Paneer Tikka Corn Chaat
Sep 28, 2022, Updated Oct 24, 2023
Cubes of bite size paneer tikka is tossed with sweet corn and spices in this appetizing chaat. Topped with cilantro, sev, this Paneer Tikka Corn Chaat makes a flavorful appetizer for your Diwali party or the Holidays!
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This Paneer Tikka Corn Chaat makes a flavorful vegetarian appetizer which is great to serve at Holiday parties and festive get-togethers. Marinated paneer cubes are cooked until golden (just like the paneer tikka recipe) and then tossed with corn, onion, tomatoes and a bunch of spices in this appetizing chaat. You can serve it in bowls or in small glasses like I did!
I always find that the main course is easy to plan when deciding on a menu for a Diwali party, or any Holiday party. It is the appetizers which are difficult to plan. If you are like me and struggle with the appetizer situation at your parties, then I have got an exciting recipe to share with you guys.
This Paneer Tikka Corn Chaat ticks all the boxes that I look for when deciding on an appetizer for parties. It is easy to make, parts of it can be made in advance which is super important to me when it comes to party appetizers. It’s definitely pleasing to the eyes with all the different colors and you can serve it to adults as well kids.
Ingredients
Paneer: remember to soak the paneer in warm water for 20 minutes before using in the recipe if using store bought paneer.
Yogurt, spices and herbs: the base for the marinade is made with yogurt. Use thick yogurt here, you can also use Greek yogurt. If you are using homemade yogurt and it is watery, drain it for 2 to 3 hours using a strainer and then use in the recipe.
For the tikka marinade I have used lots of spices and herbs. The use of mustard oil gives the tikka a unique flavor and I don’t recommend substituting it. However, if you don’t have mustard oil or can’t find it, you can use any oil of choice.
Corn: I have used frozen corn which is easily available at grocery stores in the freezer section. You can also use fresh corn kernels as well.
Onion-Tomato: to bring the chaat together, I like finishing it with lots of chopped tomato, onion and cilantro. Make sure to de-seed the tomatoes before using in the recipe else it will make the chaat very watery. Spices like kala namak (black salt), chaat masala are a must in this chaat.
Two Parts To The Recipe
So, this recipe basically has 2 parts to it- the paneer tikka and the corn.
Paneer tikka is made with a marinade using yogurt, spices, and fresh herbs (just like the marinade from my paneer tikka recipe). The only difference here is that there are no onions and peppers along with the paneer (though you can definitely add some if you like) and also the paneer is cut into small cubes.
Since, we are serving this as an appetizer chaat, the paneer cubes are small and bite size. It’s easier to eat this way in a chaat, so keep that in mind.
For the Corn Chaat, I have used frozen corn but you can definitely use fresh corn. The frozen corn kernels were boiled for 10 minutes and then drained. I sautéed the corn with some green chili and then added chaat masala and kala namak to it.
Step by Step Pictures
1- Take a large bowl and to that add the following:
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt (make sure it’s thick yogurt, drain yogurt for 2-3 hours if your yogurt is thin)
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kasuri methi (crushed)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
2- Use a whisk or spatula to mix everything together until it is all well combined.
3- Add in 200 grams of cubed paneer. Cut the paneer into small cubes for this chaat. Don’t cut it like you cut for palak paneer, kadai paneer etc. but rather bite size small paneer cubes.
4- Mix until the paneer cubes are well coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
5- While the paneer is in the fridge, work on the corn. Boil 1 cup frozen corn for 10 minutes and then drain. Now, in a pan, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Once hot, add 1 chopped green chili to it and stir.
6- Add 1 cup frozen corn (which was boiled for 10 minutes and then drained) and stir. Sauté the corn with the chili for 2 minutes.
7- Now add 1/4 teaspoon kala namak, 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala and 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and stir.
8- Remove corn from the pan in a bowl and set aside.
9- After 30 minutes are up, take out the marinated paneer from the refrigerator and add it to the same pan in which you had sautéed the corn. You can add a little oil if you like. I didn’t add any since there was already some leftover oil from sautéing the corn.
10- Stir and cook the paneer cubes on medium heat until they turn golden in color, this will take . You can also do this step in the oven.
11- Remove paneer tikka from the pan into a bowl. Now, it’s time to assemble everything.
12- Take a large bowl and add the prepared corn.
13- Now, add the prepared paneer tikka to the bowl.
14- Then add the following:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
15- Mix everything together and then add juice of 1/2 lemon. Give a good stir.
16- The chaat is now ready to serve. Transfer to serving bowls, I have used short glasses here and top with sev. You can also top with pomegranate or more cilantro. Serve immediately.
Add-Ins
You can add a lot of extra things to this chaat if you like.
- Add onions and peppers along with the paneer marinade.
- Add chopped jalapeño along with onions and tomatoes while mixing the chaat. This will add a nice kick to the chaat. I will avoid this if making this for kids.
- Top with crushed papdi before serving. That will add a nice crunch to the chaat, however if you are going to top with papdi, remember to add it just before serving else the papdi will get soggy.
- Garnish the chaat with pomegranate arils, the pop of color will make the chaat more appealing to eyes as well.
- You may also drizzle very little cilantro chutney if you like before serving. I didn’t add any.
Make Ahead Option
If you are planning to make this for a party, here’s what you can do in advance:
- Prep the paneer tikka marinade the night before. It will be good in the refrigerator overnight, then you just need to cook the tikka on the day you are going to make this chaat until golden and it is ready.
- Boil the corn in advance and keep it ready. Although it takes only 10 minutes to boil the frozen corn, when you are short on time, every little bit helps so boiling the corn in advance will save time on your party day. Then you just need to sauté it for 2 minutes.
More Appetizers For Your Diwali Party
- The Whipped Paneer Dip with Spicy Honey is a crowd pleasing appetizer. I serve it with small naan dippers, pita chips, toasted baguette etc.
- Who can say no to a bowl of Raj Kachori? It’s what chaat dreams are made of!
- If you love nachos, then you should definitely try Indian inspired Paneer Nachos for your Diwali or Holiday party. It’s the best of both worlds!
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Paneer Tikka Corn Chaat
Ingredients
For Paneer Tikka
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt 75 grams, make sure yogurt is thick, drain for 2-3 hours if you have watery yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
- 200 grams paneer cut into small bite size cubes
For Corn
- 1 cup frozen corn 175 grams, boiled for 10 minutes and then drained
- 1 teaspoon oil 5 ml
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon kala namak black salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Everything else
- 1 medium onion chopped fine
- 2 medium tomatoes de-seeded then chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lemon juice of
- sev to sprinkle
Instructions
Make the paneer tikka marinade
- To make the marinade for the paneer tikka, take a large bowl and to that add the yogurt (make sure it's thick yogurt) along with ginger-garlic paste, mustard oil, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, Kasuri methi, 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste), lemon juice and chopped cilantro and mint. Use a wire whisk and mix until it is all well combined.
- Then add in the cubed paneer. Make sure to cut paneer into small cubes for this recipe. Stir and mix until all the paneer is well coated with the marinade. The marinade is now ready. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can even make this a night before.
Sauté the corn
- While the paneer is in the refrigerator, work on the corn. Boil frozen corn for 10 minutes and then drain the water. Now, heat 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium heat and once it is hot, add chopped green chili to it. You can add more chilies if you want to keep this spicy.
- Add the boiled corn and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the kala namak, chaat masala and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and remove the corn from the pan into a bowl and keep this aside.
Cook the paneer tikka
- Once the marinade has rested for at least 30 mins, take it out of the refrigerator and transfer it to a pan with little oil. I used the same pan in which I cooked the corn as it already had some oil in it. You may add some extra oil if needed.
- Cook the paneer cubes until they turn golden from both sides, stirring often so that it gets cooked from both sides. Once done, remove the paneer into a bowl and set it aside.
Assemble the chaat
- To put everything together, take a large bowl and add the prepared corn and paneer tikka to it. Then add the chopped onion, tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste), chaat masala and cilantro. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 lemon and mix. You can also add some chopped jalapeños for that extra heat.
- Transfer chaat into serving bowls or glasses. Top with sev and cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Refer to the “Make in Advance” section for all the things that you can make in advance for this chaat. This will be helpful especially when making this for a party.
- If you wish, you can top the chaat with pomegranate arils, papdi chaat and a drizzle of cilantro chutney. Make sure to add the papdi just before serving else it will get soggy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tempting😍😋 love this paneer corn chaat reciepe…