Paneer Tikka is prepared using paneer cubes, tri color vegetables like  pepper, tomato and onion marinated with yogurt and Indian spices and baked in tandoor oven. Alternatively at our homes, we bake them in conventional oven or gas grills. Paneer tikka can be served as a starter or snack.It is a must have in our barbecue parties. To make gravy curry, baked paneer tikka is cooked for a while in tomato onion base gravy and can be garnished with cream. In this recipe I did not use cream, instead I used nuts to get the rich creamy texture.

Tikka Ingredients:

• Low fat Paneer – 1lb
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Oil – to spray
• Yogurt – 2 to 3 tbsp ( yogurt should be enough to coat paneer cubes nicely)
• Green Bell pepper, Red Onion, Tomato – each 1 ( deseed and chop 1″ square pieces)

Paneer tikka before baking

Gravy Ingredients:

• Onion – 1 medium
• Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp
• Tomatoes – 2 medium
• Cashews / Almonds – 12
• Oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Indian Bay leaves – 2
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – ¼ tsp
• Finely chopped cilantro – 2 tablespoons
• Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon

Method:

1. Slice paneer in to one inch square cubes.
2. Mix chilli powder,ginger garlic paste, salt,  coriander, vegetables and yogurt with sliced paneer in a bowl. Cover it and let the mixture marinate for at least an hour in refrigerator.
3. Mean while chop onions and tomatoes.
4. Soak nuts in hot water.
5. To prepare the gravy, add 1 table spoon of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add onions, fry around 1 min, add kasuri methi mix and fry for anther minute.
6. Add ginger garlic, turmeric and stir fry for another minute.
7. Add tomatoes and fry  for 1 minute. Add salt, chilli powder mix well and fry until tomatoes are mushy. Turn off heat and let it cool to blend.
8. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
9. Spray baking sheet with oil and place marinated paneer cubes ( not vegetables) on baking sheet.
10. Put baking sheet with paneer cubes in oven for 20 minutes turning over in between .  Now add vegetables and keep them for 10 minutes and take them out ( timing depends upon your oven so keep eye on them, mine took longer). Alternatively, you can shallow fry in a pan with little oil, same rule applies for vegetables, add them at the end, since vegetables takes less time to cook. Make sure vegetables are cooked and crispy.
    

    Paneer tikka after baking

11. When the paneer is in oven, blend onion – tomato gravy prepared above along with soaked nuts to smooth paste.
12. Heat pan on medium heat, add tsp oil,when the oil is heated add bay leaf.
    
13. Add tomato gravy and cook for 2 minutes  then add coriander powder and garam masala stir slowly and cover the pan for few minutes and check consistency, add water accordingly.
14. Add the oven-fry paneer and vegetables in the gravy and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low medium heat.
15. Serve hot with your choice of  paratha or chapathi or over the rice.

Paneer tikka gravy served with Whole wheat chapathi