Paneer Tikka vs Palak Paneer Everything You Need To Know

Paneer Tikka vs Palak Paneer: Everything You Need To Know

Two amazing and healthy food items from the Indian cuisine: paneer tikka vs palak paneer is a competition that you need to know about. These North-Indian dishes are typically native to the state of Punjab in India but can be found in any Indian restaurant across the world.

Though chicken tikka and paneer butter masala are the most widely known Indian dishes, paneer tikka and palak paneer are strong contenders on the popularity boards. Whether you are unfamiliar with these Indian curries or love them already, this article will help you understand all you need to know about the two.

What is Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is made by using paneer, which is Indian cottage cheese (often known as Indian cheese). This Indian dish is made by placing well-marinated pieces of paneer on skewers and grilling them in a traditional clay oven called the tandoor. You can learn how to marinate paneer here. 

Cubed paneer is coated with spices and allowed to soak in all the flavor before being grilled to perfection. The great thing about this dish is that it can be easily made even without a tandoor and is a perfect dish to wow your guests or family members. Another thing to remember is that paneer tikka is a dry version and different from paneer butter masala and paneer tikka masala (The comparison between paneer butter masala vs paneer tikka masala is worth a look to get more details).

This vegetarian curry is a mouthful of flavor in every bite. The taste of the marinated paneer with the distinct smokiness of the tandoor and the added crunchiness of bell peppers are definitely worth the trouble of making this dish on your own.

What is Palak Paneer

This green curry is goodness in a bowl. Palak means spinach, and this Indian dish is made by submerging paneer cubes in a green creamy spinach sauce. You can either use fresh spinach leaves or frozen spinach for this recipe.

It is comfort food and very popular among Punjabi families for whom palak paneer is an indispensable part of their culinary culture. It looks exotic and great and tastes even better. But some may be confused between palak paneer vs saag paneer. The only difference is the use of other leafy greens like mustard greens or kale. 

For this recipe, it is advised to use fresh or frozen spinach leaves after cutting off their stems. Baby spinach leaves can be left with the stalks. There are various variations you can try like replacing Indian Cottage cheese with tofu. Similarly, if using cream in the recipe, you can skip cashew cream entirely or reduce the number of cashews in the recipe, or even choose coconut cream/ cream with coconut milk.  

What Are The Similarities Between Paneer Tikka vs Palak Paneer?

  • The main ingredient used in both dishes is paneer which is a great source of protein and calcium for the body.
  • The roots of paneer tikka and palak paneer lie in North- India, and they are both a part of the Punjabi cuisine.
  • Both the curries are vegetarian but are not dairy-free.
  • They can be eaten with parathas, rotis, naan (butter naan, garlic naan, etc.) or with rice items like basmati rice, jeera rice, and ghee rice.
  • Both curries can be said to belong to the medium heat category. They are not very hot, despite using plenty of spices, and can be tolerated by a neutral palate. 

What Are The Differences Between Paneer Tikka vs Palak Paneer?

The most significant differences between paneer tikka vs palak paneer are:

  • While paneer tikka is used as a starter, palak paneer is a side dish.
  • Palak paneer uses heavy cream as an ingredient.
  • Paneer tikka is cooked by placing paneer cubes on skewers and grilling them.
  • Palak paneer, on the other hand, often uses fresh paneer as it is, without frying or cooking it separately. Some recipes make use of pan-roasted paneer pieces. 
  • Paneer tikka uses only capsicum or onion pieces that are grilled along with the paneer.
  • Pureed spinach mixed with ginger garlic paste and other spices is the contents of palak paneer.

How To Make Paneer Tikka

You can use either homemade paneer or store-bought paneer. This recipe also requires the use of thick curd, which you can either buy or make on your own. 

  • Take 200 grams of cubed paneer.
  • Cut 1 onion (large)-1 bell pepper-cut them into large squares.
  • In a mixing bowl-add 6 tbsps. curd- 1 teaspoon red chili powder- a pinch of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon coriander powder-1 and a quarter teaspoon ginger-garlic paste-  tsp oil- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves-1/2 tsp carrom seeds. Combine well.
  • Add the chopped capsicum-onions-paneer pieces. Mix well and let it rests in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
  • Put them on skewers with capsicum and onions between each piece of paneer. You can grill them in an open pan with 1 tablespoon oil/ bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

Making Palak Paneer In Easy Steps

Rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly and remove excess water. 

  • In a pan, add 1/2 tablespoon oil-2 chopped green chilies. Put in the palak-10 cashew nuts. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Take it off the stove and let it cool.
  • Transfer contents of the pan to a blender jar (immersion blender or stick blender) with 1/4 cup of water. Blend it to a smooth paste consistency.
  • Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon butter+ half tablespoon oil- add 2 cardamom pods-  2 cloves- 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds. Add 3/4 cup finely chopped onion or onion paste-ginger-garlic paste-sauté until onions turn golden brown.
  • Add 1/2 cup tomato puree with 1 tsp salt (normal or kosher salt). Stir well till tomatoes become mushy-Add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala-stir for 3 minutes-pour 3/4 cup cold water and cook. Add kasuri methi. 
  • Once the gravy thickens, add the spinach puree-combine well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. For a thinner consistency, add a few tablespoons of hot water. 
  • Add paneer cubes-stir. Add heavy cream and let it rest before serving for a creamy texture. 

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