Grilled Paneer in Tandoori Seasoning

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 02/14/23
Grilled Paneer in Tandoori Seasoning

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Marinate tim: 60 mins
Total: 77 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

In this vegetarian tandoori-inspired recipe, paneer is coated in a yogurt sauce, smothered in tandoori spices, and grilled on skewers just until lightly charred. Serve it up with extra sauce. Yum!

Didn't know you can grill paneer? You can, indeed! Like traditional Greek halloumi cheese, Indian grilled paneer works well on your indoor or outdoor grill, as it becomes lightly charred instead of melting away like other cheeses. If you've never tried grilling cheese before, you're in for a real treat with this tandoori-spiced grilled paneer recipe. 

Most larger natural foods stores (such as Whole Foods or larger independent grocers) will stock paneer and tandoori seasoning blends. You also may want to see if there's a local Indian import grocery store in your area. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plain or lemon yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons tandoori seasoning blend

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

  • 8 ounces paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Grilled Paneer in Tandoori Seasoning ingredients

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. Whisk together the yogurt, tandoori spice blend, and cayenne pepper in a wide, shallow bowl or container.

    Whisk together the yogurt, tandoori spice blend, and cayenne pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Add the chopped paneer, coating well with the yogurt sauce.

    coat the chopped paneer in the sauce

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. Allow the paneer to marinate for at least one hour, and, if you have the time, a little longer. Check the cheese once or twice to make sure it's still covered with sauce, and turn or re-coat it once or twice as needed. 

    chopped paneer in yogurt sauce

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-low heat. Skewer paneer on soaked bamboo skewers, and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly charred, coating well with extra sauce.

    skewer paneer on soaked bamboo skewers and grill

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. Serve your grilled paneer drizzled with extra sauce, or serve the extra sauce on the side for dipping.

    Grilled Paneer in Tandoori Seasoning served with sauce

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Tip

  • This grilled paneer recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free (but check the ingredients on your spice blend to make sure there are no hidden additives just to be certain if needed). 

Recipe Variations

  • Need a vegan tandoori grill recipe? Try swapping out the paneer for tofu and use a vegan soy yogurt for the marinade instead. It'll still be delicious and colorful, thanks to the strong tandoori seasoning blend of spices, which is where the real flavor comes from. Enjoy!
  • You can also make paneer kabobs by adding different ingredients to the bamboo skewers. Choose vegetables which take about the same time to cook as the paneer. Chunks of bell pepper, quartered sweet onions and mushrooms are traditional grill ingredients which would all work well. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
134 Calories
9g Fat
5g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 1814mg 79%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 254mg 20%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 98mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)