Indian food can be intimidating. I won’t lie, the idea of making it at home sort of scared me because, well, my MIL makes the best Indian food. Luckily my MIL taught me how to make Paneer Tikka Masala under 30 minutes, this recipe is in my top 5 favorites of Indian food.
First, let’s start off by talking about this delicious meal. This is a very common dish in the north part of India (Punjab) made up of many spices that create a gravy and ultimately the result is a delicious curry, This dish can be made with any meat of your choice, I chose to make it with paneer (Indian cottage cheese).
Paneer Tikka Masala Under 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup of half and half
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1 packet of paneer tikka masala mix ( I use this one)
- Tomato Paste
- 4-5 grams of paneer (Indian Cottage cheese)
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee
- ½ tsp of red chili powder
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Large pan
- Small bowl
Instructions
- In a small bowl pour your Paneer tikka masala dry mix.
- Add ½ cup of half and half, and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix it together until it is all mixed together. Add ½ a tsp of Indian chili powder for an extra kick.
- Cut your paneer into small squares. I used roughly 3 grams of paneer because that was all I had. Take the small squares and add them to the air fryer for 5 minutes or 6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I added mine for 10 and they were too well done.
- Place your large pan on medium heat, and add 3 tbsp of ghee or oil (I used avocado oil). Add 3 (large) tbsp of the tomato paste and add in the gravy mix you made earlier. Stir it in and let it cook together.
- Add the Paneer and stir it on low heat. At this point, the gravy might look a bit dry. Add ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and ½ cup of half and half, and mix it until it’s incorporated well. Turn off the heat and cover it.
- Serve and enjoy.
I like to serve this recipe with mango raas (mango pulp). To create this you just need to blend the mangos without the pit and add a splash of milk. It tastes delicious and it gives a good flavor balance of sweet and spicy when paired with this dish.
If you do not have naan bread to use you can use a paratha (flatbread). My favorite is to use a paratha. And that’s how you make Paneer Tikka Masala under 30 minutes, this recipe is in my top 5 favorites of Indian food.
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Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 packet paneer tikka masala mix
- tomato paste
- 4-5 grams paneer (indian cottage cheese)
- 1 tbsp oil or ghee
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl pour your Paneer tikka masala dry mix Add ½ cup of half and half, and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix it together until it is all mixed together.
- Add ½ a tsp of Indian chili powder for an extra kick.
- Cut your paneer into small squares. I used roughly 3 grams of paneer because that was all I had. Take the small squares and add them to the air fryer for 5 minutes or 6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place your large pan on medium heat, and add 3 tbsp of ghee or oil (I used avocado oil).
- Add 3 (large) tbsp of the tomato paste and add in the gravy mix you made earlier. Stir it in and let it cook together.
- Add the Paneer and stir it on low heat. At this point, the gravy might look a bit dry. Add ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and ½ cup of half and half, and mix it until it’s incorporated well. Turn off the heat and cover it.
- Serve and enjoy.
