If you are looking for a great vegetarian appetizer for your summer grilling party, then look no further than this Hariyali Paneer Tikka!

Cubes of paneer marinated with yogurt, spices and a paste made with cilantro and mint, this is best enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon and more chutney on the side.

We all love paneer tikka, don’t we? Paneer marinated with yogurt, spices and then cooked until charred- it is the one of the most popular Indian vegetarian appetizer. You would find it on the menu of every Indian restaurant and also at Indian weddings, parties.

While the classic paneer tikka is great, sometimes we get bored of making it all the time for our summer BBQ. So, I thought of changing things up a bit and share with you guys the recipe for Hariyali Paneer Tikka.

What is Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Hariyali means greenery in Hindi. So the marinade for this tikka is made with cilantro and mint thus giving it that green color. For a brighter color, you can also add some spinach leaves but I used only cilantro and mint here.

The marinade is made with a chutney made of cilantro and mint and then of course there’s yogurt and some spices. The process is exactly the same as making the classic paneer tikka, they only differ in taste and presentation.

Along with paneer, we also marinate onions, peppers and then arrange them all on skewers and grill or cook it. You can either use your oven or your pan or your grill to make this hariyali paneer tikka. The tikka is spicy and bursting with flavors thanks to fresh cilantro & mint!

Ingredients

Paneer: since paneer is the main ingredient here, a good quality paneer makes all the difference. In India, you have access to lot of really good paneer. Here in US, when you buy store-bought paneer, just soak it in hot water for 20 minutes and then use in the recipe.

Veggies: along with paneer, onion and peppers are also added to the marinade. You should quarter both the onion and peppers and then separate the petals of onion and then use in the recipe. I like using a mix of green and red peppers here.

Chutney: the hariyali (green) chutney is made with cilantro, mint, ginger, chilies, garlic and lemon juice. For a brighter green color, you can also add some spinach leaves.

Yogurt: to marinade the tikka, use thick yogurt. If you have homemade yogurt which isn’t thick enough, drain using a strainer for around 4 hours and then use in the recipe. Or you can also use Greek yogurt.

Seasonings: there are also a bunch of spices like garam masala, coriander and chaat masala. There’s also my favorite kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for that wonderful aroma. Using mustard oil is must for that flavor in tikka. It also helps in making the tikka softer. If you don’t have mustard oil, you can use any other oil but mustard oil makes it much more flavorful.

Sattu: for those who don’t know sattu is flour made with roasted bengal gram. I love using it in this recipe at the very end so that all the marinade sticks to the paneer and veggies. If you don’t have sattu, roast some besan and use that in the recipe.

Step by Step Instructions

1- To a blender add cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, green chili, salt and juice of 1/2 lemon (big lemon).

2- Blend until you have a coarse paste.

3- Transfer this to a large bowl. To that bowl, now add yogurt. Mix until combined.

4- Add kasuri methi, garam masala, coriander powder and chaat masala. Mix to combine.

5- Then add mustard oil. If you don’t have mustard oil you can use any other oil but mustard oil is highly recommended here.

6- Using a wire whisk mix until everything is well combined and you have a smooth marinade.

7- Add onion, peppers (I used a mix of green & red) and paneer. Using your hands, toss the paneer and veggies with the marinade until it’s all well coated with it.

8- Now, add sattu and again using your hands mix until the paneer and veggies are well coated with the marinade. Adding sattu at the end helps in the marinade sticking to the paneer.

9- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 to 4 hours. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 450 F degrees.

10- After 1 hour, take the wooden skewers (soak them in water for 30 minutes before using in the recipe) and arrange the paneer and veggies alternating with each other on the skewers. Make all skewers similarly. you would get around 5 of these.

11- Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with oil spray. Place the skewers on it and then bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 F for 10 minutes.

12- At this point you can either broil in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes OR remove from oven after 10 minutes and char directly on heat (this will give that nice tandoor apperance). To char directly, place a wire roaster on direct heat (on medium-high flame) and hold the tikka over it. Char while rotating the skewer for 1-2 minutes until the paneer has nice brows spots on it. Repeat with remaining skewers.

Serve hariyali paneer tikka with cilantro chutney or mint chutney and lemon wedge on the side. You can also sprinkle some chaat masala before serving.

Making on Stove-top

If you don’t have a oven, simply use a grill pan or regular flat pan (preferably iron) will also do. Brush with oil and let it heat up. Once hot, place the skewers on the pan and cook until paneer gets browned. Flip sides from time to time to cook evenly. You can also grill the tikka using your outdoor grill.

Making it Vegan?

I have personally not tried but you can try to make this vegan by-

• swapping the paneer with extra-firm tofu. Make sure to drain the tofu well so that is absorbs all the flavor.
• using plain almond milk yogurt in place of regular yogurt. I like kite hill brand plain almond milk yogurt.

You can in fact use this marinade and skip paneer or tofu and just use veggies in place like cauliflower, more peppers, mushrooms.

Tips & Notes

• If using store-bought paneer, add paneer to hot water for 20 minutes and then use in the recipe. That helps is softer paneer.
• Mustard oil adds a lot of flavor, it also keeps the paneer soft.
• Do not over-cook the paneer else it will dry out.
• If you don’t have sattu, roast some besan in a pan until fragrant and then use that in the recipe.
• Remember to soak your skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes before using them. This will ensure that they don’t burn while cooking.

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