Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy

Name: Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 200 gms Paneer (cut in big cubes); 1 Bell Peppers (cubed); 1 small Onion (layers separated & cubed); 3-4 tbsp Greek Yogurt (or HungYogurt); 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder; 1 Tbsp Garam Masala Powder; 1 Tbsp Ginger- Garlic Paste; 1 Tbsp Tandoori Masala; 1/2 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder; 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice; 1/2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi; 1 Tbsp Mustard Oil (heated); Salt; 1/2 Onion (roughly chopped); 2 Tomatoes (cut in chunks); 1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes; 5 Cashews; 2 Cloves; 4 Green Cardamoms; 2 Tbsp Oil; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic (grated); 1/2 Onion (finely chopped); 2 Tomatoes (finely chopped); 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red Chili Powder (or as needed); 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder; 1/2 tbsp Tandoori Masala; 1/4 - 1/2 cup Cream (or Cashew Cream or Coconut Milk); 1 tsp Kasuri Methi; 1 tsp Honey/Sugar

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Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy is a flavorful dish made by adding marinated & grilled paneer pieces in onion- tomato curry, with some aromatic spices. It tastes best when served with Garlic Naan or Cumin Rice.

Taking abite of paneer tikka masala gravy with naan.

Restaurants serve very minimal Paneer varieties, but Paneer Tikka Masala & Butter Paneer are always on the list. Paneer Tikka Masala is one of the popular options and is loved by many. You can also make my Hariyali Paneer Tikka that tastes amazing as it is or in a roll. This is a simple recipe; you'll want to make it every weekend. However, If you're going to make Paneer at home, do check out my recipe for Homemade Paneer.

The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card, or you can also click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.

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WHAT IS PANEER TIKKA MASALA GRAVY?
HOW TO MAKE PANEER TIKKA MASALA GRAVY
EXPERT TIPS
STORAGE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
OTHER PANEER RECIPES
Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy
OTHER RECIPES

Paneer tikka Masala served in a black pan.

WHAT IS PANEER TIKKA MASALA GRAVY?

Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian Paneer recipe that is spicy and smoky in flavor. It can be served with rice or Indian flatbread like naan or roti.

If you love Chicken Tikka Masalthis is the recipe's vegetarian version. It is made by adding paneer tikka (grilled paneer pieces) instead of chicken. It is made in two parts, so it is a little lengthy in cooking compared to other paneer recipes. But the final result is definitely worth it.

First Step- Paneer Tikka: For making Paneer Tikka, marinate the Paneer pieces in Yogurt with Onions & Bell Peppers and some Tikka Spices (Kasuri Methi, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt & Ginger- Garlic paste). After marinating, grill them in Air Fryer or Stove-Top, or in a conventional Oven. Here is a quick recipe for Air Fryer Paneer Tikka that I have made in my Ninja Foodi.
Second Step- Make Curry: After grilling paneer pieces with onions & bell pepper. The next step is to make Indian Masala by frying onions & tomatoes and grinding them into a fine paste. Then add some spices & cream to the recipe. Next, add grilled Paneer pieces to the curry. This whole process gives a nice creamy curry. And also gives a nice smoky flavor to the recipe by adding Paneer Tikka in it.

HOW TO MAKE PANEER TIKKA MASALA GRAVY

Marinate Paneer:

For making Paneer Tikka, first, you need to marinate the Paneer. Then, take a bowl and add 3-4 tablespoons of Greek Yogurt or Hung Yogurt. Whisk yogurt until smooth, and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, Tandoori Masala, and Kasuri Methi.

Add onions, and bell peppers in a bowl with yogurt and spices.

Add paneer and mix until paneer is properly coated..

If you don't have greek Yogurt, you can use Hung Yogurt. Place 5-6 tablespoon of regular yogurt in a muslin cloth. and let it sit for 5-6 hours until the you're left with thick yogurt.

Next, add big paneer pieces, onions, and bell peppers. Also, add mustard oil and lemon juice. Stir the ingredients until Paneer, onions, and bell peppers are properly coated. Cover the bowl and let it sit for marination for 30 minutes or more (if time persists).

Make sure you marinate the big peiecs of paneer, bell peppers, and onions. If you add big pieces in skewers for grilling, they will not break and the tikkas will be made more properly.

Making Paneer Tikka:

Once the paneer pieces are marinated and then thread them in the skewer. You can use a bamboo skewer or metal skewer.

Thread paneer tikka in the skewers after marination.

Once grilled, paneer tikka will have nice charred flavor.

Bake the paneer tikka in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then you can broil them for a more charred flavor. Or you can grill in an outdoor grill until they are soft & charred. You can also make it in the air fryer.

Making Curry Masala:

In a pan, add oil. When oil is hot, add onion and fry until they start to change the color. Also, add green cardamom and cloves.

Once onions start to change color, add tomatoes.

Then add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn soft & mushy. Then blend it until it is pureed.

Add oil to the pan again. Add ginger, garlic, and green chili when oil is hot, and saute for 1 minute. Then add finely chopped onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to change the color.

Then add tomatoes and cook until soft & mushy.

Next, add chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes until they turn soft & mushy. Then add spices and blended onion-tomato Masala.

Cook for 5 minutes at low heat or until you get desired consistency. Then add paneer tikka, cream or cashew cream, and Kasuri methi. Mix and serve with rice or naan.

EXPERT TIPS

For marinating Paneer piecYogurtYogurt, you need YogurtYogurt. So I prefer marinating in Yogurtyogurt.
Try to cut Paneer, Onion & Bell Pepper in about the same size. This helps in grilling everything evenly.
I also add hot Mustard Oil in marination; this gives a nice color and smoky flavor to Tikkas.
Always add Lemon Juice to the marination.
Marinate Paneer for at least 30 minutes. This will make the Paneer soft and also helps in binding the flavors properly.
I layer Paneer, Onions & Bell Peppers in a skewer. Then grill them in Conventional Oven or Air Fryer or on a stove-top using a Panini pan. You can also shallow-fry them.

Paneer Tikka Masala garnished with cilantro and cream.

STORAGE

You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer; the taste will remain the same. You can store leftover Paneer Tikka Masala Gravy in the fridge for 3-5 days. And in the freezer in a container for 1-2 months. Before using the frozen Paneer Tikka Masala, just thaw and heat it in the microwave or pan on the stove-top until hot.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH?

You can serve Paneer Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan or steamed rice. My favorite option is garlic naan with green chutney on the side.

CAN I MAKE IT VEGAN?

Indian recipes are versatile, so you can change them as per your taste & flavor. For example, you can replace Paneer with Tofu to make it vegan. And you can also add coconut milk instead of cream and almond/cashew paste. With only almond paste, the curry feels creamy, but to make it creamier, you can add coconut milk.

CAN I MAKE PANEER TIKKA MASALA WITHOUT CREAM?

Yes, you can make Paneer Tikka Masala without cream. I prefer to make the curry without cream. You can add almond or cashew paste to the curry (that makes the curry creamy). If you want creamier, I suggest adding almond flour to the Masala, cooking for 1-2 minutes, and then adding water or milk to the curry. That way, almond flour will get cooked and lump-free, and curry will taste creamier.

IS PANEER TIKKA MASALA SWEET?

Paneer Tikka Masala is not sweet as such. In fact, it is smoky and spicy with a slight hint of sweetness.

Paneer TIkka Masala served with sliced onions and green chutney.

OTHER PANEER RECIPES

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