Paneer is the most common South Asian and Persian cheese. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid. The texture of paneer is very similar to that of Greek feta which is also strained and squeezed the same way.
Most varieties of paneer are simply pressed into a cube and then sliced or chopped,. Paneer is one of the few types of cheese indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and is widely used in Indian cuisine and even some Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisine. Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet (which may be derived from animal, plant, fungal, and microbial sources) as the coagulation agent. Paneer is completely lacto-vegetarian. Paneer is a source of protein for Hindu vegetarians.
Paneer is commonly served chopped into cubes and fried with spinach and many other ingredients such as garlic and onions.
Firm tofu has a similar texture and consistency so it can be used in place of paneer as a non-dairy substitute. Source wikipedia
Some common paneer dishes:
- Matar Paneer
- Paneer Majestic
- Palak Paneer
- Shahi Paneer
- Paneer Tikka
- Kadai Paneer
- Paneer Pakora
