Hariyali Paneer Tikka | Grilled Cottage Cheese Marinated in Coriander, Mint, and Yogurt

This pan-grilled Hariyali Paneer Tikka has become a regular dish in home. It is a delicious starter and a simple way of including Paneer in your everyday meals.

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There is nothing better in this world than soft, fresh, creamy Paneer; or so is my belief. And when I am able to marry this Paneer with something tangy and spicy, I am in heaven. Hariyali Paneer Tikka is just the dish for such a result. Super simple to make and just as delicious, this dish makes for a great starter. (Or then if you are like me, it will be an entire meal; I need my protein, you see. :p)

Hariyali Paneer Tikka is made by marinating paneer fingers or paneer cubes in a mix of hung curd, coriander, mint, green chilli, ginger, garlic, chaat masala and lemon juice; and then pan-frying the marinated paneer. The outside of the paneer fingers becomes slightly crisp while the inside remains soft. As far as the taste goes, the lemon juice and chaat masala in the marinade lends a tangy taste while the green chillies gives it a slight spicy edge. Of course, the mint comes through to make for an aromatic experience as well.

If you are using a non-stick pan, the pan-frying honestly takes less than 1/2 tsp of ghee or oil, and that is a bonus too.

Some Tips That Help While Making Hariyali Paneer Tikka

• Drain all the water, if any, from the paneer. If you have stored the paneer in water, leave it in a colander to drain and then just gently squeeze it to get rid of the excess liquid. If the paneer has a lot of water, the marinade will become runny and then not coat the paneer pieces properly.
• Use hung curd to make the marinade. Once again this is to get a thick marinade. If you do not have the time to make hung curd, add a bit of besan (chick pea flour) to thicken the marinade.
• Let the Paneer marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Pan-fry with minimal ghee and over a medium flame so that the outside is a lovely light golden brown while the inside remains soft. Do not shallow-fry the paneer.

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Want More Starter Recipes?

Try my recipes for:

• Hara Bhara Kebab
• Dahi ke Kebab
• Kale Chane ke Kebab
• Vegetarian Galouti Kebab with Soya and Rajma 

How to Make Hariyali Paneer Tikka

1. Making the Hung Curd
   1. Spoon 3 tbsp curd into a soup strainer or a tea strainer and let the whey drain for about 10 mins. I got about 1.5 tbsp of hung curd.
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2. Alternative to Hung Curd
   1. 1. Quickly drain what water you can from the curd and then add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of besan to the curd.

1. Making the Marinade
   1. Grind 1/4 cup fresh coriander, 1 tbsp mint, 1 green chilli, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 clove of garlic,and 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice to a smooth paste. If you do need to add some water, add as little as possible.
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   2. Mix together the green paste, 1 tsp chaat masala, hung curd, and a pinch of turmeric. The marinade should be thick in consistency. I did not add any salt because the chaat masala is quite salty.
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   3. If the marinade is thin or runny, add just a little besan and mix till it in. Beware of adding too much besan because then the marinade will taste of besan.
2. Making the Hariyali Paneer Tikka
   1. Cut the paneer into 1″ cubes or then into fingers about 1″ wide and 2″ long like I did.
   2. Add the paneer pieces to the marinade and mix well till all paneer pieces are well coated with the marinade.
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   3. Set aside for 30 mins. I sometimes marinate the pieces for about 1 hour. I think they taste tangier that way. 🙂
   4. Over medium flame, heat a non-stick pan or a tava.
   5. Grease the tava with a few drops of ghee or oil. I used ghee as it lends a wonderful flavour to the Hariyali Paneer Tikka.
   6. Place the marinated paneer pieces on the pan and cook till the side touching the pan is golden brown. Grill in batches so as not to crowd the pan.
   7. Flip the pieces over and grill the other side.
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3. Serve the Hariyali Paneer Tikka warm as a starter.
4. Ways to Use the Leftover Marinade
   1. I mixed about 1/3 cup thinly sliced onion with the leftover marinade and served this onion with the Hariyali Paneer Tikka.
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   2. You can also lightly pan-fry the marinade-coated onion and then serve it with the grilled paneer.
   3. You can add 1 cup chopped mushrooms or bell peppers to the marinade, and then grill those. 🙂  

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Recipe for Hariyali Paneer Tikka

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Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Aruna

Paneer cubes or fingers marinated in a curd, coriander, mint, lemon, green chilli, and chaat masala mix before being grilled on a pan. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, this tangy and spicy Hariyali Paneer Tikka is an absolute delight as a starter.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinating Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side, Starter

Cuisine Indian

Servings 3 People

Calories 96 kcal

Equipment

• Bowl
• Soup Strainer
• Grilling Pan or Non-stick Tava
• Spatula
• Grinder

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 200 gms Paneer or Cottage Cheese
• 1/4 Packed Cups Fresh Coriander
• 1 tbsp Fresh Mint
• 1-2 Green Chillies
• 1/2 tsp Grated Ginger
• 1 Garlic Cloves
• 3 tbsp Curd or Yogurt
• 1 tsp optional Besan or Gram Flour
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• 1.5 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Pinch Turmeric
• Salt to Taste
• Ghee or Oil for Pan Grilling

Instructions

 

Making the Hung Curd

• Spoon 3 tbsp curd into a soup strainer or a tea strainer and let the whey drain for about 10 mins. I got about 1.5 tbsp of hung curd.

Alternative to Hung Curd

• Quickly drain what water you can from the curd and then add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of besan to the curd.

Making the Marinade

• Grind 1/4 cup fresh coriander, 1 tbsp mint, 1 green chilli, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 clove of garlic,and 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice to a smooth paste. If you do need to add some water, add as little as possible.
• Mix together the green paste, 1 tsp chaat masala, hung curd, and a pinch of turmeric. The marinade should be thick in consistency. I did not add any salt because the chaat masala is quite salty.
• If the marinade is thin or runny, add just a little besan and mix till it in. Beware of adding too much besan because then the marinade will taste of besan.

Making the Hariyali Paneer Tikka

• Cut the paneer into 1″ cubes or then into fingers about 1″ wide and 2″ long like I did.
• Add the paneer pieces to the marinade and mix well till all paneer pieces are well coated with the marinade.
• Set aside for 30 mins. I sometimes marinate the pieces for about 1 hour. I think they taste tangier that way. 🙂
• Over medium flame, heat a non-stick pan or a tava.
• Grease the tava with a few drops of ghee or oil. I used ghee as it lends a wonderful flavour to the Hariyali Paneer Tikka.
• Place the marinated paneer pieces on the pan and cook till the side touching the pan is golden brown. Grill in batches so as not to crowd the pan.
• Flip the pieces over and grill the other side.
• Serve the Hariyali Paneer Tikka warm as a starter.

Notes

Ways to Use the Leftover Marinade
I mixed about 1/3 cup thinly sliced onion with the leftover marinade and served this onion with the Hariyali Paneer Tikka.
You can also lightly pan-fry the marinade-coated onion and then serve it with the grilled paneer.
You can add 1 cup chopped mushrooms or bell peppers to the marinade, and then grill those. 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 96 kcalCarbohydrates: 7 gProtein: 9 gFat: 4 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 14 mgSodium: 498 mgPotassium: 139 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 196 IUVitamin C: 6 mgCalcium: 87 mgIron: 1 mg

Keyword Grilled Paneer, Hariyali Paneer Tikka, Paneer Tikka

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!