Paneer tikka masala is a delicious, creamy & flavorful Indian dish made by grilling paneer & then simmering it in a masala gravy. Paneer refers to Indian cottage cheese, tikka is a small chunk of grilled food and masala here refers to a spiced gravy. So paneer tikka masala literally translates to grilled chunks of Indian cheese in a spicy gravy.
Paneer tikka masala is a vegetarian version of the world famous chicken tikka masala. This vegetarian dish is always found on the Indian restaurant menus. It is usually served with Butter naan, tandoori roti, paratha, basmati rice or jeera rice .
Paneer tikka masala served in restaurants is amazingly flavorful & uniquely delicious since paneer is grilled in Tandoor, a clay oven which imparts the best smoky flavors.
Making paneer tikka masala is a 2 step process.
Firstly, to infuse the flavors paneer is marinated with yogurt, spices & herbs. It is then grilled in a tandoor along with onions and bell peppers.
Secondly, a delicious and spicy onion tomato gravy is prepared. Then the grilled paneer is added to it and then garnished with cream.
Since we don’t have such tandoori oven at home we will have to grill the paneer either in oven or on a griddle or air fry them.
In this post I have shown all the 3 methods of grilling on the griddle on stovetop, in oven & air fryer. You can also grill it over direct charcoal grill and use.
More paneer recipes
Paneer butter masala
Paneer Makhani
Matar paneer
Palak paneer
Kadai paneer
Malai kofta
Chilli paneer
Preparation for paneer tikka masala
Marinade
1. To a mixing bowl, add the following ingredients:
- ½ cup greek yogurt (hung curd, refer notes)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon kasuri methi
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
2. Use thick yogurt or hung curd here. If you only have homemade yogurt, then add 1 cup homemade yogurt to a thin muslin or cheese cloth. Squeeze off the excess whey and hang it for few hours. Mix everything well. The consistency of the marinade has to be thick as seen in the picture below. (I forgot to add ginger garlic at step 1 so added it here.)
3. Add cubed paneer to the prepared marinade. Optional – Dice half small onion to 4 pieces & separate the layers. Dice half small bell pepper as well. Make sure the size of onion and bell pepper are almost the same as paneer. Crunchy onions and bell peppers impart a great texture and aroma to the final dish.
4. Mix everything well. Rest aside in the fridge until the tikka masala gravy is ready.
Making gravy
5. Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan. Next add 1 cup chopped onions and saute them until transparent or light golden. Then add 1½ cup chopped tomatoes and 14 cashews. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and roast all of these until mushy and soft. You can also cover and cook.
6. Then add all the spice powders mentioned below
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
7. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes until it turns aromatic. Turn off the stove, when you begin to get a nice smell of the masala.
8. Cool this completely and add to a blender jar. Pour ¾ cup water. To cut down the cooling time, you can also pour ice cold water to the jar and then add the mixture. But ensure it is not hot.
9. Blend it to a puree. If you prefer a smooth curry, pass it through a sieve/ filter.
How to make paneer tikka masala
10. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Optional – You can add any whole spices if you have – 2 cardamom, 1 small cinnamon piece or even 2 cloves.
11. When the spices begin to sizzle, add 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Saute on a low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until it turns aromatic & the raw smell goes off.
12. Pour the onion tomato puree to the pan. Be careful it will begin to splash out of the pan, you can partially cover and cook. To adjust the color you can add more red chilli powder at this stage. I did not use more.
13. Pour ½ to ¾ cup water to bring to a desired consistency. Mix everything well and cook on a low flame until the sauce simmers well and thickens.
14. When the gravy is done, it turns thick & you will see some specks of oil separating on top of the gravy. Add kasuri methi (optional). Continue to cook for another minute. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Set this aside.
Grilling paneer
16. You can grill the paneer while your gravy is simmering. Option 1 – For the paneer tikka on stovetop : Heat 1 tsp oil in a wide pan on a medium high flame, place the paneer cubes coated with the marinade in the pan.
17. Flip them to the other side and cook on a high flame till all the marinade dries up and the paneer turn golden. This takes only 2 to 3 mins. Set aside. Do not over fry them, as the paneer turns hard.
Optional if using veggies – In the same pan, Coat the veggies with the marinade and place them on the griddle. Cook till the marinade dries up. The veggies should look partially charred. Do not overdo else they lose the crunch.
18. Option 2 – If you have an air fryer you can also grill these in the air fryer at 390 F or 200 C for 5 mins. Brush them with the leftover marinade and then air fry for another 2 mins. The timings vary if lesser skewers are placed. Reduce the total time to 5 mins for 3 to 4 skewers. Also space them apart slightly so they don’t stick.
19. Option 3 – To grill tikka in oven, put them on to skewers alternately paneer, onion and capsicum. Bake in a preheated oven at 430 F or 220 C for 8 to 10 minutes. you may need to adjust the timing as needed. It depends on the size of cubes and oven too.
20. You may need to flip the skewer and then grill again if your oven does not have a fan.
Adding tikka to masala
21. Add the grilled tikkas to the gravy. Gently mix. Make sure the gravy is thickened before adding paneer.
22. Pour 3 tablespoons cream and stir.
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and slit green chilies. Serve paneer tikka masala hot with butter naan, roti, plain paratha or jeera rice.
Dungar for paneer tikka masala
To give a smoky flavor to the dish try using this dhungar method using charcoal. Please note that it could be dangerous doing on a gas stove. I suggest doing it out of the kitchen, using another source like a large candle.
- Place a steel bowl in your curry so it is not immersed in the curry.
- Burn a small piece of natural wood charcoal over direct fire holding it with a tong until red hot. Make sure it burns well so that it can release the smoke.
- Take it away from the candle – place it inside the bowl. Add 1/2 tsp ghee or oil.
- Immediately it begins to emit smoke.
- Make sure charcoal is not touching the food. Cover the pan with a lid immediately. Leave it for 5 to 6 minutes. This infuses a smoky flavor to your dish.
Tips to make paneer tikka masala
- Use the best quality paneer to get softer chunks. I make my own following this homemade paneer recipe.
- Do not use sour yogurt as it can make the curry sour.
- If you do not eat onions, then you can skip them in the recipe.
Related Recipes
Paneer tikka masala recipe
Paneer tikka masala recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
for tikka
- 250 grams paneer cubed
- ½ cup greek yogurt (thick curd or hung curd) (refer notes)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or paprika (less spicy kind)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala or tandoori masala
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ small bell pepper (optional) (capsicum)(cubed)
- ½ small onion (optional) cubed & layers separated
For masala gravy
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup onions cubed (2 medium)
- 1½ cup tomatoes ripe chopped (3 large)
- 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic
- 14 cashew nuts or almonds
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder (or paprika) less spicy kind
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional) (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 3 tablespoons cream
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro chopped finely)
Instructions
Preparation
- Firstly add ½ cup yogurt, ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric & ¼ teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl.
- Mix well and taste test it. Add more salt if needed. Add paneer cubes & mix well to coat the marinade.
- Optional – If using onions & bell peppers, then add ½ cubed onion layers & ½ cubed bell pepper and marinate well. Set this aside until the gravy is done.
How to make paneer tikka masala
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and add 1 cup chopped onions. Saute them well until transparent or golden.
- Add 1½ cup tomatoes, 14 cashews, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute all of these well until the tomatoes turn mushy and soft.
- Then add ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder & ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala, Saute all of these for 2 mins, until the masala smells good & aromatic.
- Cool this completely and add to a blender. Pour ½ to ¾ cup water and blend to a smooth puree.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste & saute for 1 to 2 mins, until the raw smell goes off.
- Lower the flame and add the onion tomato puree. (Careful as it may splash)
- If needed you can optionally add more chilli powder to achieve a brighter color.
- Pour ½ to ¾ cup water to bring this to a consistency.
- Cover and cook until the gravy turns thick and you see traces of oil on top.
- Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and sprinkle it. (optional)
- Taste the gravy & add more salt if needed. Rest this aside.
Making paneer tikka in oven or tawa
- Option 1 – To make on griddle. Heat a tsp oil in a wide pan on a high flame, coat each paneer piece with the marinade & place on the griddle. Cook on a high flame till the marinade dries up and paneer turns golden. Similarly place the bell peppers and marinated onions and fry until the marinade dries up.
- Option 2 – Grill in oven. Preheat the oven to 430 F or 220 C. Thread paneer, onion, bell pepper to a skewers. Then grill for 8 to 10 minutes on both sides until golden and crisp.
- Option 3 – Air fryer. If your air fryer needs preheating, you may preheat it for 5 mins first. Thread paneer, onion, bell pepper to a skewers. Air fry the skewers placed in a tray at 390 F or 200 C for 5 mins. Brush them with the marinade and then air fry for another 2 mins. The marinade has to partially dry up. Also adjust the air fryer time as needed.
- Transfer grilled paneer tikka along with veggies & onions to the tikka masala gravy.
- Pour the cream. Gently mix. Garnish with cream and coriander leaves.
- Serve paneer tikka masala with roti, butter naan or veg pulao.
Notes
- To make the hung curd, add around 1½ cups plain homemade yogurt or curd to a thin muslin cloth or a clean handkerchief and tie it up. Hang it in the refrigerator for about 2 to 4 hours. Use only ½ cup of the hung yogurt.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Kirti Patel says
I & my family love it
swasthi says
Glad to know Kirti,
Thank You!
simran says
family loved it
swasthi says
Glad to know!
Ramya says
Got the exact taste of restaurant paneer tikka, Swasthi. Gravy was really lip smacking. Thanks for the recipe
swasthi says
Welcome Ramya
Glad to know
Ana Singh says
This is an excellent recipe for paneer tikka masala!!! So delicious & flavourful. It has a beautiful sweet and tangy taste with the hint of garam masala. Even though the recipe uses a lot of chili powder in it it’s not spicy at all so if you like spicy you might want to add more. I had cashew puree in the fridge which I used up. I placed the skewers on direct flame for 2 mins before putting them in the sauce. Fantastic!! I had this last week & plan to make this soon for a family dinner. Totally delicious and authentic. Served it over basmati rice with salad. Thank you.
swasthi says
Welcome Ana
Glad to know! Thanks for leaving a comment.
F says
Funny thing – I tasted the gravy and said, “This is too sweet!” I tasted the paneer in the yogurt marinade and said, “This is too tart!” But when I had them together in my bowl with cilantro – it was just right!
I think my cashews are different from yours because every time I use your recipe that calls for them, I puree them and just end up with chunks of cashews floating around, even after soaking. From now on I will make a paste first.
Thanks for the recipe!
swasthi says
Hi F,
Glad it turned out good.
I think it’s just the blender and not the cashews. Try using a good blender. If you cook Indian food often it is worth to invest in a small powerful blender. You can also pass the puree through a strainer but the cashews will be wasted. Hope this helps.
F says
I started thinking that also. Thank you!
Sushmitha G Kini says
Very good recipies swasthi 😁
swasthi says
Thank you Sushmitha
Parvathy T says
Hi Swasthi..
I tried this recipe and it turned out perfect… thanks alot. Your recipes are an excellent start for amateurs like me. Great going Swasthi..
swasthi says
Hi Parvathy
You are welcome! Glad to know!
Thanks for leaving a comment
🙂
Elizabeth says
Hi Swasthi,
First, I just want to thank you for putting so much of your time and expertise into your site. This is my go-to place for all of my Indian cooking, and my family looks forward to every Indian meal I attempt to make. They rave about them, and my standard reply is, “I just follow the best recipes!”
Second, I made this paneer tikka masala recipe and invited one of our friends over, and he LOVED it. Well, we all LOVED it 🙂 And it seems like the leftovers taste even better the next day.
THANK YOU and I hope you can continue this website forever. And ever.
swasthi says
Hi Elizabeth
You are welcome! So happy to know!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
🙂
Valerie says
Tried it. It was a hit. Very well explained. Thank you.
Sandhya says
When we add ginger garlic paste directly to oil or butter it start splashing. Please advise
swasthi says
Hi Sandhya,
Don’t wait till the oil turns very hot. When it is slightly hot, add the ginger garlic. Also do not add the cold ginger garlic from fridge.
Leena says
Very tasty… Thanks for sharing this recipe
swasthi says
Glad to know! Thank you
Aaron says
Hi, I tried this recipe, I was really happy with how it turned out 🙂
swasthi says
Thank you
Dharminder Sharma says
Best recipe, I am not a regular cook just tried first time in my life and it was amazing. My kids and wife were amazed with the taste and looks of dish. Thanks for the great recipe
swasthi says
Hi,
You are welcome! Glad to know your family loved it. Thank you
Gus says
Hi Swasthi
Cooked your paneer tikka masala last night, it was absolutely amazing, such a delicious flavour. Thank you so much for sharing
swasthi says
Hi Gus
You are welcome! Glad to know it turned out amazing. Thank you!
Uma says
During this lockdown period, your recipes are a bliss. I have tried many of them and thank you for giving us those delicious ones. Paneer tikka masala recipe was awesome. Thanks once again. Stay safe and healthy.
swasthi says
Hello Uma,
You are welcome! So glad to know! Thank you so much
Stay safe!
🙂
sophie says
I want to avoid dairy. Do you think this would work with chickpeas instead of paneer, and coconut milk instead of yogurt? Or I could skip the yogurt part?
swasthi says
Hi Sophie
I have a recipe for chickpea curry. You can check it here – Chana masala. You don’t need dairy or even coconut milk.
Shiva says
Your recipes are awesome, I have followed 3 to 4 dishes and it came really well.
Keep going, thank you
swasthi says
Hi Shiva
You are welcome. Glad to know! Thank you!
RV says
Hello,
If I want to make this dish for 10 adults. How many servings should I be following?
swasthi says
Hi,
If you also have other sides, then just 2X, double the recipe. If this is the only one side, then triple it, 3x. Hope this helps
Arundhati says
It was really delicious
swasthi says
Thank you!
Archana pahwa says
Nice I also cook same way but adding marinated pander gives it a great taste
swasthi says
Thank you!
Keri says
Can I use curry powder here? If so how much? Can I just make this without the bell peppers. Thank you
swasthi says
Hi Keri,
You are welcome. I have never tried with curry powder but it should work. The quantity to use depends on how spicy your powder is. You can check on the package for instructions. If it is a milder one then use about 1 tbsp else reduce it. Once the gravy is done you can always add more powder if needed. You can also skip the bell peppers. But they add a aroma to the dish. Hope you enjoy!
Tara says
Love this paneer tikka masala. Turned out awesome.Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Tara,
You are welcome. Glad you liked it!
Nikitha Shetty says
One of my all time favourite paneer dishes .