Cast Iron Grilled Tandoori Paneer Kebabs

Earlier this summer, we found ourselves with visitors from India weekend after weekend, and so, to keep things simple, I found myself making the same things over and over again. Often it was my home style chicken curry, some kind of lentil with a vegetable dish and always these cast iron grilled tandoori paneer kebabs.

Every country has their own version of kebabs and these vegetarian tandoori paneer kebabs from India are fun and delicious to make. Most of you would be familiar with paneer but if you are not, Paneer is a fresh cheese made from cow’s milk. It is similar to Halloumi and holds up well on the grill. Therefore, these kebabs are a fantastic alternative to meat for the vegetarian barbecue lovers. Paneer is a great source of protein and calcium and is easy to make at home.  It is also readily found in many general supermarkets, as well as Indian grocery stores. If you are not a fan of paneer swap it with tofu.

Making these kebabs is really easy. I made them on a cast iron griddle pan, but they would also be excellent on the barbecue or you could even make them under the grill/broiler. To make these, you will need 1 block of paneer and 3 bell peppers, yogurt and some spices. Feel free to use whatever vegetable you prefer. Zucchini and red onion, for example, can easily be added. Whisk thick yogurt with lemon juice and spices in a large bowl to make the tandoori marinade.

You can pretty much add tandoori marinade to anything- chicken, fish, lamb, tofu, potatoes etc.  It’s all pretty much the same ingredients, except for a few tweaks here and there. Cut paneer and peppers into uniform pieces to insure even cooking. Add them all into the marinade bowl. Toss with tongs until each piece is coated generously. Thread 2 pieces of paneer along with peppers onto wooden skewers. Just be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading. This will help keep the wood from burning too fast. Place the skewers on your preheated gas, electric or stove top grill (about medium heat) and grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until good grill marks form. Squeeze a lemon wedge over all of the grilled kebabs and sprinkle with chaat masala.

Now, these are generally served as a vegetarian starter for parties but feel free to serve them as a light lunch or as a side dish to any meal.

I am bringing these tandoori paneer kebabs to Corina’s linky CookOnceEatTwice.