Hariyali Paneer Tikka is the new entry in our Tikka Universe.😁 The reason why I am telling this is big. We have more than a dozen tikka recipes, including the hariyali paneer tikka. These tikka recipes are further bifurcated into the veg and non-veg category.


Here’s the list of all those tikka recipes for your reference.

Paneer Tikka Recipes

The veg tikka recipes below mainly contain paneer as the hero ingredient. However, there are default veggies that go with paneer. Check out the links below for detailed info.

Chicken Tikka Recipes

The non-veg tikka recipes contain chicken as the main item. The flavour of each tikka is different. I suggest you go through the recipes and try them at home if you are an avid chicken lover.

Hence, the tikka list concludes here. Now let’s move on to our hariyali paneer tikka.

The Hariyali in Hariyali Paneer Tikka

First thing first, hariyali means greenary. It’s a Hindi language word that refers to the green colour. The green paste is the upfront reason behind the name hariyali tikka. You might have heard हरा भरा टिक्का or say हरा भरा कबाब.

In other words, the green masala paste is the outer coating on the paneer pieces. Surprisingly, there’s no added food colour to make the green paste. Instead, fresh coriander, mint leaves, green chillies and green garlic are the natural source of colour green.

I love this thing where there’s no artificial food colour. Due to this reason, the hariyali paneer tikka becomes safe for even kids to eat. So now you know the reason behind the green colour of hariyali paneer tikka.

Grilling or Frying?

The question is whether to grill or fry hariyali paneer tikka? It is subjective. You can either grill them in a microwave oven or OTG. But, on the contrary, you can even grill them on direct heat like electric or coal sigdi.

The frying here means doing it on a non-stick pan or tawa. Refer to my achari paneer tikka recipe. There I have mentioned complete details on three ways to grill tikka.

The bottom line is grilling and frying both are acceptable. But the traditional method of making tikka is to grill on direct heat and not fry them in a pan. That’s how people do it.

Why Give Smoke to the Hariyali Paneer Tikka?

The whole idea behind giving smoke is to add a smokey flavour to the final dish. Let me make your job easy.😁

Giving smoke is not at all mandatory. You can grill or fry your hariyali paneer tikka and eat it immediately. That’s it—no smoke, nothing. But wait. Here’s the deal. If you don’t give smoke, you will miss many things. It sounds cliche, but it’s true.

When you pour ghee on hot charcoal, the white fumes carry the aroma, which penetrates deeply into the paneer, capsicum & onion petals. Not only this, but the aroma gets into the masala too. Hence, every bite will give you a smokey taste.

Once you pour ghee and the white fumes start arising, cover immediately. You know what will happen if you don’t cover.😁

Precautions for Giving Smoke

Dealing with hot charcoal can be hazardous if you don’t take precautions. Hence, I have listed some tips. They will help you quickly prepare the smoke for any recipe you want to give.

Charcoal

Use charcoal and not wood. Period.😁 I have done this. I have used wooden sticks, ply pieces and whatnot to mimic hot charcoal. I have failed miserably. So always use hard and dry charcoals. They are readily available in your local sabzi mandi.

Small Steel Bowl

Place hot red charcoal in a small bowl. Please do not put it directly into the gravy. I know nobody is going to do this still I need to remind.

Steel Tongs

Tongs are a type of tool used to grip and lift objects instead of holding them directly with bare hands. Here we will be using steel tongs and not plastic ones. Additionally, use hand gloves to keep your hands safe.

Cover Immediately

Doing this is necessary because it will start white smoke when you pour ghee on hot charcoal. We need this white smoke. Hence, keep a cover on standby and instantly cover up so that the smoke doesn’t escape.

Follow the above tips, and you will be able to deal with giving smoke to your recipes safely.

Hariyali Paneer Tikka FAQs

The following faqs are helpful; hence read them carefully before you begin making your tikka. You can contact me via the comment section if there are unresolved queries.

Can we use red and yellow capsicum?

Yes, you can use both red and yellow capsicum or either. Further, you can even use all three together, depending on the availability. Green capsicum will do if red and yellow is unavailable.

Is there any specific recommendation for onion variety?

No, there is no specific recommendation for onion variety. You can use red or white onions, whichever is available to you. Please make sure the onion petals are thick or become soft and burn while grilling or frying.

Why are we using gram flour?

Gram flour works in a variety of ways. First, the flour helps make a thick and sticky paste. The paste must be sticky; otherwise, it will come out in intense heat.

Shall I grill my tikka or fry them?

It depends on what kind of appliance is available. For instance, a microwave oven or OTG can grill, whereas a frying pan can fry. Hence, if you have an oven or OTG, use the grill function. But if you don’t have it, then a plain tawa or pan will also work fine.

Can these tikkas be grilled in a microwave oven?

Yes, you can grill the hariyali paneer tikka in the oven. Set the correct time and temperature. On the contrary, you can even use an oven, toaster or griller to grill these tikkas. Again you will have to be specific about the time and temperature settings.

Is there special tikka masala available?

Yes, there is a readymade tikka masala available in the market. However, it is a modified form of regular garam masala. But, of course, you can always use the typical garam masala in the kitchen. It works well.

So, that was it with the hariyali paneer tikka recipe.