Paneer Tikka Masala

We need a vacation. Somewhere warm and far away did you say? I’m in! Pull out your spices, turn on some music, and let’s take a trip to India with Paneer Tikka Masala. This healthy vegetarian dinner is a creamy, saucy curry with paneer (if you’ve never had paneer, you’ll love it, I pinky promise), fresh vegetables, and warm spices. No matter where you live, you can easily make Paneer Tikka Masala at home, and the flavors are an enchanted escape unto themselves.

I spent a month after college traveling India, a country whose colors, people, and cuisine still captivates my memory and imagination to this day.

Since I can’t pop back over to India any time I’m craving a recipe like Paneer Tikka Masala, I enjoy creating versions of the dishes I loved abroad in my own kitchen.

I don’t have access to a mega market of Indian spices (or the time to toast the spices whole, then grind them with a mortar and pestle the way you might with a truly authentic Indian recipe), so these Indian recipes are adaptions. That said, they are DELISH adaptations and ones that I feel stay true to the spirit and core flavor profiles of the originals.

At-home Indian recipes seem to be a hit with you too. Instant Pot Butter Chicken, Instant Pot Tikka Masala, and Lentil Curry are three of my site’s top recipes!

Indian food is deeply and warmly spiced, but it’s not necessarily “spicy” in the sense of “hot.” It’s a delightful, enriching cuisine to explore, and this easy Paneer Tikka Masala is the ideal place to start.

I shared this recipe a few years ago, and because I love it so much, I’ve updated my original post with a Paneer Tikka Masala recipe video, as well as some additional background information on this splendid dish.