If you are a fan of delicious and fiery Indian flavours, get ready to meet your new favourite snack: Grilled Thecha Paneer.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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This dish takes the humble paneer and transforms it into a flavour-packed, spicy, and smoky starter. It’s a perfect appetizer for a barbecue, a quick evening snack, or even a protein-rich side dish for your main meal.
What is Thecha?
Thecha is a rustic, spicy, and coarse Maharashtrian condiment, traditionally made by pounding green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and salt in a mortar and pestle. The “thecha” itself refers to the act of crushing, which is exactly how this paste gets its signature texture and robust flavor. Unlike a smooth chutney, the chunky texture of thecha (very similar to pesto) is what makes it so special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Indian Paneer cut into cubes or use tofu for a vegan version. Or you can use homemade masala paneer for an extra layer of flavour.
- Gram Flour (besan) makes it easy to bind the marinade so that it sticks to the paneer.
- Peanut or Sesame Oil to grill the paneer.
- For the Thecha, you need peanuts (skinned), garlic, green chilli, coriander leaves and stems, cumin, and rock salt.
- Lime Juice brings all the flavours together.
How To Make Thecha Paneer
1) Prepare the Thecha:
- In a pan, dry roast the green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and cumin seeds, for 2 – 3 minutes or until they are fragrant. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), combine the roasted ingredients with fresh coriander and salt. Pound or pulse until you have a coarse, rustic paste.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice, gram flour, and sesame oil. Mix well.
2) Marinate the paneer:
- Cut block of paneer into square pieces with half inch of thickness.
- Take a tablespoon of thecha and gently press it around the paneer, nsuring each cube is evenly coated.
- For a deeper flavour, you can marinate it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
3) Grill the paneer:
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush or spray the pan with oil.
- Place the marinated paneer cubes on the grill pan or grates.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see beautiful grill marks and the paneer is slightly golden and cooked through. Be gentle when flipping the paneer to keep the pieces intact.
Once the paneer is grilled to perfection, transfer it to a serving plate.
Thecha Paneer is good on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a cool and refreshing Garlic Yogurt Sauce. You can serve it alongside sliced onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon. For a more substantial meal, wrap it in a warm roti or naan for a spicy paneer roll or serve it in a meal bowl.
My Tried and True Tips
- Paneer Quality: Use firm or extra-firm paneer. Softer varieties may crumble on the grill. If you’re using store-bought paneer, soak it in warm water for 10-15 minutes before cutting to make it soft and tender.
- Preventing Sticking: The key to grilling paneer without it sticking is to ensure your grill pan or grates are properly preheated and lightly oiled. You can also brush a little oil on the paneer cubes themselves before placing them on the grill. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is also a great option.
- Thecha Texture: The authentic flavor of thecha comes from its coarse texture. Using a mortar and pestle is ideal, otherwise use a food processor with blade attachment to get a coarse texture.
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Grilled Thecha Paneer Recipe
- Mortar and Pestle
- Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 200 gram paneer, cut into cubes
- ½ Cup peanuts (skinned)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- In a pan, dry roast the green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and cumin seeds, for 2 – 3 minutes or until they are fragrant. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), combine the roasted ingredients with fresh coriander and salt. Pound or pulse until you have a coarse, rustic paste. Add a squeeze of lime juice, gram flour, and sesame oil. Mix well.
- Cut block of paneer into square pieces with half inch of thickness. Take a tablespoon of thecha and gently press it around the paneer, nsuring each cube is evenly coated.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush or spray the pan with oil. Place the marinated paneer cubes on the grill pan or grates.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see beautiful grill marks and the paneer is slightly golden and cooked through. Be gentle when flipping the paneer to keep the pieces intact.
- Once the paneer is grilled to perfection, transfer it to a serving plate. Serve warm with dip of your choice.
Recipe Notes:
- Controlling the Heat: Green chilies can vary in spiciness. Start with a smaller number and taste as you go. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away!
- Thecha Recipe is not about carefully measured ingredients. It’s all about how you like it – more garlicky, more spicy or more peanuty.
- For a deeper flavour, you can marinate paneer in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
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