Fry

Madhur Jaffrey's (Paneer) Tikka Masala

by:
February 18, 2015
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Tikka Masala, but uses Paneer (an Indian Cheese), and vegetable stock instead of chicken. I also add red chile flakes because I desired a bit more heat, as well as making the recipe a bit more low fat, by cutting the amount of oil in half and using low-fat milk and yogurt. —Lauren Broidy

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Marinade for the Paneer
  • 1.5 pounds Paneer Cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or ground
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 5 tablespoons lowfat milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam malasa
  • 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Tikka Masala Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 4 tablespoons 2% greek yogurt
  • 2 medium tomatoes, grated (discard the skins)
  • 1.5 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 4 tablespoons minced cilantro
Directions
  1. Start by marinating the paneer. Put the paneer in a non-reactive bowl and rub in the salt and lemon juice. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cream, milk, and garam masala. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for one to eight hours (longer will not hurt).
  2. When you’re ready to cook, make the masala: pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan and set it over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry until they brown, six or seven minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to fry, stirring, for a minute. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and paprika. Stir for 10 seconds, then add a tablespoon of the yogurt. Stir and fry until it is absorbed. Add the remaining yoghurt in this way, a tablespoon at a time.
  3. Now put in the tomatoes. Fry them for three or four minutes, or until they turn pulpy. Add the stock and salt, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. The sauce should turn thick. Stir in the garam masala and coriander leaves, taste for balance of seasonings and add more salt if you need it.
  4. Shortly before you eat, preheat the grill to its highest setting. Skewer the marinated paneer on to two to four skewers. Spray your grill with non-stick spray and grill the paneer for 3-5 minutes, until nicely charred. When the tikkas are cooked, reheat the sauce and fold in the chicken. Serve immediately.
  5. Take the paneer off the grill and deskewer them. Mix into the masala sauce. Serve hot with fresh cilantro, basmati rice, naan, and raita.
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1 Review

violentyoda
violentyoda July 30, 2015
This is the only tikka masala recipe I could find that worked with the contents of my pantry. I was a bit hesitant, but its REALLY tasty! Tastes like the food truck tikka masala I was trying to emulate. Totally non-traditional, but I served with with homemade naan, pickled mango, and grilled pineapple. Yum!