Five Ingredient Paneer Tikka Masala

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This paneer tikka masala takes just five ingredients and half an hour to make and tastes so good! Serve with your favourite grain and buttery naan bread.

Paneer is such a brilliant ingredient to use in vegetarian cooking. The firm texture makes it a filling alternative to meat and it works so amazingly well in a slightly spicy tikka masala sauce.

Veggie curries are my jam. Whether it’s a simple dal, one with a creamy sauce or made in the pressure cooker, they’re such a good way to eat vegetarian.

For a long time I really held out on trying paneer.

I have no idea why, I don’t know if it was just the whole idea of cheese in curry that freaked me out but then I tried adding halloumi to curry (in this cashew nut curry with halloumi, it’s amazing) and realised that cheese is as good in curry as it is in everything else.

And that’s really really good.

WHAT IS PANEER?

Paneer is a non melting cheese commonly used in Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cuisine. It has a mild flavour and works perfectly in rich curry sauces like this tikka masala.

The first time we made paneer was actually only a few months ago. Two of our friends came over for a big lunch and we made a feast full of different kinds of curry and one of those was a paneer curry.

It tasted amazing and was definitely the hit of the dinner party so we were keen to try making paneer again soon.

So the next time we wanted a quick, easy dinner with a bit of spice we decided to go down the paneer route. The best thing about this curry is that it takes so few ingredients.

Now you could definitely go with a homemade spice paste. I normally would and I applaud you if you’re keen for that even on the busiest or laziest of weeknights. But on some nights I just want to get it out of a jar.

We normally go with Pataks, their spice pastes are pretty reliable and we’ll often have a jar of it on hand incase we need a super quick dinner.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS PANEER TIKKA MASALA:

• Oil – Vegetable oil or whatever you prefer is fine
• Onion
• Paneer
• Tikka Masala Paste – This is the brand we normally use.
• Chopped Tomatoes

Keep scrolling to get the full recipe for this paneer tikka masala…

I love how few ingredients are needed for this curry. If you feel like upping the veg content then you could totally add a few handfuls of spinach leaves or another green vegetable but honestly I think it’s pretty perfect how it is.

It takes just a few steps to make this paneer tikka masala. It’s the perfect comfort food and just the thing you need now that the weather is getting a little cooler. I can’t think of anything better to curl up with than a big bowl of this paneer tikka masala piled on top of fluffy white rice with a big old naan bread on the side.

You definitely shouldn’t miss out on that naan bread, Will makes his own and it is so delicious.

HOW TO MAKE PANEER TIKKA MASALA (STEP BY STEP):

1. Heat the oil and gently fry the onion then add the tikka masala pasta and cook until the paste darkens and smells really fragrant.
2. Add the paneer and stir then fry for another 5-10 minutes until browned.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and half a tin of water and simmer until the sauce has thickened then serve.

Keep scrolling to get the full printable recipe…

Want more? Get all my other vegetarian recipes before you go.

Keep scrolling to get the recipe…

WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT FROM MAKING THIS PANEER TIKKA MASALA?

If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!

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5 Ingredient Paneer Tikka Masala

This paneer tikka masala takes just five ingredients and half an hour to make and tastes so good! Serve with your favourite grain and buttery naan bread.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 401 kcal

Author Amy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion chopped
• 450 g Paneer cubed
• 4 tbsp Tikka Masala Paste
• 1 400g tin Chopped Tomatoes

UK Measures - US Measures

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion. Fry until the onion is softened then add the tikka masala paste and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant. 

2. Add the paneer to the pan and stir to coat in the paste then continue frying for another 5-10 minutes until the paneer is browned on all sides. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and then fill the tin up half way and add that to the curry as well. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice and naan bread.

Recipe Notes

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Nutrition Facts

5 Ingredient Paneer Tikka Masala

Amount Per Serving

Calories 401 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 32g 49%

Saturated Fat 17g 85%

Cholesterol 74mg 25%

Sodium 172mg 7%

Potassium 228mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 4g

Protein 17g 34%

Vitamin A 49.6%

Vitamin C 15.3%

Calcium 59.8%

Iron 7.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Equipment you need to make this recipe…