Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka

By Zainab Shah

Published September 14, 2022

  • Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
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Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,764)
Comments
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Paneer, the slightly salty and extremely versatile South Asian cheese, is the perfect backdrop for heady masalas. In this recipe, soaking paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before cooking rehydrates it, while coating and baking it — along with bell peppers and red onion — with yogurt, ginger, garlic, oil, and spices means the paneer will be light, fluffy and flavorful every time. Basting the paneer with melted ghee toward the end of the baking process keeps it from drying out and adds nuttiness. In the end, you’ll have a one-pan meal of sweet, crunchy veggies and luxuriously spiced paneer in under 30 minutes. To make it vegan, substitute tofu for paneer (no need to soak) and skip the yogurt.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 1 ½ pounds paneer (fresh or store-bought), cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 3 tablespoons mustard oil or neutral oil

  • 3 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from about a 2 inch piece)

  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste or finely grated garlic (from about 6 cloves)

  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder

  • 1 tablespoon garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

  • Salt

  • 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 medium red onion, quartered and each quarter cut into halves

  • 2 tablespoons melted ghee or butter for basting

  • ½ lemon, juiced (about 4 teaspoons)

  • Roti and chutney, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

10 grams carbs; 91 milligrams cholesterol; 487 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 819 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Arrange one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one closest to the broiler heating element. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, mix the rest of the oil with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, red chile powder, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon salt to make the marinade.

  3. Step 3

    Add paneer, bell peppers and onion to the bowl with the marinade and mix until evenly coated. (If you have the time, marinate the paneer and vegetables for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours for even more flavor.)

  4. Step 4

    On the prepared sheet pan, evenly spread out the marinated paneer and vegetables, and bake on the middle oven rack until the paneer edges start to turn golden, about 8 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Take the pan out of the oven and brush the paneer with melted ghee. Turn the oven to broil, place the paneer and vegetables on the top rack and broil on high until the paneer turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Take the paneer and vegetables out of the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and additional salt, if desired. Serve with roti and chutney or by itself.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,764 user ratings
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Comments

Emma

To make paneer, https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/how-to-make-paneer-cubes-at-home/ is a great recipe with stepwise photos. One helpful tip is to use vinegar to curdle the milk, not lemon or yogurt. The vinegar is the most consistently acidic, so easiest for beginners to get a nice firm texture.

AM

Delicious! We only had 1lb of paneer so I added some boiled and cubed potatoes to the marinade. So good! The broil at the end really made the dish!

VP

Just tried it with tofu. Was great. Don't think the broil is required... At least not for tofu or maybe for less time. It got dry.

Ramona

I’ve made this many times with both paneer and tofu, both delicious. My preference is to use labne instead of yogurt in the marinade for a little extra tang. I often skip the final broil, never the lemon or lime at the end. If I add additional veggies, I usually up the amount of marinade. Easy and satisfying. I also like to up the spice a bit.

John M

I made this almost exactly as written and it was excellent. Unlike others, the cooking time was perfectly from my perspective. The paneer I used was something I had previously frozen, and so I didn't soak it. Leftovers will be used tonight, along with beans and some meat, to fill some burritos!

Andrea

I follow the directions except for I make twice the marinade as many have mentioned. After everything is cooked I toss it in a pan with store bought Tikka Masala sauce and serve over rice. The baked-in flavors really improve the not-from-scratch sauce and solves the dryness issue.

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