How to make the best Indian BBQ Paneer Kebabs.
Our homemade Paneer Kebabs recipe is a healthy vegetarian dish we love to serve in the summer during barbecue grilling season.
Chunks of paneer and fresh vegetables are tossed in a fragrant chili herb dressing then skewered on wooden sticks and grilled on a barbecue.
Our quick & easy Barbecue Paneer recipe features simple and affordable ingredients like cilantro, chili, garlic, coriander, canola oil, Indian cottage cheese, eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes.
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What Is Paneer?
Paneer is a fresh cheese common in the Indian subcontinent. It is an unaged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Its acid-set form before pressing is called chhena.
We love cooking with paneer when preparing Indian dishes like Vegetarian Shahi Paneer, Chicken Shahi Korma, Malai Kofta and Paneer Soup.
If you’re vegetarian or looking for new ways to add healthy protein to your diet, BBQ paneer is a tasty addition to the barbecue grilling session.
What Are Grilled BBQ Kebabs?
Traditional kebabs are a cooked meat dish with origins in Middle Eastern cuisines.
Many variants are popular around the world including Beef Kafta Kebab and vegetarian Paneer Kebabs from India.
Kebabs typically consist of cut up meat and vegetables, which are cooked on skewers and grilled on the barbecue or an open flame.
Our easy vegetarian Paneer Kebabs are a meat-free recipe featuring skewers of Indian cheese and vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and red bell peppers.
Travel to India by Cooking Paneer Kebabs at Home
I love traveling through Asia.
My first visit to Asia had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout Asia for 6 months, visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, The Maldives and India.
I spent over a month traveling through India. I started in the capital, eating my way through the bustling markets and fine dining restaurants in Delhi. I then embarked on a magical weekend getaway to awe-inspiring Taj Mahal in Agra. In India’s north you’ll find plenty of barbecue and wheat based side dishes like scorched naan bread.
For the second half of my Indian adventure I explored the southern state of Kerala. The south is famous for its seafood, coconut, tropical fruits, and rice based side dishes like crispy dosa and Thakkali Biryani. The colonial capital of Cochin was formerly run by the Portuguese. It’s also one of the only places in India you can find beef on a menu.
After enjoying a jaunt to the Maldives my India trip came to a close in the Bollywood capital, bustling and cosmopolitan Mumbai. The city is famous for its specialty street foods and fine dining restaurants at opulent luxury hotels. The Taj Mahal Palace in particular serves one of the world’s most famous Afternoon Teas.
What I found most fascinating is India’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, each city in India had its own local speciality.
After you’ve traveled to India, return home to prepare an authentic and fragrant feast for friends and family featuring this flavourful BBQ Paneer Kebab recipe!
Where To Eat BBQ Paneer
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to local Indian restaurants that serve traditional Barbecue Paneer.
Haven’t traveled to India before? It may be helpful to first sample Vegetarian Paneer Kebabs at a local Indian restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can assess the ideal paneer to vegetable ratio, variety of vegetables to use and complimentary side dishes to serve at the table.
In Toronto, popular Indian restaurants that may serve BBQ Paneer include Udupi Palace, Lahore Tikka House and Kothur Indian Cuisine.
My Family Loves Barbecue Paneer Kebabs
My family adores summer barbecue season!
We love firing up the grill in the summer when we do a lot of cooking at our cottage in Muskoka.
While my family love to grill classic BBQ dishes like hamburgers, we also enjoy travelling with our taste buds by making fragrant dishes like Barbecued Thai Red Prawn Curry.
I’ve hosted many Indian-themed feasts, showcasing dishes from Delhi to Kerala via fragrant curries, fresh salads and hearty soups.
When I finally introduced my parents to this Barbeque Paneer recipe their eyes bulged with glee. I knew they’d both enjoy the dish because they love healthy vegetarian dishes, easy barbecue recipes and the soft texture of Indian paneer.
We like to cook Paneer Kebabs when company is coming as you can assemble the skewers in the morning. Simply slide the kebabs onto a hot grill a few minutes before you’re ready to eat.
If you’ve traveled to India on holiday there is no better way to share your adventure at home with family and friends at home then by serving this BBQ Paneer Kebabs recipe.
BBQ Paneer Health Benefits
Our healthy Paneer Kebabs recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Eggplants are a nutrient dense food that contain a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fibre in few calories. It’s a good source of manganese, folate, potassium, vitamin K and C.
Bell Peppers are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Zucchini is packed with many important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has a high fiber content and a low calorie count.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
A good source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cilantro is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.
Kebab Cooking Tips
If it’s your first time cooking Barbecue Paneer at home be sure to review our detailed step-by-step recipe below. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started.
- The morning you are going to serve Paneer Kebabs be sure to stick the wooden skewers in a jug of water so they are fully immersed. This ensures the skewers do not crack or burn when grilling inside your hot barbecue.
- We’ve tossed the vegetables in a canola oil dressing but you can substitute for coconut oil or peanut oil for additional flavour.
- We’ve used a combination of zucchini, eggplant, red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes in this recipe. Feel free to get creative and use some of your other favourite vegetables like shallots, broccoli or cauliflower.
- Ensure the paneer cubes and sliced vegetables are a uniform size so they finish cooking around the same time.
- 1 minute before you’re ready to remove the kebabs from the grill add the naan bread to warm and get toasty.
What To Serve with BBQ Paneer Kebabs
BBQ Paneer Kebabs are one of our favourite Indian vegetarian dishes to serve during the summer grilling season.
The healthy recipe can be served as a light lunch all on its own or as part of a larger Indian dinner menu. We like to serve this Barbecue Paneer dish with warm flatbread or steamed basmati rice.
If you’re hosting a large Indian-themed potluck or buffet you may also want to prepare some of these popular recipes:
- Indian Vegetarian Creamy Corn Black Bean Curry
- Tofu Meatballs in Creamy Vegan Korma Curry Sauce
- Healthy Vegetarian Indian Paneer Tikka Salad
- Gluten Free Chickpea Flour Indian Pancakes
- Aloo Fry Vegetarian Indian Turmeric Potatoes
- Warm Indian Vegan Sprouted Mung Bean Salad
- Curry Leaf Rice with Cashews Recipe
- Indian Thakkali Tomato Biryani Recipe
- Chanachur Chivda Bombay Mixture Namkeen
- Parippu Vada Recipe With Coconut Chutney
- Healthy Vegan Tomato Chutney For Dosa
- Pitod Ki Sabji Vegetarian Indian Chickpea Dumplings
- Chingri Malai Curry: Creamy Bengali Coconut Prawns
- Pepper Milagu Rasam Vegan South Indian Soup
- Chicken Manchow Soup Recipe
- Turmeric Pumpkin Spice Indian Cake
- Quick & Easy Indian Onion Salad
You May Also Enjoy These Vegetarian Recipes…
- Cheesy Vegetarian Cabbage with Rice
- Healthy Vegan Mexican Pepita Pesto
- Roasted Garlic Gruyere French Tomato Tart
- Healthy Vegan Peruvian Quinoa Chaufa
- Mdardara Lebanese Caramelized Onion Lentil Rice
- Ejjeh Vegetarian Lebanese Herb Omelette
- Healthy Vegan Mango Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Berenjenas con Miel Spanish Fried Eggplant
- Mucver Tarif Vegetarian Turkish Zucchini Fritters
- Korean Breakfast Recipe Gochujang Baked Eggs & Potato
- Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta with Ricotta and Mint
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Salsa de Huevo Vegetarian Mexican Scrambled Eggs
- Schwäbische Käsespätzle German Cheese Noodles
How To Make BBQPaneer Kebabs Recipe
Vegetarian BBQ Paneer Kebabs
Equipment
- measuring cups
- Measurign Spoons
- Wooden skewers
- French knife
- Mixing bowls
- baking sheet
- Barbecue
- tongs
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 1 Green Chile stemmed and seeded
- 2 cloves Garlic sliced
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/2 cup Canola Oil plus more for brushing
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- 12 oz Paneer Cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Japanese or Indian Eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Small Zucchini cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Red Bell Pepper cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 4 Naan Bread
- 1 Lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- Soak 8-10 wooden skewers in water.
- Puree the cilantro, chile, garlic, coriander, oil, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth.
- Place the paneer in a bowl with chopped vegetables and cover in cilantro oil; stir to combine and then marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Heat barbecue on high. Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.
- Skewer the cheese, eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and cherry tomatoes and grill over direct heat until the vegetables are charred and edges of the paneer turned golden brown, 4-5 minutes on both sides.
- Season the kebabs with a sprinkle of salt. Brush naan with oil and grill until charred and crisp, about 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Serve kebabs with grilled naan and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
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