Ingredients

1. Paneer – 250 gms

For Hari chutney

2. Coriander leaves – 13 gms or 1/2 cup
3. Mint – 10 gms or 1/2 cup
4. Ginger – 1 1/2 tsp
5. Green chillies – 3
6. Salt - as per taste
7. Lime or lemon – 1/2 or 2 tbsp

For the marinade

8. Curd (hung curd) – 1/2 cup
9. Roasted cumin powder – 1 1/2 tsp
10. Oil – 1 tbsp

Vegetables

11. Red bell pepper – 1 small
12. Yellow bell pepper – 1 small
13. Green bell pepper – 1 small
14. Onion – 1

Additional ingredients

15. Ghee/melted butter – as required

Method

Making hung curd

1. Take a bowl and place a muslin cloth in tea strainer. Keep the tea strainer on the bowl. Pour the fresh curd. Bring the four corners of the muslin cloth together and tie one corner tightly around the rest. Gently press. You will see the whey dripping. Now optionally place a small bowl or lid on the tied muslin. Keep the whole thing in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours or even overnight.
2. When you open the cloth after resting in the fridge, your will see that the hung curd is ready. The bowl will contain the liquid from the yoghurt.

Cutting the paneer and veggies

3. Cut the paneer into squares, 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut all the vegetables into squares, roughly about the same size as the paneer.
5. Soak the wooden/bamboo skewers in water for about 30 mins to prevent the skewers from burning.

Chutney making

6. Rinse green leaves in water and keep it aside.
7. Add all the ingredients - mint, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, lemon juice and salt. Grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside. Garlic is not to be used, it turned up in the plate by accident.

Marination and preparing the skewers

8. Add hung curd/yoghurt.
9. Combine all the ingredients - green chutney, yoghurt, roasted cumin powder, salt and oil.
10. Add the paneer and the vegetables to the marinade and let it rest for 3 hours to overnight in the fridge. Remove it from the fridge about 30 mins before cooking it.
11. Pierce each vegetable and paneer alternatively to the skewers or as per your order of choice.

Cooking in oven

12. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius and apply or brush the baking tray with little oil/melted butter, so that paneer doesn’t stick below.
13. Place the skewers in the baking tray and bake for 8 to 10 mins. Brush with melted butter/ghee on top and turn. Apply ghee/butter again and cook another 7 to 8 mins or until charred at edges. Remember not to overcook paneer as it becomes dry and will not be soft.

Cooking on the oven grill

14. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 4 mins or until you see charred edges. Brush or baste the paneer skewers with butter/ghee and turn to the other side. Apply ghee/butter again and cook for about 4 mins.

Cooking in pan/griddle

15. Preheat the pan or griddle with 2 tsp of oil. When hot, place each skewer on the griddle or pan. Cook for about 2 mins on a medium heat on each side and then turn the other side.
16. Drizzle some oil/butter/ghee in between, cook evenly all sides until you get the charred colour on your vegetable kebabs. It will take about 7 to 8 mins.
17. Remove from the grill or tava, when it is cooked well.

Serving

18. Once cooked, immediately brush the paneer tikka with butter/ghee and wrap with aluminium foil. Keep aside for about 3 mins. Open and serve immediately with a sprinkle of chaat masala on Hariyali paneer tikka as a starter.

Notes

1. I have brushed my paneer skewers with melted ghee. You can use vegetable oil or sunflower oil or melted butter.
2. If you want, you can roast or saute a few vegetables in oil/butter like onion, bell pepper (capsicum), sprinkle some chaat masala and mix well. Serve on a serving plate and place panner skewers on top.
3. The marinade should be thick, not watery.
4. The marinade should get well attached to the vegetables and the paneer. There is no need to brush the vegetables with the marinade again and again while cooking.
5. Brush oil/ghee/butter on the griddles or baking tray so that the paneer does not stick to the pan or griddle.
6. Threading the vegetables or paneer can be done as per your order of choice, but skew it very closely.
7. Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least two hours before baking. This will prevent burning of the skewers.