Paneer Hariyali Tikka

Paneer is packed with protein is a very well known fact!!! Vegetarians in India heavily rely on this curdled milk (Cottage cheese) for their source of protein apart from the varieties of lentils.

Although paneer doesn’t list in my top ten sought after food cravings, but I still sometimes do yearn for this fresh cheese cubes. So I prepare my own from scratch. I love the process of curdling milk and draining the whey, tying up in muslin cloth and the loading it with a heavy object and then to slice it to get the perfect cubes, but this recipe is made from store brought cubes that were surprisingly fresh.

These white cubes are a shinning star to many recipes, they add light and sound to salads, mix veggies, or pizzas. They look perfect and serve as an excellent combination with spinach and green peas. But I prefer them marinated and grilled to perfection the tandoori way.

This recipe is adapted from my Chicken haryali tikka, I have tried this wonderful marination with prawns, mushrooms, paneer and tofu. And they all turn out to be divine. I blend / envelope them with coriander and mint with cashew nut paste and spices rendering it an amazing aroma and a tangy taste. Alternatively you can use roasted  2 teaspoon of gram flour and 1 tablespoon  greek yogurt if avoiding cashew nuts.

This is a super quick dish to cook.The panner cooks in a matter of minutes and soaks in the flavour of the marinade  really well.  If using the wooden skewers, put them in the water and leave them to soak.

Ingredients
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350 g to 500 g Paneer large cubes
1 green pepper cut into cubes
1 Red onion  cut into cubes

For the marinade

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1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup  mint leaves
1 teaspoon Garam masala
2 Green chilies or more
 I inch Ginger
 2 to 3 Garlic cloves
5 to 6 Cashews
lemon juice to taste
Chat masala
Salt to taste

Blend the coriander, mint, cashew, ginger, garlic and chilies to a paste using very little water. Squeeze lemon juice and rub garam masala and salt  to paneer cubes and set aside for 10 minutes.

Add paneer to the marinade, along with veggies. Mix well and marinate  for up to an hour. when ready, thread the paneer and veggies alternatively onto the skewers.

Place the skewers on  a baking  sheet in the preheated oven of 200'C for 8 to 10 minutes. The paneer should be soft, coated with the marinade and charred around the corner.

Sprinkle  over  the chat masala and  lemon juice .Serve them hot with lemon wedges and sliced onions..