Tikka-marinated paneer and peppers roasted over chickpea basmati with mint yogurt — a filling veggie dinner at 30g protein.
Per serving
Heat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Press the paneer between two plates with a 500g weight for 10 minutes, then cube.
In a wide bowl, whisk 120g of the Greek yogurt with the grated ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin, Kashmiri chili, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and 10ml of the olive oil until smooth and brick-red.
Add the paneer cubes, bell pepper, and red onion. Toss gently with your hands until every piece is coated. Let it sit while you start the rice — 10 minutes is plenty.
Rinse the rice. Combine with 280ml water and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, drop to the lowest heat, and cook 12 minutes (don't lift the lid yet — see step 7).
Line a large sheet pan with baking paper. Brush with the remaining 10ml olive oil. Spread the marinated paneer, peppers, and onion in a single layer with a little space between pieces — don't crowd.
Roast for 12 minutes. Then switch the oven to the grill / broiler setting and grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the paneer edges show charred tikka-red spots and the peppers are blistered — total tray time stays under 16 minutes so the paneer doesn't go rubbery.
While the tray roasts, drain and rinse the chickpeas. After the rice has cooked 12 minutes, fold the chickpeas through with a fork, cover, return to the lowest heat for 2 minutes to warm them through, then turn off and rest the pan 3 minutes.
Stir the remaining 60g Greek yogurt with the lemon juice and chopped mint for the side sauce.
Plate the chickpea basmati. Pile the paneer, peppers, and onion over the top. Scatter the coriander, add a dollop of mint yogurt, and serve with a lime wedge.
Press the paneer hard — most home cooks skip this and the tray ends up wet instead of charred. The marinade should look like wet brick — if it's pale, add another 1/2 tsp paprika. Use a firm low-moisture paneer block; soft fresh paneer steams instead of charring.
Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Reheat the rice and paneer together, covered, in the microwave with 1 tbsp water per portion for 90 seconds. Keep the mint yogurt in a separate container and add after reheating.
