Oven-baked paneer (Dry paneer recipe)

This oven-baked paneer (Indian cottage cheese) with veggies is an easy and healthy appetizer that will please everyone. This gluten-free and protein-rich baked paneer is a very versatile recipe, and you can serve this in many ways.

Paneer is an Indian cottage cheese that you can get from Indian supermarkets. When hot milk is curdled using any sour agent like lime juice or vinegar, we get paneer.

This recipe is my healthy version of the famous Indian appetizer Paneer tikka. I have added chickpea flour to the traditional tikka marinade so that it is filling and protein-rich.

Though you can serve this as an appetizer, this also makes a delicious filling for tortillas and sandwiches.

Traditional paneer tikka is grilled using a Tandoor. You can even grill it in the oven. But in this recipe, we are baking it in a sheet pan. So you can easily make this appetizer for large gatherings and parties.

Instructions

• Make the marinade

Heat a pan or skillet and dry roast the chickpea flour on low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. The flour shouldn't smell raw.

Take a mixing bowl and add all ingredients for the marinade - roasted chickpeas flour, yogurt, red chili powder, salt, oil, dried fenugreek leaves.

Mix everything well using a whisker and keep it aside.

• Prep the paneer and veggies

Chop the paneer into 1-inch cubes. Next, chop the bell peppers and tomato and deseed them. Then chop them into 1-inch cubes.

You can use any color bell pepper and onion to make this dish. Chop the onion as well into 1-inch squares.

• Mix the batter

Take the marinade and add this chopped paneer and veggies to it. Mix it well so that the chickpea flour mixture is coated well with all the veggies.

Keep this marinade aside for about 30 minutes. If you are marinating them for more than 30 minutes, keep the batter in the refrigerator. You can marinate the mixture overnight as well.

• Bake the paneer

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C. Take a baking tray or sheet pan and line it with the parchment paper. Transfer the paneer mixture to the baking tray and spread it evenly.

Keep the baking tray in the oven and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes at 180 degrees C. Paneer and veggies should be browned on the top.

Once done, take the baking tray and let it cool down a bit.

The delicious baked paneer is ready to serve!

Recipe Notes & Variations:

• I used tomatoes and bell pepper in this recipe. Still, other veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, baby corn will go well in this recipe. 
• You can even use parboiled baby potatoes or potato cubes to make this baked side dish.
• Want to make this recipe vegan? Replace paneer with firm tofu and yogurt with any plant-based yogurt. You can skip tofu and make this only with veggies as well.
• If you want to make this on the stovetop, prepare the paneer marinade in the same way. Heat a grilling pan and grill the individual paneer and veggie cubes and serve it. 
• You can reduce or omit the chickpea flour from this recipe. However, by using chickpea flour, this dish will be filling and protein-rich.
• You can refrigerate the marinade for a day or so. And do not keep it at room temperature for more than 30 minutes. 
• If time doesn't permit, you can skip the marination and directly bake this once you have paneer batter ready.
• Use thick yogurt as we want the marinade to be thick. Greek yogurt works very well here.
• If you are using plant-based yogurt like coconut yogurt, skim the top layer to get thick yogurt. 

Serving suggestions

This baked paneer with veggies is a great appetizer. Apart from that, you can serve this as a sandwich or tortilla.

To make a sandwich using this baked paneer, stuff the bread with this paneer and veggie cubes and grill it. Your delicious and filling sandwich is ready in no time. This sandwich will taste good even if it is cold, making a good lunch box item.

Similarly, you can use this dish as a tortilla filling and make rolls using it.

Storage

This dish tastes best when you have it immediately. But you can store this in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Then, to reheat it, bake the paneer again for 5 to 10 minutes.

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