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.

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.

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.

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.

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.