Paneer kebabs are marinated paneer pieces grilled or barbecued in a traditional tandoor along with onions, tomatoes and capsicums(bell peppers). Away from the monotony, I tried my hand at 3 different marinades, each imparting a different color and taste to the paneer. The subtlety and balance of the flavors, infused in the paneer pieces along with crunchy vegetables makes paneer kebabs, a delicious appetizer/starter.
Tri-Colored Paneer Kebabs Recipe
Ingredients: Yellow Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares) 4-5 tbsps hung curds 1 tsp black pepper pwd (you can use a pinch of garam masala pwd also for added flavaor) 1 tsp amchur pwd or lemon juice big pinch turmeric pwd –(give yellow color to the paneer) salt to taste
Marinate the paneer pieces in the above marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Red Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares) 1 tsp red chilli pwd – (gives red color to the paneer) 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (optional) 4-5 tbsp hung curds 1 tbsp lemon juice salt to taste
Marinate the paneer pieces in above marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Green Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares) Make a paste of mint (small cup) and coriander leaves(small cup),1 green chilli,1″ginger piece,1 tbsp lemon juice and salt. Marinate the paneer in this paste for 2 hours in the refrigerator. This marinade gives a green shade to the paneer.
Make thick slices of 3 medium onions and 3 medium sized tomatoes and cut 2 capsicums into big pieces and keep aside.You can marinate the pieces with any of the above marinades. I usually toss them in a dressing of lemon juice and chilli pwd or pepper pwd and skewer them along with the marinated paneer pieces.
I used my traditional earthen stove or home tandoor called ‘kumpati’ (with charcoal) to grill/barbaque the paneer. I did not brush the paneer with oil before grilling. So absolutely no fat was using in the cooking process. Skewer the vegetables and paneer pieces and grill them for 5-6 minutes turning them around while its cooking to ensure they don’t burn and cook them till they are soft and attain a light golden shade. Serve with green chutney or tomato ketchup.
An absolutely delicious,melt-in-the mouth,low-carb,healthy appetizer or starter with refreshingly crunchy vegetables!
