Hara Bhara Paneer Tikka / Indian Cottage Cheese in Green Marinade

Hara Bhara Paneer Tikka also known as Hariyali Paneer Tikka is a flavorful Cottage Cheese starter dish. In this a green marinade is made from hung curd, fresh coriander, mint leaves and basic Indian spices. Paneer (cottage cheese) chunks and veggies like onions and bell peppers are coated with this green marinade and thereafter grilled either on a stove top or in an oven.  Hara bhara paneer tikka is  gluten-free and is served hot seasoned with lime juice and chaat masala and usually accompanied with a mint chutney and salad. It is a delicious and healthy vegetarian alternative to Chicken tikka and other meat dishes. You can make this dish ahead of time and marinate the paneer and veggies overnight in refrigerator for more flavorful paneer tikka and grill it just at the time of serving.

When it is added to a spicy gravy, it gives yet another tasty dish called paneer tikka masala. Paneer cooks quickly and soaks all the flavors very well. Whenever I make a fresh batch of green chutney, I make this quick and lip smacking, protein rich starter from paneer. Hara bhara paneer tikka is a variation to the classic paneer tikka. Paneer Tikka is a popular Indian starter dish in which the cottage cheese chunks and veggies marinated in yogurt and spices are grilled. The marinated paneer chunks along with pieces of colorful bell peppers and onions are arranged on satay sticks and are grilled in tandoor. At home we can easily grill it in an oven or on a stove top. I have already posted the recipe of paneer tikka with both oven and stove top method. Click here for the recipe.

You may also add button mushrooms, tofu, soy chunks and veggies like broccoli, baby corn also to this tikka for variation. The longer the time of marination, the more flavorful the dish. To make hung curd at home, just tie some curd in a muslin cloth for 1-2 hours, so that all the liquid from the curd drains out and you get a creamy hing curd. 

Click on the following links for more tikka dishes from this blog. Paneer Tikka, Mushroom Tikka, Soya Vegetable Tikka.

                           

Preparation Time : At least 1-2 hours, if time permits, marinate overnight

Cooking Time : 10-12 minutes using grill or tava (stove top) option and around 20-25 minutes in an oven.

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 500 grams Indian Cottage Cheese /Paneer , cut into 10 cm cubes (I have used homemade Paneer)
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into cubes
• 1 medium red pepper, cut into cubes
• 1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 10 cm cubes
• 1 large red onion , cut into cubes

For the Marinade:

• 3 tbsp hung curd (tie ½ cup curd in a muslin cloth and hang for 1-2 hours)
• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander , around 50 grams
• 1 small bunch of fresh mint leaves, around 50 grams 
• 1 green chilly
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• ½ inch ginger root
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp dry mango powder / amchur powder
• Salt to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Melted butter for basting
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Chaat masala to taste

Method:

1. In a blender jar take coriander and mint leaves, green chili, garlic cloves and ginger and make a smooth paste using little water. Our green paste is ready.

3.   For the Marinade, in a large mixing bowl , take hung curd . To it add the green paste, cumin coriander powder , dry mango powder , red chili powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.

4.   Add the paneer cubes along with bell pepper and red onion cubes. Mix well and marinate for at 6-8 hours or at least 1-2 hours. If you have time you can marinate even longer. The more you marinate the paneer becomes more flavorful. I usually marinate overnight.

   5. Put 3-4 wooden skewers in water and leave them to soak for 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius for 15 minutes if using an oven. I have used a convection microwave with a grill option. When ready to cook, grease the skewers and baking sheet. Thread the paneer and vegetables alternatively onto the skewers. 

Place the skewers on a baking sheet in the preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius and bake for 20-25 minutes. In case you are using a grill option in a convection microwave, select the grill option. Keep the skewers on a greased plate onto the high rack and grill for 8-10 minutes. If you do not have an oven or microwave, you can use a greased tava and keep the skewered paneer onto it and cook on a medium flame for 10-12 minutes. In all the cases turn the skewer midway and brush with melted butter to assure the paneer and veggies do not dry up.

6.   We are looking for paneer which is soft , coated with marinade and charred around the edges. Do not overcook the paneer as it might turn rubbery. For those who intend to use a tava, can add 1-2 tsp of chick pea flour to the marinade to ensure the paneer does not stick to the tava.   Sprinkle the lemon juice and chaat masala and serve the hara bhara paneer tikka with mint chutney and salad and enjoy !

                             

Recipe Notes:

• I would recommend to marinate the paneer and veggies in this green marinade for 6-8 hours or over night in a refrigerator as more the time of marination, the spices and yogurt infuse well into the paneer making it all the more flavorful.
• Left over marinade can be added to any gravy.
• Soak the wodden satay sticks in water at least for 20 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
• Do not overcook the paneer as it might turn rubbery. 
• For those who intend to use a tava, can add 1-2 tsp of chick pea flour to the marinade to ensure the paneer does not stick to the tava.   

This is an old post which i have updated with the written content. I am sharing this post with a Facebook group, Foodies_RedoingOldPost which i have recently joined. This group is an initiative my friend and fellow blogger Renu who blogs at Cookwithrenu. In this group, bloggers update their old posts with new pics or contents every 2 weeks. I loved this concept, as bloggers we grow each day, our photography gets better and when we revisit our old post, we feel the photography could be better. Also many a time we make changes in our recipe which needs to be updated. I have many such posts which need to be updated and hope this group gives me the needed motivation for it. This is my fourth entry in this event (9th August).

                                                     

If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. 

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For more Paneer starter dishes , do check my posts on

• Cashew Nut Stuffed Paneer Balls

                            

• Paneer Lollipop

                            

• Cottage Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers

                            

• Paneer Tikka