Baked dry masala paneer or spiced paneer in oven is easy to make and yummy.
You can easily make roasted masala paneer in oven by marinating the paneer cubes in spices and roasting the paneer cubes until they are lightly golden brown in color!
You can also see here how to roast paneer in oven where we discuss how to make simple and yummy roasted paneer in oven.
What is masala paneer?
When you think of masala paneer, the most popular paneer dish that comes to your mind may be paneer butter masala!
However, this is a simple yet delicious recipe for baked dry paneer dish.
This is very different from paneer butter masala.
Paneer butter masala has a very rich gravy made of onions, tomatoes, spices and butter but this easy to make baked paneer doesn't have any gravy, and it is a dry paneer dish which you can make as a quick paneer snack or side dish.
In this easy paneer recipe, we add exotic spices to make the dry masala paneer and we use the oven method to roast the paneer cubes which gives crispy yet soft and chewy paneer.
As I mentioned, you can make this paneer for snacks or sides for vegetarian lunch or dinner.
But you can also add this to make other paneer dishes like paneer curry, if you wish, to make it more flavorful and delicious!
More paneer recipes in this blog:
punjabi palak paneer without cream, tomato and onions
instant pot paneer vegetable biryani
matar paneer with tomato sauce
So here is how you can make this yummy paneer following this dry paneer recipe in oven.
How to make masala paneer in the oven?
We use the following ingredients to make easy, delicious baked masala paneer in the oven.
Ingredients to make dry masala paneer
14 oz paneer sliced into medium even sized cubes
salt as needed
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Spice Powders
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon red chili powder or black pepper powder, adjust to your preference
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder or curry powder (optional)
Step by step instructions
Transfer the sliced paneer into a large bowl.
Add the salt and spices, mix everything gently to coat with the paneer cubes.
Add the lemon juice and oil, gently mix with the paneer cubes to coat all the paneer without crumbling them.
Let it sit and marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet (like a large cookie sheet) with aluminium foil or non slip silicon mat and layer the paneer cubes in a single layer (discard any oil or water residue from the bowl, just use the marinated paneer cubes).
Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the paneer cubes are nicely roasted in the masala & other spices.
Serve as a dry paneer side dish with rice for lunch or dinner, add to paneer based curries or enjoy it as a snack!
Notes: You can add your own favorite spices and experiment with flavors as you like.
You can also sprinkle the prepared paneer with dry oregano powder or black pepper powder for extra flavor, just before serving.
Whether you make this dish with fresh paneer or frozen paneer (whether homemade or store bought), this dish is best served immediately!
You can also store it in the refrigerator (in food containers) for another one to two days if you wish, for serving later.
If you are making this using frozen paneer, I do not recommend storing it for more than a day even if it is in the refrigerator.
If you make it using fresh paneer, you may also be able to freeze it for longer storage if stored properly.
Below you can get the recipe for baked paneer with Indian spices in detail.
Baked Masala Paneer - Dry Spiced Masala Paneer
Ingredients
- 14 oz paneer sliced into medium even sized cubes
- salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Spice Powders
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or black pepper powder, adjust to your preference
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder or curry powder (optional)
Instructions
- Transfer the sliced paneer into a large bowl.
- Add the salt and spices, mix everything gently to coat with the paneer cubes.
- Add the lemon juice and oil, gently mix with the paneer cubes to coat all the paneer without crumbling them.
- Let it sit and marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet (like a large cookie sheet) with aluminium foil or non slip silicon mat and layer the paneer cubes in a single layer (discard any oil or water residue from the bowl, just use the marinated paneer cubes).
- Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the paneer cubes are nicely roasted in the masala & other spices. Serve as a dry paneer side dish with rice for lunch or dinner or enjoy it as a snack!
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