Paneer

Paneer(pronounced[/pəˈniːr/]), is afreshacid-set cheese, common incuisine of South Asia, made from cow milk or buffalo milk.It is anon-aged, non-meltingsoft cheesemade bycurdlingmilk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice.
Paneer was predominantly used in most north Indian dishes and is now commonly used throughout India due to its versatility as an ingredient in diverse dishes.
The wordpaneerentered English from theHindi-Urdutermpanīr, which comes fromPersianpanir(پنیر) 'cheese', which comes from Old Iranian.Armenianpanir(պանիր),Azerbaijanipəndir,Bengaliponir(পনির),TurkishpeynirandTurkmenpeýnir, all derived from Persianpanir, also refer to cheese of any type.
The origin of paneer is debated.Ancient Indian,Afghan-IranianandPortugueseorigins have been proposed for paneer.
Legends aboutKrishnamake several references to milk, butter,gheeanddahi(yogurt), but do not mentionsour milk cheese.According toArthur Berriedale Keith, a kind of cheese is "perhaps referred to" inRigveda6.48.18.However,Otto Schrader(1890) believes that the Rigveda only mentions "a skin of sour milk, not cheese in the proper sense".Vedic literature refers to a substance that is interpreted by some authors, such asK. T. Achaya,Om PrakashandSanjeev Kapoor, as a possible form of paneer, but without definitive evidence.
Catherine Donnelly, author ofThe Oxford Companion to Cheese(2016), mentions that Vedic literature refers to cheese production made with the aid of barks of palash tree (Butea monosperma), fruits like jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) and creeper like putika with coagulating enzymes, "as well as Dadhanvat, a cheese-like substance made with and without pores". According to Catherine Donnelly, these plant substances may have containedrennet-like enzymes and notes that the "Vedas may include some of the earliest known references to rennet-coagulated cheeses".Lokopakaratext dated to the 10th century gives two recipes for coagulated cheeses made frombuffalomilk for making sweets using plants and roots. According to the text, buffalo milk was coagulated using roots ofamaranthplant or leaves of marsh barbel (Hygrophila auriculata); the soft cheese produced in this manner was calledHaluvuga. In the second recipe, buffalo milk was coagulated with Indian mallow (Abutilon indicum) or country mallow (Sida cordifolia) and was made into balls for sweets.Manasollasa, a Sanskrit-language text by the 12th-century kingSomeshvara III, describesKshiraprakara, a similar sweet food prepared from milk solids after separating boiled milk using buttermilk.
Another theory is that like the word itself, paneer originated inPersianatelands and spread to theIndian subcontinentunderMuslimrule.Paneer, according to this theory, was developed and moulded to suit local tastes under these rulers, and theDelhi SultanateandMughal Empireare when paneer as currently known developed. Another theory states that paneer isAfghanin origin and spread toIndiafrom the lands that make upAfghanistan.National Dairy Research Institutestates that paneer was introduced into India by Afghan and Iranian invaders.Based on texts such asCharaka Samhita, BN Mathur wrote that the earliest evidence of a heat-acid coagulated milk product in India can be traced to 75–300 CE, in theKushan-Satavahanaera.Sunil Kumaret al.(2011) interpret this product as the present-day paneer. According to them, paneer is indigenous to the north-western part ofSouth Asiaand was introduced in India by Afghan and Iranian travellers.
Another theory is that thePortuguesemay have introduced the technique of "breaking" milk with acid toBengalin the 17th century. Thus, according to this theory, Indian acid-set cheeses such as paneer and chhena were first prepared in Bengal, under Portuguese influence.A type of smoked cheese calledBandel cheesewas introduced by the Portuguese in Bengal, which is distinct from paneer.
Paneer is prepared by adding foodacid, such as lemon juice, vinegar,citric acidordahi(yogurt),to hot milk to separate thecurdsfrom thewhey. The curds are drained inmuslinorcheeseclothand the excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to improve its texture and appearance. From this point, the preparation of paneer diverges based on its use and regional tradition.
In north Indian cuisines, the curds are wrapped in cloth, placed under a heavy weight such as a stone slab for two to three hours, and then cut into cubes for use incurries. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes) results in a softer, fluffier cheese.
InBengali,Odiaand other East Indian cuisines, the chhena are beaten or kneaded by hand into a dough-like consistency, heavily salted and hardened to produce paneer (calledponir), which is typically eaten in slices atteatimewithbiscuitsor various types ofbread,deep-friedin a light batter or used in cooking.
In the area surrounding the city ofSuratinGujarat,surti paneeris made by draining the curds and ripening them in whey for 12 to 36 hours.
Paneer is the most common type of cheese used in traditionalcuisines from the Indian subcontinent. It is sometimes wrapped in dough and deep-fried or served with either spinach (palak paneer) or peas (mattar paneer). Paneer dishes can be sweet, like shahi paneer, or spicy/hot, like chilli paneer.
Some paneer recipes include:
Anari, a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus, is very similar in taste and texture to fresh Indian paneer.Circassian cheeseis produced using a similar method and is close in consistency to paneer, but is usually salted.Farmer cheese(pressed curds) and firm versions ofquarkare similar except that they are made fromcultured milkand may be salted. Although many South Asians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese is made usingrennetextracted from the stomach ofruminants, and cow'sskim milk.Queso blancoorqueso frescoare often recommended as substitutes in the Americas andSpainas they are more commercially available in many American markets. Queso blanco can be a closer match, as it is acid-set while queso fresco frequently uses rennet at a lower temperature. Both are generally salted, unlike paneer. It is also similar to unsaltedhalloumi.