Photo: Sonja Pauen CC
World Cheese Encyclopedia - Each Sunday learn all about a new cheese.
This week Paneer from India.
Photo: Riskyishwar CC
Country: India 🇮🇳
Region: Indian Subcontinent
Made from: Buffalo and cow’s milk
Pasteurised: Yes
Texture: Soft, firm, rubbery
Taste: Mild, creamy, fresh
Certification: No
Ageing: Unaged
Paneer is a fresh cheese, usually unsalted. It is historically made from buffalo milk but nowadays is usually made from a blend of buffalo and cow’s milk. It is a popular ingredient in many Indian dishes and is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal.
Paneer is made without the use of rennet. Instead, it is made by adding some kind of acid - like lemon or lime juice, vinegar or citric acid - to hot milk. This process separates the curds from the whey. The curds are then strained in muslin or cheesecloth. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to improve its texture and appearance. In northern India, it is then pressed firmly into a block, after which it can be cut into cubes.
Photo: Prashad Cookbook: Indian Vegetarian Cuisine
Paneer is not aged and is very easy to make at home. It has a very mild flavor and - similar to Halloumi cheese - it does not melt.
History
Persian and Afghan rulers most likely introduced paneer to north India in the 16th century. The predecessors to today’s paneer were made from goat or sheep rennet. The word paneer – is sometimes spelt ‘panir’, and comes from ‘peynir’, the general term for cheese in Persian and Turkish.
Paneer soon became popular in the rest of India and now has regional variations. The most famous variation is ‘chhana’ popular in eastern India, where the drained curds are separated from the whey without using pressure – creating a soft, unsolid form of paneer.
Other varieties are Dhakai paneer, a specialty of Bangladesh which is salted and smoked; and Surti paneer from Gujarat, which is a version made by steeping the curds in whey for up to three days.
Photo: Indiastore.de
How to enjoy it
Paneer is incredibly versatile and can be eaten in many different ways. It is the most popular type of cheese used in traditional dishes from the Indian subcontinent. It can be wrapped in dough and deep-fried, pan-fried in oil or served in curries. It is well known served with spinach(palak paneer) or peas (mattar paneer).
It can also be eaten fresh, crumbled in salads or sandwiches and can even be used on pizza.
Most Indian dishes pair very well with beer, such as a Kingfisher, a popular beer in India. For a paneer dish you can also try a glass of white sauvignon blanc.
Sources: Wikipedia, Lovefood.com, myrecipes.com, kakori.co.uk, cheese.com, indiastore.de
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