Paneer tikka masala and chicken tikka masala are world famous Indian curries. Try this restaurant style curries in the comfort of your own home. Paneer is a cottage cheese. You can substitute tofu instead of paneer.
Life was good this past couple of weeks in Bangalore. Apart from spending time with my sis and BIL after a long time, the other thing I liked was easy access to baking supplies. All I did was bake the things I wanted, the other necessary items, say, the everyday cooking and the dishes were taken care of. Back in Orlando, I wish I had someone to do the dishes, and I bet almost everyone there would agree too.
Finding someone to help you with your everyday chores sounds like a luxury. Whether you are writing a blog or turning your kitchen into a test zone, you can imagine the number of dirty dishes that can pile up.
Paneer Tikka Masala was something I made thrice in a week, which my paneer loving BIL devoured. This recipe is a keeper, is foolproof and honey is the secret ingredient. Sure, cream and cashew add to the richness.
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Chicken Tikka Masala | Restaurant style (Video Recipe)
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What is Paneer Tikka Masala?
Paneer Tikka Masala is an Indian curry made with Paneer | Indian Cottage Cheese. The gravy is rich, creamy, and slightly sweet. It is an excellent vegetarian option.
You can make it spicy if you want, but this recipe is a milder version.
How to make vegan curry?
To make a vegan version of the classic Indian curry, you can substitute butter with vegan butter and use firm tofu instead of paneer. Also, you can use cashew cream instead of heavy cream.
How to make Paneer Tikka Masala?
It is an absolutely easy recipe
- Marinate the paneer: Marinate the paneer with yogurt and spices and grill it or saute it lightly.
- Prepare the gravy: Sautee ginger, garlic, onions, and spices in butter and then add tomato puree and spices. It is mainly a tomato based gravy.
- Make it richer: Adding cashews, heavy cream to makes it creamy.
- Finally, add in the grilled paneer.
- Finish it with honey. It gives a subtle sweetness and is one of the secrets to making a great Punjabi style curry.
How to make Indian Curries?
The secret to making any Indian curry is to sautee the onions and tomatoes well till you see a layer of oil on top. This process ensures that there is no raw taste. Saute the spices too and simmer it gently till you see a layer of oil on top.
Apart from baking the pineapple upside-down pineapple cake(Video Recipe), I also baked chocolate cake, which is my base for the black forest cake (It is one of the most sought out recipes on the blog.
I also made Dates and Rum Cake and Rum rocks, which I generally make for Christmas.
Paneer Tikka Masala – A famous Indian curry
Ingredients
- 250 g 1/2 pound Paneer (A type of Indian cheese)
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 2 cups pureed tomatoes About 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup cashew powdered
- 1 tablespoon honey no substitute please
- SPICE MIX:
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilly powder or red chilly powder/paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
- MARINADE FOR PANEER:
- 1/4 cup very thick yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
-
Marinate the paneer and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. Lightly apply oil on a pan and fry the paneer until charred and looks grilled. Alternately you can also use the oven and broil the paneer on a skewer or on a tray. keep aside.
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Heat oil and butter in a pan on medium heat. Add onion and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and let this cook. To this add the spice mix, stir for about 30 seconds, add the tomato puree and salt. Let this simmer till the oil layer can be seen on top.
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Add water and let this simmer again. Add cashew powder and mix well. Lower the heat and add heavy cream and honey, mix again. Sprinkle a teaspoon of chilly powder and let this simmer till the oil layer can be seen on top, about 20 minutes. Initially, the gravy will be yellow, but after a while, once the oil starts separating, the curry turns to a red. Adjust the honey as per taste. 2-3 minutes before you turn off the heat, add the cooked paneer. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves.
HEY THERE! HAPPY TO SEE YOU 🙂
Hey Teena, tried it today and it turned out really well. Aarush loved it and so did Rajeev. Really thought its a complex procedure to make real good paneer recipes but this was quite simple to make anytime hey happy 4th july enjoy your long weekend.
Thank you so much Alpa for leaving such a positive feedback…So glad your Boys liked it too:)
I made this yesterday and it came out really good. Everyone in my family loved it and asked if I ordered it from a restaurant. Indeed a restaurant style curry. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Yay…I am so glad to hear that…and thanks for letting me know 🙂
I love how uncomplicated this sounds! (no grinding or dry roasting involved – seems like a lot of extra work when you have grown up in Germany, like I did. Hint: Most of our mothers are lazy cooks!) 🙂 Cheers, Lisa
🙂 I always thought these restaurant style curries are complicated, but this was one of the simplest curries I have made…This is perfect and easy when you have people over…They will think you have put in lot of effort 🙂
Thanks Megha :)…I would love to know how it turned out.