This Paneer Tikka Masala recipe is a delicious example of Indian cuisine. The dish is composed of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a creamy tomato sauce loaded with delicious Indian spices.
If you are a fan of Indian food, this homemade Paneer Tikka Masala is a must try!
What is Paneer Tikka Masala?
Paneer Tikka Masala is a vegetarian North Indian dish that combines pan-fried or grilled paneer (Indian cheese) with a rich spiced gravy. This meatless alternative to the well known dish Chicken tikka masala has become increasingly popular in recent years both in Indian restaurants and with home cooks.
How to Make Paneer Tikka Masala
If Indian cooking is not native to you, no worries, despite the long list of spices the recipe really is easy to prepare. I'll walk you through here step-by-step with pictures (or jump down to the printable recipe card if you prefer.
The recipe makes 4 servings.
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make the dish
- 1 tablespoon oil (any high heat oil, such as avocado oil or canola oil)
- 14 oz package of Paneer
- ¼ cup Cashews, raw whole
- 2 teaspoon Coriander and cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric, Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 green chilies (optional)
- 2 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 cup Onion (I use sweet onion, but a simple yellow onion is fine)
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes (chopped) or tomato puree
- 3 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Cut the packaged paneer into cubes. Pour oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Pan fry the paneer cubes along with cashews over medium-high heat until the cheese is golden brown and crisped at edges. Set the cooked paneer aside.
Add butter in a pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add cashews (reserve some for garnish if you like), onions, tomato, cashews, ginger-garlic paste, salt and all the spices (except fenugreek).
Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes begin to soften. Add water. stir well and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Pulse the cooked ingredients with an immersion blender until the curry is a smooth puree. Add the fried paneer, dried fenugreek, heavy cream and water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the paneer pieces are soft and the curry sauce becomes creamy. Add the paneer at the end if you prefer to keep a firmer texture.
Add ½ teaspoon of sugar (optional but recommended).
Serving
Serve paneer tikka masala with Naan bread or Basmati rice. For those looking to keep carbs low, cauliflower rice would be a great side.
Add fresh cilantro and lime wedges as garnish if you like. A dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream can be added also when serving.
Variations on the Recipe
Here are a few simple twists to the recipe you may find helpful in making the dish your own.
- Marinate paneer before pan-frying for more flavor. Make a yogurt marinade with a ½ cup of Greek yogurt, a crushed garlic clove and pinch of cayenne pepper. The Greek yogurt marinated paneer is then grilled or pan-fried before adding to the dish.
- For a little bright tangy flavor in the dish try adding 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to the tikka masala sauce.
- For a vegan paneer tikka masala you will need coconut milk in place of the cream and vegan substitutes for the paneer cheese and butter.
- Add more vegetables to the sauce puree. Bell peppers are a popular choice, but roasted root vegetables or winter squash are nice additions too.
- If you prefer to avoid using heavy cream a whole milk yogurt can be swapped in, though cream is ideal in the recipe.
Storing
Whether you wish to make this delicious vegetarian Indian dish ahead of time or have leftovers, storage is easy. Simple seal the cooled Paneer Tikka Masala in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will last for 3-5 days there. Freezing is also an option, which will preserve the dish for up to 3 months.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like my Chicken and Eggplant Tikka Masala Recipe, Golden Milk Recipe or Instant Pot Curry Chicken Thighs.
Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil any high heat oil, such as avocado oil or canola oil
- 14 oz Paneer
- ¼ cup Cashews raw whole
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Kasuri methi dried fenugreek
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 green chilies optional
- 2 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 1 cup Onion
- 1 cup tomatoes or tomato puree
- 3 tablespoon Butter unsalted
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into cubes. Pour oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pan fry the paneer cubes along with cashews over medium-high heat until the cheese is golden brown and crisped at edges. Set aside.
- Add butter in a pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add onions, tomato, cashews (reserve some for garnish if you like), ginger-garlic paste, salt and spices (except fenugreek).
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes begin to soften. Add water. stir well and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Puree the cooked ingredients in an immersion blender. Add the fried paneer, dried fenugreek, heavy cream and water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the cubed paneer is softened and the curry becomes creamy. Add the paneer at the end if you prefer to keep a firmer texture.
- Add ½ teaspoon of sugar (optional but recommended). Add fresh cilantro and serve with Naan bread or Basmati rice (or Jeera rice).
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