Paneer tikka is an

Indian dish Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herb ...

made from chunks of

paneer Paneer (), also known as ponir () is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting sof ...

marinated in spices and grilled in a

tandoor A tandoor ( or ) is a large urn-shaped oven, usually made of clay, originating from the Indian Subcontinent. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and naan, as well as to roast meat. The tandoo ...

. It is a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

alternative to chicken tikka and other meat dishes. It is a popular dish that is widely available in India and countries with an

Indian diaspora Overseas Indians (IAST: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are Indians who live outside of the Republic of India. According to the Government of India, ''Non-Resident Indians'' are citizens of Indi ...

Preparation

Chunks of

, a type of

fresh cheese There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most co ...

, are marinated in spices and are then arranged on a stick with

capsicum ''Capsicum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit. Etymology and names The generic name may come from Latin , me ...

s (bell peppers),

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

s and

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es. These sticks are grilled in a

and the dish is thereafter served hot, seasoned with

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...

and

chaat masala Chaat masala, also spelled chat masala, is a powder spice mix, or masala, originating from South Asia, typically used to add flavor to chaat. It typically consists of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, coriander, dried ginger, salt (often blac ...

. It is sometimes accompanied by

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

mint chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...

. Tikka dishes traditionally go well with mint chutney. The paneer, though tender, has a crisp singe on the surface.

Variations

When paneer tikka is served with a sauce, it is called paneer tikka masala. It is also served as with a wrap, ''paneer tikka roll'', where the paneer tikka is wrapped into an

Indian bread Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits. Ingredients Most flat breads from northern India are unleavened ...

and served. A variant of paneer tikka is also made as a kebab. Over the years, there have been several variations, such as ''Kashmiri paneer tikka'', where the paneer is stuffed with chopped almonds and grilled, a variety of

Chinese food Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Overseas Chinese, Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine ha ...

, paneer tikka masala

chow mein ''Chow mein'' ( and , ; Pinyin: ''chǎomiàn'') is a Chinese dish made from stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. Over the centuries, variations of ''chǎomiàn'' were developed in many regions of China; there are s ...

, and dosa stuffed with paneer tikka. International fast food chains in India have also incorporated paneer tikka into their menus, such as

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert a ...

and

Domino's Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...

which offer a paneer tikka topping on their pizzas, whereas Subway offers a paneer tikka sandwich and

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

has a paneer tikka wrap on its menu. ITC's ''Bingo'' brand of

potato chip A potato chip (North American English; often just chip) or crisp (British and Irish English) is a thin slice of potato that has been either deep fried, baked, or air fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or ap ...

s has experimented with a paneer tikka flavour of chips. Prior to that, in 2003, Nestle's

Maggi Maggi ( or ) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. The Maggi company was acquired by Nestlé in 1947. History Early history Julius Maggi (1846–1912) ...

experimented with a ready to cook variety of paneer tikka. Other companies also offer spice mixes and ready-to-eat variants of paneer tikka.

Gallery

File:Paneer Tikka Seek.JPG File:Paneer Tikka in India.jpg File:Panner Tikka.jpg File:Tikka Paneer.jpg File:Tikka array.jpg File:Home made Paneer Tikka prepared in air frier.jpg File:Paneer Tikka 2.jpg File:Angara Paneer Tikka.jpg File:Paneer tikka 1.jpg File:Paneer Tikka Masala.jpg File:Paneer Tikka (2172840954).jpg

References

{{Indian Dishes Punjabi cuisine Indian cheese dishes

Preparation

Variations

Gallery

See also

References