The cheese that refuses to melt. Squeaks like a rubber boot and browns like a steak. The vegetarians get something better than a portobello for once.
30 min8 skewers, 4 as a snack▲easy
Make it
You need
1 lb halloumi, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
16 cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, grated
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp honey, for finishing
8 bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes
Method
Drain the halloumi and pat it dry. It comes packed in brine and does not need salt — everything else in the marinade is doing that job.
Whisk the olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Toss the halloumi, zucchini, tomatoes, and onion in it. Let it sit 15 minutes.
Thread the skewers alternating cheese and vegetables, ending with a firm piece so nothing slides off. Leave a small gap between items so the heat gets around them.
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium, around 400F (205C), and oil the grates well. Halloumi sticks to anything it is given the chance to stick to.
Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, four sides total, about 10 minutes. You are looking for deep grill marks, softened cheese, and onion that has lost its raw bite. Halloumi holds its shape by design — if the outside is blackening before the marks set, drop the heat.
Hit them with lemon juice and a drizzle of honey off the heat. Serve hot. Halloumi turns to a squeaky brick once it cools, so time this to the table, not the other way around.
From behind the bar: Cut everything to the same 1-inch scale. Mismatched sizes mean the tomatoes collapse while the onion is still raw and nobody is happy.
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Tandoori-Style Paneer Skewers VEG
Cheese that refuses to melt, hung in yogurt and Kashmiri chili until it turns traffic-cone orange, then burnt at the edges on purpose. The chaat masala at the end does the heavy lifting.
60 min4 skewers, 2 people▲▲fair
Make it
You need
14 oz paneer (acid-set, no rennet), cut into 1 in cubes
3/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt (gelatin-free)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
1 red onion, cut into petals
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 in squares
3 tbsp melted ghee or unsalted butter, for basting
Chaat masala, cilantro and lemon wedges, to finish
Method
Toast the besan in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes until it smells nutty. Raw besan tastes like chalk and ruins the marinade.
Whisk the yogurt, cream, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, all the ground spices, salt and toasted besan. It should coat a spoon thickly.
Fold in the paneer, onion and pepper. Rest 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours refrigerated. Longer than that and the acid turns the cheese tough.
Thread onto skewers, alternating cheese and vegetables, leaving small gaps so the heat can get in and char the sides.
Heat the broiler to high. Broil on the top rack about 6 in from the element, or grill over high direct heat, 4 minutes a side, until the edges blacken in patches.
Baste with the melted ghee in the last minute and push it one shade darker than feels sensible. The black spots are the whole point.
Rest 2 minutes, then hit with chaat masala, torn cilantro and a hard squeeze of lemon.
From behind the bar: Paneer does not melt, so it does not forgive either. Pull it at 8 minutes total. Past that it goes from custardy to squeaky and no marinade saves it.