Indian cottage cheese is known as paneer which is made by coagulating milk using lemon juice or vinegar or whey water. It is also known as chenna.
Paneer is a very good source of complete protein and calcium for vegetarians. In vegetarian diet, complete protein can be obtained only by combining complementary plant protein sources.
For example, a bowl of dal or sambar which are made of lentils will not provide complete protein. Only when dal is taken along with roti and sambar with rice or idli, complete protein will be available.
Paneer being mild in flavour, can be used in many recipes. Paneer is almost everyone’s favourite and my family is not an exception to this. Paneer tikka is one of my family’s most favourite dishes. But for some reason, I had not made it for a long time now. Yesterday I made paneer tikka, not as a snack or a starter, but as a stuffing for sandwich. I used very basic spices to marinate the paneer and vegetables. The sandwich was appreciated by everyone at home. Paneer, vegetables, cheese and bread certainly will make any meal complete and wholesome. So, here I am, sharing with you all a very simple and easy to make, delicious and a healthy dish which your family would devour on.
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Paneer | 200 gms |
| Onion | 2, medium sized |
| Capsicum | 2, medium sized |
| Sesame oil | 4 tbsps |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4th tsp |
| Red chilli powder | ½ tsp |
| Cumin powder | 1 tsp |
| Coriander powder | 1 tsp |
| Dry mango powder | ½ tsp |
| Chat masala | ½ tsp |
| Kasturi methi | 1 tsp |
| Salt | To taste |
| Sandwich bread | 8 slices |
| Butter | 4 tbsps |
| Cheese slices | 4 |
Preparation time – 10 mins
Marination time – 30 mins
Cooking time – 20 mins
Portion size- 4
Method
- Wash and cut the vegetables and paneer into square pieces.
- In a bowl, add 2 tbsps of sesame oil, all the spice powders mentioned, kasturi methi and salt.
- Mix everything well.
- To this marinade, add the cut vegetables and paneer, mix well with a gentle hand till its coated well.
- Cover the bowl and let it marinate for 30 mins.
- Heat a tawa, add the remaining sesame oil.
- Add the marinated vegetables and paneer, and cook till the paneer and vegetables turn crisp. The stuffing for the sandwich is ready now.
- Cut the corners of the bread slices and apply butter.
- Arrange some grilled vegetables and paneer on one slice, place a cheese slice and place another bread slice over it, gently press it and grill the sandwich on the tawa in which the paneer and vegetables were grilled.
- Cook on both sides till it turns golden and crisp.
- Serve the sandwich hot with ketchup or green chutney.
