Tandoori Paneer Tikka in Air Fryer
Irresistible restaurant-style tandoori paneer tikka made using air fryer. Smoky spicy and super creamy!
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Ingredients
- 350 g Paneer
- 1 large onion yield ¾ cup onion petals
- 1 medium green bell pepper yield ¾ cup (use mix of colored bell peppers if desired)
- Oil for cooking the tikka
For The Tandoori Marinade
- 150 g plain whole greek yogurt or thick yogurt
- 2 tablespoon besan gram flour or use chickpea flour
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger garlic paste homemade or store bought
- 1 tablespoon green chilli paste I use indian green chillies (use serrano paste if not available), adjust quantity to taste
- 1.5 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon mustard oil or use melted ghee
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1-2 drops red food coloring optional
Spice for Marinade
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder or use smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (hot) adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder or use extra lemon jucie
- 1.5 teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder fresh grated
Instructions
Preparation
- Place paneer on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into large (about 2 inch) squares or cubes.
- Peel and cut 1 medium onion into square shape pieces about the same size as paneer. Similarly, de stem and discard the core of bell pepper and cut in about the same size as onion.
- Pound the green chillies using your mortar pestle into a coarse paste. If you are making ginger garlic paste at home, you can pound them together with green chillies.
- In a pan, on low heat dry roast the besan (gram flour) for 4-5 minutes to do away its raw smell. Keep a close eye as besan burns easily.
- Optional Step - Some people are quite sensitive to the taste and aroma of mustard oil. You can warm up the oil till you see ripples on its surface, let cool down and then use in the marinade. Heating up the oil reduces its strong aroma and taste.
Make The TandoorMarinade
- In a large bowl, add the greek yogurt along with ginger-garlic paste, green chillies paste, all the ground spices (red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala, cardamom powder, nutmeg) ,roasted besan, kasuri methi and mustard oil.
- Using a whisk,mix well until the marinade is smooth and thick.Tip - If time allows, let this marinade sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Yes, marinate the marinade- its a thing!
Marinate the Paneer
- Save ¼ cup of the marinade and add the paneer cubes to the remaining marinade. Using a spatula or with your hands gently mix taking care that the paneer doesn't break. Cover and let sit for 1-2 hours or up 6-8 hours. If your paneer is soft, don't marinate beyond 2-3 hours.
- Brush the metal skewers with oil before threading the paneer. Skewer the marinated paneer, bell pepper and onion onto wooden or metal skewers. If you are using wooden or bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to cooking to avoid burning. Wipe dry and then skewer the paneer and vegetables.
Don't marinate the vegetables else they will get watery due to salt in the marinade. Coat the bell pepper and onion in reserved marinade 5-7 minutes before you are ready to make tikka.
When skewering paneer, thread the paneer with the flattest side facing up. This way the tikka will get maximum exposure to heat while cooking.
Air Fry The Paneer Tikka (See other methods in notes)
- Pre heat your air fryer at 390F or 2 minutes. Arrange 4-5 skewers or more/less depending on size of your air fryer basket in a single layer making sure that the skewers arent touching each other.
- Spray or liberally brush oil or you could also use ghee to cook the tikka. Don't forget to line the air fryer basket with a perforated sheet for easy cleaning.
- Air fry for total of 8-10 minutes at 360F while turning the skewers mid way. Using tongs, flip the skewers. Spray some oil on other side. Remove using tongs and sprinkle with chaat masala while the paneer tikka is still warm. Serve with lemon wedges & green chutney.
Video
Notes
- HOW TO MAKE PANEER TIKKA IN OVEN
- 1. For softest paneer tikka, soak the paneer in hot water for 20 minutes prior to using.
- 2. Pat the paneer dry before marinating. Excess surface moisture prevents the marinade from clinging well. If using frozen paneer, thaw it completely and pat it dry before marinating.
- 3. Make sure the onions and bell peppers are completely dry too. Wet vegetables dilute the marinade and won't char as nicely.
- 4. No skewers? No problem. You can cook the marinated paneer and vegetables directly in the air fryer, oven, or on a tawa. Just arrange the pieces in a single layer with a little space between them.
- 5. Don't skimp on the oil while cooking. A light but generous coating prevents sticking, encourages charring, and keeps the paneer from drying out.
- 6. Dry Or Soggy Paneer Tikka- Both these situations happen due to overcooking the tikka (becomes dry) or undercooking at low temperature (starts releasing water). Make sure to follow the times mentioned.
- Serve as an appetizer or snack with two kinds of chutneys like green chutney, tamarind chutney, sliced onion and lemon slices.
- You could serve as a main meal with naan or cumin rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 18gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 928mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 635IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 438mgIron: 1mg
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