Saunfia Paneer Tikka (Cottage Cheese Squares In Fennel Seed) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 inch piece gingerroot
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
3 -5 saffron strands (kesar)
butter, for basting
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chat masala
2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fennel (Lucknowi saunf powder)
500 g cottage cheese (paneer)
1 cup fresh cream
5 garlic cloves
2 medium red capsicums

Preparation

Wash and cut paneer into one and a half inch sized squares of half-inch thickness. Peel, wash and grind ginger and garlic. Wash, remove stalk, halve, deseed and cut capsicums into one and a half inch sized squares. Heat oil in a pan. Add besan and cook until it emits a fragrant aroma, remove from heat and add turmeric powder.
Cool flour and transfer into a bowl. Add ginger-garlic paste, white pepper powder, salt, lemon juice, green cardamom powder, fennel powder, saffron and fresh cream. Whisk well to make a batter.
Add paneer cubes to the batter and marinate for at least an hour.
Thread paneer cubes and caspicum squares onto skewers .
Roast in a tandoor/charcoal grill for five minutes, basting with melted butter occasionally till the tikkas are golden in colour.
Alternatively you can cook the tikkas in a convection oven or on a grill.
Preheat the oven to 220\u00b0C and cook for three minutes on either side, basting once with butter in between.
Remove and sprinkle with chaat masala powder and lemon juice. Serve with chutney of your choice.