S05 · Snacks · Punjab
Paneer Tikka (Oven, Tawa or Air-Fryer)
Punjab's tandoori favourite made without a tandoor: paneer and vegetables in a hung-curd marinade, charred in a hot oven, on a tawa or in an air-fryer.
- Region
- Punjab
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Time, as written
- Marinate 30 min · Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min
- Serves
- 3 (about 6 pieces each)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Status
- Traditional
- Good for
- Evening snack, guests, post-workout
Nutrition
High protein| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per serving | 245 | 15 g | 14 g | 14 g | 7 g | 2 g | 10 g | 6.0 g |
Tier: High protein. Full-fat paneer makes this rich; the low-fat swap is below. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Marinade
To finish
Method
Whisk the marinade ingredients until smooth and thick.
Fold in paneer and vegetables gently. Rest 30 minutes (up to 4 hours, refrigerated).
Thread onto skewers, alternating paneer and vegetables.
Oven: bake on a rack over a tray at 230 °C for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until charred at the edges. Air-fryer: 200 °C for 8–10 minutes. Tawa: cook on a hot greased tawa on medium-high, 2 minutes per side.
Sprinkle chaat masala; serve with mint chutney and lemon.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Paneer supplies 12 g per serving, hung curd 1.5 g, besan and vegetables 1.5 g.
- Low-fat swap
- Low-fat paneer (check the label) saves about 70 kcal and 8 g fat per serving, with similar protein.
- Pairing
- Mint chutney made with 50 g hung curd adds about 3 g protein per serving.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Malai-style — replace the chilli with white pepper and green cardamom (adding cream is optional and not counted).
- Substitution
- Greek yogurt for hung curd.
- Storage
- Best fresh; 1 day refrigerated.
- Food safety
- Discard leftover marinade that touched raw paneer; don't reuse it as a dip.
- Meal prep
- Marinate the night before.
Allergens
Milk
Labels: High protein · Lower-carbohydrate · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free* · No added sugar
Gluten-free* means gluten-free only when certified gluten-free hing is used; most hing contains wheat flour.