Name: Dhaba Style Lasooni Paneer Tikka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Paneer, cut into large cubes; 2 tbsp Garlic, finely minced or crushed; 3 tbsp Strained Yogurt, thick; 1½ tbsp Roasted Gram Flour, sattu or roasted besan; 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder, for vibrant color; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Garam Masala; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 2 tbsp Mustard Oil, heated until smoking, then cooled slightly; 1 tsp Chaat Masala, for garnish; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste

1 hrtotal

30 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine the thick hung curd, roasted gram flour, crushed garlic, kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and lemon juice.
Pour the warm, smoked mustard oil directly over the dry spices in the marinade. Whisk vigorously until the marinade becomes a smooth, glossy paste.
Add the paneer cubes to the bowl. Use your hands to gently massage the marinade onto each cube, ensuring a thick, even coating. Let it rest for the designated marination time.
Thread the marinated paneer cubes onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, leaving a slight gap between each cube for even cooking.
Heat a grill pan or a heavy tawa over medium-high heat. Brush it lightly with oil or butter.
Place the skewers on the hot pan and cook for 6-8 minutes, rotating periodically, until all sides possess a beautiful dark char and the paneer is heated through.
6–8 min
Remove from the heat. Sprinkle a generous amount of chaat masala over the hot tikka and serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

Smoky, charred edges encompassing a hyper-soft paneer center, coated in a thick, pungent, garlic-forward roasted crust.

Getting it right

Tip

Frying the minced garlic in a tiny bit of butter before adding it to the marinade elevates the nutty, garlic profile to extreme dhaba-style authenticity.

What to serve it with

Serve sizzling hot with a classic cooling mint-yogurt chutney, raw onion rings, and lemon wedges.

Murgh Malai Kebab

Murgh malai kebab uses cream and cheese in the marinade so the chicken stays pale and soft.

2 hr 45 minnon vegetarian

Mushroom Galouti Kebab

Mushroom galouti uses the Awadhi melt-in-the-mouth method on mushrooms rather than meat.

1 hrvegetarian

Mushroom Ghee Roast

Mushroom ghee roast cooks mushrooms in ghee with the sour, chilli-heavy Mangalorean masala.

1 hr 5 minvegetarian

Mushroom Tikka

Mushroom tikka marinates whole mushrooms in spiced yoghurt and chars them.

55 minvegetarian

Mutton Chapli Kebab

Chapli kebab presses mince flat with tomato and onion through it, cooked on a griddle rather than a skewer.

2 hr 40 minnon vegetarian

Mutton Galouti Kebab

Galouti kebab grinds mince to a paste with raw papaya so the patty collapses on the tongue, an Awadhi speciality.

8 hr 35 minnon vegetarian

Ingredients