Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka

By Zainab Shah

Published Sept. 15, 2022

Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,599)
Comments
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Paneer, the slightly salty and extremely versatile South Asian cheese, is the perfect backdrop for heady masalas. In this recipe, soaking paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before cooking rehydrates it, while coating and baking it — along with bell peppers and red onion — with yogurt, ginger, garlic, oil, and spices means the paneer will be light, fluffy and flavorful every time. Basting the paneer with melted ghee toward the end of the baking process keeps it from drying out and adds nuttiness. In the end, you’ll have a one-pan meal of sweet, crunchy veggies and luxuriously spiced paneer in under 30 minutes. To make it vegan, substitute tofu for paneer (no need to soak) and skip the yogurt.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1½pounds paneer (fresh or store-bought), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3tablespoons mustard oil or neutral oil
  • 3tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from about a 2 inch piece)
  • 1tablespoon garlic paste or finely grated garlic (from about 6 cloves)
  • 1tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1tablespoon garam masala
  • 1teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt
  • 2medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1medium red onion, quartered and each quarter cut into halves
  • 2tablespoons melted ghee or butter for basting
  • ½ lemon, juiced (about 4 teaspoons)
  • Roti and chutney, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

487 calories; 40 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 819 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Arrange one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one closest to the broiler heating element. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, mix the rest of the oil with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, red chile powder, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon salt to make the marinade.

  3. Step 3

    Add paneer, bell peppers and onion to the bowl with the marinade and mix until evenly coated. (If you have the time, marinate the paneer and vegetables for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours for even more flavor.)

  4. Step 4

    On the prepared sheet pan, evenly spread out the marinated paneer and vegetables, and bake on the middle oven rack until the paneer edges start to turn golden, about 8 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Take the pan out of the oven and brush the paneer with melted ghee. Turn the oven to broil, place the paneer and vegetables on the top rack and broil on high until the paneer turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Take the paneer and vegetables out of the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and additional salt, if desired. Serve with roti and chutney or by itself.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,599 user ratings
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Comments

Emma

To make paneer, https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/how-to-make-paneer-cubes-at-home/ is a great recipe with stepwise photos. One helpful tip is to use vinegar to curdle the milk, not lemon or yogurt. The vinegar is the most consistently acidic, so easiest for beginners to get a nice firm texture.

AM

Delicious! We only had 1lb of paneer so I added some boiled and cubed potatoes to the marinade. So good! The broil at the end really made the dish!

VP

Just tried it with tofu. Was great. Don't think the broil is required... At least not for tofu or maybe for less time. It got dry.

Patrice

Seriously, the fastest meal ever. Easy prep and in the oven for 10 minutes. I serve it with TJ's mango chutney and TJ's garlic naan. Do not exceed the cooking times as the paneer will dry out. I would suggest cutting the onion into smaller pieces as we have found it a bit undercooked in larger chunks.

Salvatore

I followed a fellow’s tip and started roasting the vegetables 5 minutes before adding the paneer cubes - that worked out great. My only disappointment was that the dish came out a bit too dry. Any suggestions? I would love to make it again since it was well received by my son, who is my toughest critic

Barbara

This is very tasty but I agree with other reviewers that the amount of paneer can be cut back. I think 1 lb of paneer for six servings would be plenty if served with roti (or rice, which is how I served it). I think the nutritional info is incorrect. The paneer I found was 90 calories per ounce (typical for cheese), so 24 ounces divided into 6 servings would be 360 cal per serving for the paneer alone. Also, in the future, I will give the onions a head start; mine did not cook enough.

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