The House of Spices

What makes this grilled cheese special?

Grilled cheese is already great! I mean who doesn’t love it, right? But, this charcoal infused paneer tikka grilled cheese is next level! Buttery sourdough slices grilled to perfection, filled with charcoal infused paneer tikka, coriander chutney, sriracha mayo and lots of cheese. It’s spicy, cheesy, smoky, gooey, making the perfect sandwich for a weekend brunch. 

 

For those of you who don’t know, paneer tikka is mainly paneer (cottage cheese), peppers and onions, marinated in a punchy mixture of spices, yogurt and gram flour and then grilled to perfection. While paneer tikka can be served on it’s own or with other sides such as naan, it makes an incredible addition to a basic grilled cheese. 

 

This Indian-American fusion grilled cheese is hands down the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had! There’s so much flavour and texture - from the spices, chutney, charcoal, cheese and paneer. All this enclosed in a crusty, toasted sourdough slice. I mean what’s there not to love? It’s so good that you might never want to have regular grilled cheese again. 

 

Can I use store bought paneer to make this recipe?

Yes, you can either you homemade or store bought paneer - whichever is more convenient for you. Just make sure your paneer is not too hard, nor too soft. If your store bought paneer is too hard, simply soak it in hot water for a bit to slightly soften it. 

 

Can I make this grilled cheese without charcoal?

Yes, you can! You can simply skip the infusion step and make a delicious paneer tikka grilled cheese. However, if you have some charcoal at home, please do use it as it will give your paneer tikka a smoky flavour and also elevate the sandwich. I’ve used an extremely simple technique called the dhungar method that can be easily done by anyone. 

 

Can I use tofu instead of paneer to make it vegan?

Yes, you can! Tofu is a great vegan substitute for paneer and you can use it to make this grilled cheese recipe. However, you want to keep in mind that both paneer and tofu have different cooking times. 

 

Can I serve the paneer tikka as a starter instead of making it into a sandwich?

Yes, you absolutely can! I would recommend you to serve it with some mint chutney or even with some naan on the side to enjoy it.

 

I’m on a low-calorie diet, what should I do?

If you are on a low-calorie diet, I would recommend you to reduce the quantity of cheese and replace the other components with lower calorie substitutes that meet the needs of your diet. 

 

Can I use leftover paneer tikka to make this recipe?

Certainly! If you have any leftover paneer tikka, you can use it to make this grilled cheese sandwich. However, it’s worth noting that the sandwich will not taste 100% like mine. 

 

Furthermore, if you have other leftover paneer dishes such as butter paneer or palak paneer, you can cook the paneer until all the liquid evaporates and use it as a filling for this grilled cheese.

 

Can I use another spread instead of sriracha mayo or coriander chutney?

Yes, you can use any other homemade or store bought sauces/spreads that you like. You can use pesto, regular mayo, hot sauce, etc. The options are endless! 

 

Do I necessarily need to use  sourdough?

Nope, you can use any bread that you have readily available! However, I would recommend you to use a hard bread so it doesn’t get squished by the heavy filling inside the grilled cheese. I decided to use sourdough since it’s got a hard exterior, large surface area and also traditional grilled cheese is usually made with sourdough too.

 

Can I make the grilled cheese in advance and store it?

Once the grilled cheese is fully assembled, it can get soggy easily. If you’d like to make it in advance, the best option would be to prepare the paneer tikka beforehand. But, assemble it only when you’re ready to eat. 

 

Any substitute for the ingredients mentioned?

1. You can substitute paneer with tofu if you want to make it vegan.

2. You can use any coloured peppers (not just green peppers) for this recipe.

3. You can use any bread to make the grilled cheese.

4. For the cheese, you can literally use any cheese of your choice. I would recommend you to definitely mix 2 types of cheeses for best results.

5. Instead of using sriracha mayo and coriander chutney to spread across the bread, you can alternatively use regular mayonnaise, chilli sauce or any other sauce/spread of your choice.

 

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

1. Be generous with your ingredients! Don’t compromise on the butter and cheese.

2. Use cheeses that melt easily. Some cheeses like feta can’t/won’t melt as good as other cheeses like mozzarella. 

3. When grilling the sandwich, make sure the heat is not too high. If your pan gets too hot, you might over-toast (or even burn) your bread before the cheese melts. You want the inside gooey and the outside golden brown at the same time.