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Crafted with 16 single-origin, freshly-harvested spices, our house Tandoori Masala is the perfect balance of spicy, sour, sweet, earthy, and umami flavors. Use it to make these vegetarian-friendly kebabs, starring big, chunky pieces of paneer (we love Sach Foods!) and a mix of colorful vegetables. When pairing paneer with our tandoori masala, I like using mustard seed oil, which has a horseradish-like kick—you can usually find mustard seed oil in some specialty shops and your local South Asian market, but if you don't have it, you can use neutral oil, like canola or untoasted sesame—plus a couple tablespoons of lemon juice for extra tang to cut through the richness of the cheese. Serve with green chutney and pickled onions.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (42g) plain, full-fat yogurt
4 tablespoons (60ml) mustard seed oil or neutral oil, like canola or rapeseed (see headnote)
2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
3 tablespoons (18g) Tandoori Masala
1½ teaspoons Surya Salt, plus more
12 ounces (340g) paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 to 3 bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, optional
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, optional
1½ teaspoons Chaat Masala, optional

Special equipment

Metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden, soak them for 20 minutes before using)

For serving

Green chutney
Pickled onions

Methods

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, 2 tablespoons mustard seed oil, lemon juice, Tandoori Masala, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and whisk until smooth. Add the paneer cubes and gently toss, making sure each pieces is completely coated in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 12 hours (the long the marinade time, the more time it has to permeate the cheese).
When ready to skewer, place the onions and peppers in a large bowl along with the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard seed oil and ¾ teaspoon salt. Remove the marinated paneer from the refrigerator. Skewer one piece of paneer, pushing it to the end of the skewer, then skewer a couple onion petals, followed by a piece of green bell pepper and a piece of red bell pepper. Repeat this process so there are three to four pieces of paneer on each skewer, depending on the length of your skewer. Repeat with the remaining paneer and vegetables, transferring the finished skewers to a plate or sheet pan.
While you are making the skewers, preheat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal grill. When the grill is hot, brush the grate with oil and grill the skewers on all four sides until the cheese is soft, the vegetables are tender-crisp, and everything is lightly charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Alternatively, you can grill these on a grill pan indoors—cook over medium-high heat and add a couple minutes to the cooking time.)
If finishing with the optional chaat masala butter (highly recommended!), melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When melted and just starting to foam, add the cilantro and chaat masala, season with salt to taste, then brush over the grilled skewers before serving. Enjoy hot with plenty of green chutney and pickled onions on the side.

This Recipe Features

Asha's Paneer Tikka

Serves

4 people

Difficulty

Beginner

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (42g) plain, full-fat yogurt
4 tablespoons (60ml) mustard seed oil or neutral oil, like canola or rapeseed (see headnote)
2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
3 tablespoons (18g) Tandoori Masala
1½ teaspoons Surya Salt, plus more
12 ounces (340g) paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 to 3 bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, optional
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, optional
1½ teaspoons Chaat Masala, optional

Special equipment

Metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden, soak them for 20 minutes before using)

For serving

Green chutney
Pickled onions

Methods

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, 2 tablespoons mustard seed oil, lemon juice, Tandoori Masala, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and whisk until smooth. Add the paneer cubes and gently toss, making sure each pieces is completely coated in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 12 hours (the long the marinade time, the more time it has to permeate the cheese).
When ready to skewer, place the onions and peppers in a large bowl along with the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard seed oil and ¾ teaspoon salt. Remove the marinated paneer from the refrigerator. Skewer one piece of paneer, pushing it to the end of the skewer, then skewer a couple onion petals, followed by a piece of green bell pepper and a piece of red bell pepper. Repeat this process so there are three to four pieces of paneer on each skewer, depending on the length of your skewer. Repeat with the remaining paneer and vegetables, transferring the finished skewers to a plate or sheet pan.
While you are making the skewers, preheat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal grill. When the grill is hot, brush the grate with oil and grill the skewers on all four sides until the cheese is soft, the vegetables are tender-crisp, and everything is lightly charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Alternatively, you can grill these on a grill pan indoors—cook over medium-high heat and add a couple minutes to the cooking time.)
If finishing with the optional chaat masala butter (highly recommended!), melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When melted and just starting to foam, add the cilantro and chaat masala, season with salt to taste, then brush over the grilled skewers before serving. Enjoy hot with plenty of green chutney and pickled onions on the side.