Paneer Shawarma Dip
Oct 20, 2024
With layers of hummus, spiced paneer, fresh onion-tomato salad and topped with tahini sauce and pomegranate, this Paneer Shawarma Dip is a definite crowd pleaser for holiday gatherings!
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Impress you guests with this easy to make and serve Paneer Shawarma Dip! Chunks of spiced, marinated paneer are served with a flavorful trio- spicy hummus, onion-tomato salad and drizzle of tahini sauce with fresh pomegranate arils. Served with naan or pita bread, this super flavorful vegetarian appetizer is perfect to serve at holiday gatherings and get-togethers.
The festive time of the year calls for some easy and tasty recipes. If you are hosting a Diwali party this year or going to a potluck and want to make an easy and delightful appetizer, then you have come just to the right place. This Paneer Shawarma Dip is easy to make, appealing to eyes and delightful for the taste buds. All the vibrant colors make it look perfect for the festive season.
If you have followed my Diwali recipes for a while, then you would know that I love creating easy, fun and fusion recipes with Indian flavors like the Indian chaat dip, cheesy schezwan paneer sliders and many more! For this paneer shawarma dip, the paneer is first marinated with spices, then cooked and served with hummus, tahini sauce and a side of naan or pita bread. You can either make a big platter of this dip or make it in small individual bowls depending on how you want to serve the dip.
4 parts to the recipe!
This recipe essentially has 4 parts to it (minus the naan/pita bread) and let me walk you through each part. The goal is to make this recipe easy and doable because it’s the busy time of the year and we want things to be done quickly. We are going to take some shortcuts here, you can take more or less as per your preference.
- Paneer Shawarma: use a good quality paneer for this recipe since that will make all the difference. I really like the “sach paneer” brand here in the US (not sponsored, I just really like the texture of this brand of paneer) but use whatever you can find easily. Remember to soak it in warm water for 15 minutes before using it in the recipe. For the marinate we use spices like coriander, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and some lemon juice, olive oil and yogurt.
The marinated paneer needs to be cooked in a pan (preferably cast iron) until it’s nicely charred from both sides. If you can’t get it nicely charred from both sides, placing it in the oven on broil is another good option. You can marinate the paneer in advance, overnight will be just fine.
- Spicy hummus: I love making hummus at home and I do think my zesty hummus would work so well here but I have used store-bought hummus in this recipe. During the festive time, I am running short on time and I am all about taking shortcuts which can make my life easier. I just add some spicy hot sauce to store-bought hummus and then use that in the recipe.
- Onion-tomato salad: the addition of fresh onion and tomato salad with fresh parsley, lemon juice and a touch of sumac adds the perfect zing to the dip.
- Tahini sauce: I love to top the dip with a drizzle of tahini sauce which is made with just tahini, lemon juice, garlic and a little bit of cumin powder.
Let’s Make The Paneer Shawarma Dip!
Make the marinade for the paneer first
- To make the marinade, take a large bowl and to that add- 3 tablespoons yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, if using plain yogurt make sure it’s thick), and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Then add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon each of turmeric and red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1&1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt (to taste, around 1/4 teaspoon) and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Using a wire whisk, mix everything together until well combined. Now add 500 grams of paneer slabs/blocks (make sure to use the entire blocks as such, you can soak them in warm water for 20 minutes before using so that paneer blocks remain soft) and coat them well with the marinade from all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. You can also keep this marinade overnight.
Make the spicy hummus
- To make the spicy hummus, take 16 oz hummus in a bowl (homemade or store-bought). Add 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or any hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to it. Mix using a whisk until combined. You can add more hot sauce as per taste. Set this aside.
Make the tahini sauce
- To make the tahini sauce, grate 2 cloves of garlic and add it to a bowl. Then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to it. Let it sit for 10 minutes so that the garlic flavor infuses well into the lemon juice. Then strain the lemon juice using a strainer and discard the garlic.
- To the bowl now add, 1/4 cup tahini paste and 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder. Start mixing it, it will be very thick initially. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes smooth and turns into a pouring consistency sauce. I used around 3 tablespoons of water to reach this consistency. Set this aside as well.
Make the onion-tomato salad
- To make the salad, to a large bowl, add 1 medium red onion, sliced (or use 1/2 of a big red onion), 10-12 cherry tomato halves, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon sumac, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Mix everything using your hands, this helps in releasing a little moisture from the onions. Set this aside for 10 minutes while you cook the paneer.
Cook the marinated paneer
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Place the marinated paneer blocks over the hot pan. Cook them flipping once in between until they are nicely browned/little charred from both sides. Also cook the sides of the paneer block by placing it directly on the pan using a pair of tongs. You can also get them charred by placing them in the oven on broil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Arrange and serve the Paneer Shawarma Dip!
- Remove the paneer blocks from the pan and place them on a chopping board. Cut the block into long strips. If you are going to serve this dip in small bowls, then cut into small pieces. And now, it’s time to assemble everything! To assemble the dip, take your serving platter and add the hummus at the bottom. Spread it by using the back of your spoon. Then place the paneer strips on top.
- Top with the prepared onion-tomato salad, make sure to spread it evenly. And then drizzle the prepared tahini sauce on top. You can also add some pomegranate arils here.
- Arrange naan, pita bread, naan crisps on the side and your paneer shawarma dip is ready to be served. You can also make this dip in small bowls for individual servings. Add some hummus at the bottom of the serving cup/bowl. Then top with paneer cubes (cut them a little small if serving this style), top with onion-tomato salad, tahini sauce, pomegranate and place a small wedge of naan or pita bread on the side and serve.
Serving Style- 2 Ways!
You can serve this dip on a big platter and arrange your naan, pita and crackers on the side of the platter. Or you can also serve this in small bowls for individual serving. It depends on the type of gathering you are going to make it for.
Personally, I think for potlucks, I would do the individual servings if you know the exact number of people at the party. But if making this for dinner with friends, I would do the big platter and let everyone dig in. Both good options!
Paneer Shawarma Dip
Ingredients
For the paneer marinade
- 3 tablespoons yogurt I used Greek Yogurt, if using plain yogurt, make sure it's thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 & ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- salt to taste, around 1/4 teaspoon
- black freshly freshly ground
- 500 grams paneer as blocks, do not cut into cubes
For the hummus
- 16 oz hummus I used store-bought hummus
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or any hot sauce, add more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the tahini sauce
- 2 large garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 3 tablespoons water cold, adjust to desired consistency
For the onion-tomato salad
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
naan, pita bread, naan crisps, to serve
pomegranate arils, to serve
Instructions
Make the marinade
- To make the marinade for the paneer, in a large bowl, add all the ingredients listed under "for the paneer marinade". Use a wire whisk to mix everything together.
- Add the paneer blocks and coat the blocks with the marinade evenly from all sides. Cover and refrigerate this for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 to 3 hours. This step can also be done overnight to save time in the morning.
Make the hummus
- Transfer store-bought hummus into a bowl and add the hot sauce and smoked paprika to it. Mix with a wire whisk until combined. Taste test and add more of the hot sauce if desired. Set this aside.
Make the tahini sauce
- To make the tahini sauce, grate garlic cloves in a bowl and add lemon juice to it and let it sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. Then strain the lemon juice using a strainer and discard the garlic. To the same bowl, now add tahini, cumin powder and mix using a wire whisk.
- The mixture will be very thick in the beginning, start adding cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and keep stirring until it reaches a pouring consistency. I added around 3 tablespoons water. Set this aside.
Make the onion-tomato salad
- To a large bowl, add sliced onions, cherry tomatoes, parsley, sumac, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands for a minute as this helps in releasing the moisture from the onions. Cover the bowl with a plate and let it sit 10 minutes.
Cook the paneer
- Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high heat and then place the marinated blocks of paneer over it. Cook the paneer, flipping it once in between until it is nicely golden brown/little charred from both sides. You can also place it in the oven on broil for 3 minutes at the end to make it little charred.
- Once cooked, remove the paneer blocks from the pan and let them cool down a little. Then cut into strips lengthwise. If you are planning to serve this dip in small cups, cut the paneer into small cubes.
Assemble the dip
- To assemble the dip, take your serving platter and place the hummus at the bottom of the platter. Spread it using the back of your spoon. Top with the paneer strips, followed by the onion-tomato salad, and finally a drizzle of the tahini sauce. You can also add some pomegranate arils on top. Serve with naan, pita bread, naan crackers.
- If you want to serve this in individual bowls/cups, take your bowl and add layer of hummus at the bottom. Then add the paneer cubes, some onion-tomato salad, drizzle with tahini sauce and add some pomegranate seeds on top. Serve with a naan wedge or a small pita bread.
Notes
- You can do the paneer marinade a night before you plan to serve the dish. This will make it much easier to assemble the dip the next day. Use store-bought hummus to make things easier during the holiday time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
