While many places start to feel the pull toward fall in late August, summer still feels quite present in the Central Valley of California. The temperatures are still warm, and the garden is still producing, including zucchini. These grilled paneer skewers are one of my favorite ways to eat zucchini in this late summer season, primarily because there’s so much going on that you kind of forget you’re eating zucchini for the 100th time this season. 

Grilled Paneer

I have a slight obsession with all the types of grilling cheeses–think halloumi, panela, and paneer. I love them in part because even though they all start with milk, the final product is very different. 

Of all the grilling cheeses, I’ve found paneer holds up the best to fire and bold sauces. Paneer is slightly lower in moisture content than other firm grilling cheeses. The firmness translates into a grilled paneer with perfectly crispy outsides, a soft inside, and the ability to hold shape when cooked. 

Grilled Paneer + Taste

However, the most significant difference with paneer is that there is no salt in the cheese. Don’t be shy when salting the paneer, preparing to grill, and the salt in the sauce. Without solid levels of salt, your skewers may feel slightly lacking. 

The Zucchini

When it comes to these grilled paneer skewers, I like to grill them quickly to ensure they stay slightly moist. Cooking this way is also essential for the zucchini. The thinly sliced zucchini is perfect for a quick char over the fire. By cooking this way, the zucchini cooks slightly but maintains a small amount of texture–no mush here! Just make sure your grill is hot.

Swap zucchini for thin slices of beets, snap peas, or onions during the cooler months. 

The Poblano Sauce

The sauce is chunky and relies on grilled peppers as the base. I enjoy the subtle flavor of poblanos, but if you’re looking to make quick work of the sauce, swap in roasted red peppers. You can also play with herbs and use a mix of parsley, cilantro, and/or basil. 

The Grains

Finally, the grains! There’s no wrong answer here, so use what you have on hand or enjoy most. I like to layer the skewers on the cooked grains and then spoon on any remaining sauce. By spooning the sauce, some of it flows down and mingles with the grains.

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Grilled Paneer + Zucchini Skewers with Poblano Sauce

4 servings

A perfect reason to fire up the grill, these grilled paneer and zucchini skewers are quick to assemble, grill fast, and have a flavorful poblano sauce to bring everything together.

Poblano Sauce

• 3-4 (180 g) poblano peppers
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ¼ cup (5 g) loosely packed basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon miso
• Olive oil to finish
• Salt to taste

Paneer Skewers

• 8 ounces paneer
• 1 (500 g) medium zucchini
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For Serving

• 2 cups cooked grains (your choice, such as barley, emmer, quinoa, or rice)

1. To prep the poblanos: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the poblanos in a bowl and toss with olive oil until well coated. Transfer to the grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until all the peppers are charred.
2. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate, and let rest for 10 minutes.
3. To prep the skewers: Cube the paneer, cutting roughly 16 pieces from the cheese. Thinly slice the zucchini about ⅛” thick. If the zucchini you’re working with is larger, cut the zucchini slices in half, creating half-moons. You want the zucchini slices to be roughly the same width as the paneer so everything grills evenly.
4. Thread a few pieces of zucchini onto a metal skewer, followed by a piece of paneer. Repeat this with 3 more pieces, layering zucchini between the pieces of cheese. Repeat with 3 more skewers. Each skewer should have approximately 4 pieces of cheese and 5 groups of zucchini.
5. Place the zucchini on a plate and coat with the olive oil and salt.
6. To finish the sauce: Before grilling, finish the sauce. Place the minced garlic and vinegar in a medium bowl. Remove the skin, stem, and seeds from the poblanos. Place on a cutting board and mince until the peppers look near paste-like.
7. Transfer the peppers to the bowl with the garlic. Mince the basil and add it to the bowl along with the miso. Mash until the mixture resembles a paste, then drizzle in enough olive oil to loosen it into a thick sauce. Taste and add salt as needed.
8. To finish the skewers: Place them on the grill and grill until charred, flipping to cook each side. Transfer to a plate and spoon half the sauce over the grilled skewers. Flip, spooning the other half of the sauce over the skewers.
9. Place the grains on a medium serving platter and top with the skewers. Spoon any sauce that fell off the skewers in the previous step and serve.

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