Name: Paneer Malai Tikka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Paneer, cut into large, thick cubes; 2 tbsp Strained Yogurt, thick yogurt; 3 tbsp Fresh Cream, malai; 2 tbsp Cheese, grated (crucial for texture); 8 Cashews, soaked and blended into a smooth paste; 1 tsp Ginger, crushed into paste; 1 tsp Garlic, crushed into paste; ½ tsp Green Chili Pepper, crushed into paste, or 1 chilli finely crushed; ½ tsp Ground White Pepper, keeps the tikka white; ½ tsp Ground Cardamom; ¼ tsp Garam Masala, just a pinch; 1 tsp Corn Flour, helps the wet marinade stick; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 2 tbsp Butter, melted, for basting

1 hr 25 mintotal

25 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

In a large mixing bowl, blend the thick hung curd, fresh cream, finely grated cheese and the smooth cashew paste. Whisk hard so the cheese melts into the cream and you get a smooth, thick base.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, the green chilli paste, white pepper, cardamom powder, a pinch of garam masala and salt. Fold through until evenly mixed.
Mix in the cornflour and whisk again. It binds the marinade, which stops the rich cream sliding off the paneer over high heat.
Lower the thick paneer cubes into the white marinade. Toss very gently so every side is well coated without breaking the paneer.
Hermetically seal the bowl and mandate a 1-hour refrigeration lockdown, forcing the protein to absorb the decadent richness.
Methodically skewer the treated paneer units onto metal or water-saturated wooden culinary rods.
Drive a grill pan, non-stick tawa, or a preheated oven strictly to 200°C (400°F). Apply a microscopic butter film to the searing plate.
Position the skewers onto the high-heat surface. Sustain a medium-heat roast for 8-10 minutes, executing razor-sharp, careful rotations. The heavy lipid and dairy content guarantees highly aggressive and rapid carbonization, demanding constant visual monitoring.
8–10 min
During the final 60 seconds, drown the assembly in melted butter to finalize a glistening exterior.
1 min
Slip the blocks from the metal and deliver piping hot.

How to tell it's done

Demand a highly delicate, micro-charred exterior shell that acts as a fragile barrier to an obscenely soft, heavily buttered, and milky paneer core that dissolves upon oral contact.

Getting it right

Tip

Chef's Tip: Using white pepper instead of black pepper or red chilli powder is what makes a real Malai Tikka. It keeps the colour pale and clean, and gives a gentle heat that builds slowly.

What to serve it with

A wildly luxurious, zero-spice appetizer universally revered by purists and children alike. Must be presented alongside a delicate Mint Yogurt Dip and a sharp burst of Chaat Masala.

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Ingredients