Paneer Panini With Tikka Masala Jam Recipe
Food has the power to transport us to another time and place, to unlock childhood memories via our taste buds. Chowhound Lead Recipe Editor Ryan McPhee developed this sandwich to do just that. And because, well, "paneer panini" is fun to say.
"This is a tribute to two childhood favorites: grilled cheese with ketchup and paneer tikka masala," McPhee explains. "Grilled cheese was one of the first dishes I learned how to make for myself, and as for paneer tikka masala, I could not get enough of it." McPhee, who is half-Indian, considers early visits to his grandparents the foundation for his connection to Indian culture, cuisine included. "As we'd enter their home," he recalls, "I knew my nani's paneer tikka masala was on the menu. Sometimes there'd already be a recycled yogurt tub full of the creamy tomato gravy with cubes of paneer poking out waiting for me in the fridge."
This panini takes the form of a grilled cheese but suggests the flavors of a hearty Indian meal. Since paneer doesn't melt, you don't get that gooey stretch associated with a certain orange cheese product. Instead, the cheese remains intact and gives a soft chew, almost like a cheese curd. The other star of the show is the tikka masala "jam," a concentrated tomato mixture infused with all the warm spices of the beloved dish. Think of it as a homemade ketchup with a kick — and consider making an extra batch for later.
Gather the paneer panini and tikka masala jam ingredients
This recipe starts with the tikka masala jam, for which you'll need a can of crushed tomatoes. The jam also has some shallot and garlic cooked in butter, plus tomato paste, sugar, and a handful of spices: kosher salt, Kashmiri chile powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and dried fenugreek leaves.
For the paneer, it's best to go with a packaged variety that'll shred easily over a homemade or fresh variety. In addition to the cheese itself, the sandwich filling comes together with Greek yogurt (full-fat is best here), ground turmeric, lemon juice, chopped cilantro, a green Thai chile, and some more kosher salt. When it's time to actually make the sandwiches, you'll just need some thick-cut slices of sourdough bread and some softened butter.
Step 1: Melt butter
Start the tikka masala jam by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2: Cook the shallot
Add the chopped shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Step 3: Add the aromatics
Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, continuing to stir, until the mixture is fragrant (about 1 minute).
Step 4: Cook the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and let cook until the mixture starts to darken (about 2 minutes).
Step 5: Add the spices
Season with salt, Kashmiri chile, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Stir until the mixture turns fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Step 6: Add the tomato and salt
Add the crushed tomato and sugar. Stir to combine.
Step 7: Simmer the tomato jam
Reduce the heat to low and let mixture simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and maintains a glossy sheen (about 30 minutes).
Step 8: Add the fenugreek
Remove from the heat and stir in the fenugreek.
Step 9: Transfer the jam
Transfer the jam to a bowl or jar and let cool; the mixture will continue to thicken.
Step 10: Start the paneer filling
As the jam cooks and cools, start the paneer filling: In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, salt, turmeric, lemon juice, cilantro, and Thai chile.
Step 11: Add the paneer
Fold in the paneer. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 12: Butter the bread
When ready to assemble, spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Step 13: Add the jam
Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cooled jam on the unbuttered side of four of the slices.
Step 14: Add the paneer filling
Divide the paneer filling among the unbuttered sides of the remaining four slices. Top each with the other slices, butter side-up.
Step 15: Cook the first side of the panini
Working in batches if needed, transfer each sandwich to a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Weigh the sandwich down with a press or an additional skillet and cook until the bottom side is golden brown (about 3 minutes).
Step 16: Finish grilling the panini
Flip the sandwich, return the weight, and cook until the other side achieves a similar crust. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
Step 17: Slice and serve the panini
Slice the sandwiches in half and serve with mint chutney, if desired.
Paneer Panini With Tikka Masala Jam Recipe
The childhood classic grilled cheese and ketchup meets aromatic paneer tikka masala (another cheesy comfort food) in this mashup of a panini.
![panini on cutting board with cilantro](https://www.chowhound.com/img/gallery/paneer-panini-with-tikka-masala-jam-recipe/paneer-panini-with-tikka-masala-jam-recipe-1721049992.jpg)
Ingredients
- For the tikka masala jam
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½-inch knob ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- For the paneer filling
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 small green Thai chile, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 8 ounces paneer, shredded (about 2 cups)
- For assembly
- 8 thick-cut slices sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
Optional Ingredients
- Mint chutney, for serving
Directions
- Start the tikka masala jam by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, continuing to stir, until the mixture is fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Stir in the tomato paste and let cook until the mixture starts to darken (about 2 minutes).
- Season with salt, Kashmiri chile, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Stir until the mixture turns fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the crushed tomato and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and let mixture simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and maintains a glossy sheen (about 30 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the fenugreek.
- Transfer the jam to a bowl or jar and let cool; the mixture will continue to thicken.
- As the jam cooks and cools, start the paneer filling: In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, salt, turmeric, lemon juice, cilantro, and Thai chile.
- Fold in the paneer. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- When ready to assemble, spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cooled jam on the unbuttered side of four of the slices.
- Divide the paneer filling among the unbuttered sides of the remaining four slices. Top each with the other slices, butter side-up.
- Working in batches if needed, transfer each sandwich to a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Weigh the sandwich down with a press or an additional skillet and cook until the bottom side is golden brown (about 3 minutes).
- Flip the sandwich, return the weight, and cook until the other side achieves a similar crust. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
- Slice the sandwiches in half and serve with mint chutney, if desired.
Calories per Serving | 1,052 |
Total Fat | 22.8 g |
Saturated Fat | 10.1 g |
Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
Cholesterol | 46.8 mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 167.1 g |
Dietary Fiber | 9.7 g |
Total Sugars | 27.3 g |
Sodium | 2,291.6 mg |
Protein | 48.3 g |
What can I do with leftover tikka masala jam?
You might end up with some extra tikka masala jam after making this recipe, which is far from a bad thing. Keep it in an airtight container (like a Mason jar) in the fridge; it'll be good there for about 5 days. You can make more sandwiches with the jam, sure, but there are plenty of other fun uses to consider.
The sweet and savory notes make tikka masala jam a fun alternative to ketchup, especially as an accompaniment to French fries tossed with chaat masala. Or, since every good cheese and charcuterie board includes some sort of spread or chutney, consider this jam for an off-the-beaten-track pick; it'll pair nicely with a mild, semi-hard cheese like Gouda or Gruyère.
You can use the condiment in your cooking, too. A spoonful mixed into scrambled eggs will give your breakfast a kick, and with a bit of broth, it could create a memorable base for a chickpea stew.
Do I have to cook paneer before eating it?
Technically, you can eat paneer as is, without any cooking or seasoning. That said, we can't say that it'd be a particularly enjoyable experience. Paneer is a simple cheese made with an acid-based coagulation and is meant to be eaten fairly fresh. Because of this, paneer lacks the complex notes and deep flavors you'd get with an aged cheese or one set with rennet. The good news is that paneer comes alive with just a little zhuzhing up, as it does in this panini recipe.
In many paneer preparations, the simple cheese gets a facelift via its cooking method. Paneer pakora is battered and fried; paneer tikka is charred on a grill (or tandoor); ras malai and paneer makhani give the cheese a flavorful simmer. In this panini filling, we're not cooking the cheese but rather giving it some flavor via a quick marination. The yogurt and lemon juice will help soften the texture of the paneer, preventing it from being too rubbery. As it marinates, it'll take on the gingery, almost floral aroma of the turmeric.