Paneer Tikka

I took a long long...... break in blogging. Happy to be here again :) Starting with a colorful appetizer. Paneer tikka is an Indian dish, marinated in yogurt/hung curd with spices and grilled in a tandoori. This is mostly done in oven but equivalently it can be done in stove top. A wonderful starter to go in a party.

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 200 gm/ 1 lb
• Red bell pepper - 1/3 cup
• Green bell pepper - 1/3 cup
• yellow bell pepper - 1/3 cup
• Onion - 1

To marinade:

• Curd/yogurt - 1 cup, after hanging in cloth it yields 1/2 cup of hung curd
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Kasturi methi - 1 tsp, crushed (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Place the curd in a muslin cloth and hang it or keep in a big filter to drain the water from the curd. There will be a thick curd called hung curd. In the hung curd add all the powders, ginger garlic paste, kasturi methi, chaat masala and salt.

Squeeze lemon juice. Add oil and combine well. Keep aside.

Chop bell peppers and onions into small squares and cut panner in cubes. Mix the curd and vegetables and keep aside for 1 or 2 hours. 

In a skewer, alternate all the vegetables and arrange in an order. Place the panner skewers in tawa for few minutes by adding a tsp of oil in a medium flame. Immediately transfer in a pulkah stand (roti stand) and keep turning for 2 to 3 minutes in a medium flame till it roast.

Serve with green chutney.

Notes:

• For a different version, paneer can be replaced with tofu.
• The more time vegetables marinade in curd and masala the taste would be great. So give minimum time of 2 hours.
• Soak skewers overnite in water to avoid burning and breaking.
• Be more creative by adding mint leaves, coriander leaves for a different taste.