time - For the grill pan method, I have roasted the paneer and veggies for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. And I suggest rotating on all sides while roasting to get evenly cooked and charred paneer
- Grilling Temperature - Always roast the paneer in medium heat and add the screwers once your iron griddle is nice and hot. You can also use a regular pan to fry the paneer and veggies until it looks golden and charred
- For creamy Tikka Masala - I have used cashew nut while making masala paste which delivers a creamy and rich texture to your dish. But you can also use heavy cream if cashew nut is not in your preferred ingredient list
- Fresh Tomatoes - Using fresh tomatoes for making masala paste gives authentic flavor and taste to your gravy. I have also tried using store-bought tomato puree which made the gravy sour and tangy. So I wouldn't recommend it for making the gravy
- Easy Paneer Tikka Masala - Even though I have made the masala paste here, you can also skip the step to make the process easy. Instead, you can use freshly pureed tomatoes and plain yogurt to make the gravy thick and creamy. You can also use heavy cream instead of yogurt to get a restaurant-style silky smooth finish
- Best Paneer - I have used store-bought whole milk paneer and you can also use malai paneer to achieve similar results. If your store-bought paneer is hard then I suggest soaking them in warm water for 15 minutes to make it soft. Drain the paneer from water and then use it in your recipe
- To keep Paneer soft - Make sure not to overcook the paneer as it might turn rubbery and hard
- Air-Fryer - You can also grill the paneer in an air fryer at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 8 minutes. Open and brush with some mustard oil or butter and air fry them again for 2 minutes
- Oven - To make it oven, grill the paneer skewers in the preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. Open and brush them with some mustard oil or butter and again bake them for 5 minutes. Finally set the oven to broil mode to low and broil for 2 to 5 minutes
- Serving - Serve this finger-licking Paneer Tikka Masala with roti, naan, matar pulao, vegetable biryani or simialr other dishes of your choice
Calories
This Paneer Tikka Masala that I have shared here contains 350 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if you change or alter any of the ingredients. You can also find detailed nutritional information in the recipe card below.
Storage Suggestions
This Paneer Tikka Masala stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight closed container to retain its freshness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy Paneer Tikka Masala with roti, naan, matar pulao, vegetable biryani, basmati rice, white rice or other rice dishes of your choice.
Related Recipes
You can also find similar paneer recipes below and more at Veg Curry Recipes and Side dish Recipes
- Paneer Tikka
- Paneer Masala (Dhaba Style)
- Palak Paneer
- Saag Paneer
- Chilli Paneer
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Bhindi Masala
- Chana Masala
- Chole
Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe video
I have also shared the detailed video of this Paneer Tikka Masala Recipe below that I hope will help you to make a restaurant-style dish at home. And you could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For Tikka
- 1 lb Paneer, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1½ tsp Coriander Powder
- 1½ tsp Tandoori Masala Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 3 tsp Gram Flour
- 3 tbsp Hung curd, or plain greek yogurt
- Salt, as needed
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi, crushed
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 Onion, cut into cubes and layers separated
For Gravy
- 4 tbsp Oil
- 1½ cup Onion, chopped
- 3 Tomatoes, chopped
- 30 - 35 Cashew Nut
- 2 Cinnamon Stick, small
- 3 Cloves
- 5 Cardamom
- 3 Green Chili
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Tandoori Masala
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- Salt, as needed
- 2 cup Water
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi, crushed
- Coriander Leaves, to garnish
Instructions
To Grill the Paneer and Veggies
- In a bowl, pour mustard oil and add paprika. Mix until the paprika dilutes with the oil and add coriander, tandoori, cumin and turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, curd, lemon juice, and gram flour. Mix until everything is incorporated well
- Now add the paneer cubes, red, green bell pepper, and onion. Mix gently with your hands until the marinade coats well on all paneer and veggies
- Close the bowl with a lid and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes
- Now take a wooden skewer and insert the marinated onion, bell pepper, paneer alternatively and it is now ready to be grilled. You can also grill them without the skewers if it is not handy
- Now in a grilling pan with medium heat, drizzle some oil and place the skewers. Make sure to rotate on all the sides to cook the veggies and paneer evenly or until you notice a nice golden and charred texture
- Remove the grilled Paneer and veggies from heat and reserve them for later use
To make Masala Paste
- In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add cashew nuts and onion. Saute until the onion turns soft
- Now add the tomatoes and saute until it turns mushy
- Now transfer the onion-tomato mixture to the blender and grind it into a smooth paste. Make sure to grind the mixture once it completely cools down. And reserve the paste for later use
To make Paneer Tikka Masala
- In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, green chili, and onion. Saute until the onion turns soft
- Add paprika, coriander powder, tandoori masala, turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, and leftover marinade. Saute until they turn fragrant
- Now add the reserved masala paste, 2 cups of water, and give a good mix. Allow the gravy to boil for 5 to 7 minutes
- Now add the grilled paneer and veggies to the masala gravy and give a good mix
- Finally add the crushed Kasuri methi, coriander leaves and give a quick mix. Now the delicious Paneer Tikka Masala is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this lip-smacking Paneer Tikka Masala with Naan, roti, chapati, Basmati rice, or other rice dishes of your choice for lunch and dinner
Video
Notes
- For Taste and Flavor - The best taste and flavor lies in the Tikka marinade and using quality fresh spice powders, thick yogurt/curd, and mustard oil gives the best flavor and taste to this dish
- Grilling Time - For the grill pan method, I have roasted the paneer and veggies for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. And I suggest rotating on all sides while roasting to get evenly cooked and charred paneer
- Grilling Temperature - Always roast the paneer in medium heat and add the screwers once your iron griddle is nice and hot. You can also use the regular pan to fry the paneer and veggies until it looks golden and charred
- For creamy Tikka Masala - I have used cashew nut while making masala paste which delivers a creamy and rich texture to your dish. But you can also use heavy cream if cashew nut is not on your preferred ingredient list
- Fresh Tomatoes - Using fresh tomatoes for making masala paste gives the authentic flavor and taste to your gravy. I have also tried using store-bought tomato puree which made the gravy sour and tangy. So I wouldn't recommend it for making the gravy
- Easy Paneer Tikka Masala - Even though I have made the masala paste here, you can also skip the step to make the process easy. Instead, you can use freshly pureed tomatoes and plain yogurt to make the gravy thick and creamy. You can also use heavy cream instead of yogurt to get a restaurant-style silky smooth finish
- Best Paneer - I have used store-bought whole milk paneer and you can also use malai paneer to achieve similar results. If your store-bought paneer is hard then I suggest soaking them in warm water for 15 minutes to make it soft. Drain the paneer from water and then use it in your recipe
- To keep Paneer soft - Make sure not to overcook the paneer as it might turn rubbery and hard
- Air-Fryer - You can also grill the paneer in an air fryer at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 8 minutes. Open and brush with some mustard oil or butter and air fry them again for 2 minutes
- Oven - To make it oven, grill the paneer skewers in the preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. Open and brush them with some mustard oil or butter and again bake them for 5 minutes. Finally set the oven to broil mode to low and broil for 2 to 5 minutes
- Serving - Serve this finger-licking Paneer Tikka Masala with roti, naan, matar pulao, vegetable biryani, or similar other dishes of your choice.
Nutrition
FAQ
Paneer Tikka Masala is a traditional Indian Punjabi style veg curry made with cubes of paneer and veggies. The term Paneer is nothing but Indian cottage cheese, tikka refers to grilled meat or vegetable and masala here refers to an onion-tomato-based curry made with Indian spices and powders. Hence Paneer Tikka Masala is nothing but a spicy Indian gravy made with grilled Indian cottage cheese and veggies.
Yes, you can use heavy cream instead of cashew to achieve a similar taste, flavor, and texture.
Paneer Tikka Masla is usually made with grilled paneer and veggies which makes it healthy when compared to fried dishes. And the cashew nuts used here are also a good source of good fat and rich in fiber compared to heavy creams.
This Paneer Tikka Masala that I have shared here contains 350 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if you change or alter any of the ingredients. You can also find detailed nutritional information in the recipe card above.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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