Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka

by Susan Hanna

This paneer recipe from NYT Cooking is a great vegetarian main dish. Marinate paneer, peppers and onion and then bake on a sheet pan for about 8 minutes. Brush with melted butter and broil a few minutes to brown the paneer. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with flatbread.

Serves 4-6.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Tre Stella paneer and Astro Balkan-style yogurt are additive-free. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use freshly grated ginger and garlic. Look for butter that contains only cream and use freshly squeezed lemon juice. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds (680 g) paneer (fresh or store-bought), cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral oil
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from about a 2 inch piece)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic paste or finely grated garlic (from about 6 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garam masala
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Kashmiri or other red chile powder
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) turmeric powder
• Salt
• 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces
• 1 medium red onion, quartered and each quarter cut into halves
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted ghee or butter for basting
• ½ lemon, juiced (about 4 teaspoons/20 ml)
• Roti and chutney, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Arrange one oven rack in the centre of the oven and a second one closest to the broiler heating element. Heat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C). Line a large sheet pan with foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil. Set aside.
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 (5 ml) salt to make the marinade.
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 flavour.)
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. 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.

From NYT Cooking