Paneer (), is a fresh acid-set cheese, common in cuisine of South Asia, made from cow milk or buffalo milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by

curdling Curdling is the breaking of an emulsion or colloid into large parts of different composition through the physio-chemical processes of flocculation, creaming (chemistry), creaming, and coalescence (chemistry), coalescence. Curdling is purposeful ...

milk 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.

Etymology

The word ''paneer'' entered English from the Hindi-Urdu term ''panīr'', which comes from Persian () 'cheese', which comes from Old Iranian.

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

(), Azerbaijani , Bengali ''ponir'' (পনির), Turkish and Turkmen , all derived from Persian , also refer to cheese of any type.

History

The origin of paneer is debated.

Ancient Indian The following Outline (list), outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ancient India: Ancient India is the Indian subcontinent from prehistoric times to the start of Medieval India, which is typically dated (when the term is ...

Afghan Afghan or Afgan may refer to: Related to Afghanistan *Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

and Portuguese origins have been proposed for paneer. Legends about

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

make several references to milk, butter,

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

and dahi (yogurt), but do not mention

sour milk cheese Acid-set or sour milk cheese is cheese that has been curdled (coagulated) by natural souring, often from lactic acid bacteria, or by the addition of acid. This type of cheese is technologically simple to produce. When making soft acid-set cheese ...

. According to Arthur Berriedale Keith, a kind of cheese is "perhaps referred to" in

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

6.48.18. 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 as K. T. Achaya,

Om Prakash Om Prakash Chibber (19 December 1919 – 21 February 1998) was an Indian film actor. He was born in Jammu and was a well known character actor of Bollywood, Hindi Cinema. His most well-known movies are Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968 film), ''Mere ...

and Sanjeev Kapoor, as a possible form of paneer, but without definitive evidence. Catherine Donnelly, author of ''The 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 contained

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease, protease enzyme that curdling, curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, su ...

-like enzymes and notes that the "Vedas may include some of the earliest known references to rennet-coagulated cheeses". ''Lokopakara'' text dated to the 10th century gives two recipes for coagulated cheeses made from buffalo milk for making sweets using plants and roots. According to the text, buffalo milk was coagulated using roots of

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual plant, annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some names include "prostrate pigweed" an ...

plant or leaves of marsh barbel ('' Hygrophila auriculata''); the soft cheese produced in this manner was called ''Haluvuga''. 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 The ' also known as ''Abhilashitartha Chintamani'', is an early 12th-century Sanskrit text composed by the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara III, who ruled in present-day Karnataka. It is an encyclopedic work covering topics such as polity, gove ...

'', a Sanskrit-language text by the 12th-century king

Someshvara III Someshvara III (; ) was a Western Chalukya king (also known as the Kalyani Chalukyas), the son and successor of Vikramaditya VI. He ascended the throne of the Western Chalukya Kingdom in 1126 CE, or 1127 CE. Someshvara III, the third king i ...

, describes ''Kshiraprakara'', a similar sweet food prepared from milk solids after separating boiled milk using buttermilk. Another theory is that like the word itself, paneer originated in

Persianate A Persianate society is a society that is based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature, art and/or identity. The term "Persianate" is a neologism credited to Marshall Hodgson. In his 1974 book, ''The Venture of I ...

lands and spread to the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

under

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

rule. Paneer, according to this theory, was developed and moulded to suit local tastes under these rulers, and the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

and

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

are when paneer as currently known developed. Another theory states that paneer is

in origin and spread to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

from the lands that make up

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. National Dairy Research Institute states that paneer was introduced into India by Afghan and Iranian invaders. Based on texts such as ''

Charaka Samhita The ''Charaka Samhita'' () is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). Along with the '' Sushruta Samhita'', it is one of the two foundational texts of this field that have survived from ancient India. It is one of the three w ...

'', BN Mathur wrote that the earliest evidence of a heat-acid coagulated milk product in India can be traced to 75–300 CE, in the Kushan-

Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...

era. Sunil Kumar ''et al''.(2011) interpret this product as the present-day paneer. According to them, paneer is indigenous to the north-western part of

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

and was introduced in India by Afghan and Iranian travellers. Another theory is that the Portuguese may have introduced the technique of "breaking" milk with acid to

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

in 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 called Bandel cheese was introduced by the Portuguese in Bengal, which is distinct from paneer.

Nutrition and preparation

Paneer is prepared by adding food

acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

, such as lemon juice, vinegar,

citric acid Citric acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a Transparency and translucency, colorless Weak acid, weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in Citrus, citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, ...

or dahi (yogurt),Adiraja Dasa. ''The Hare Krishna book of Vegetarian Cooking''. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1989, to hot milk to separate the

curd Curd is obtained by Denaturation (biochemistry), coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet, a Kefir cheese, ...

s from the

whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...

. The curds are drained in muslin or cheesecloth and 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 in curries. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes) results in a softer, fluffier cheese. In Bengali, Odia and other East Indian cuisines, the chhena are beaten or kneaded by hand into a dough-like consistency, heavily salted and hardened to produce paneer (called ''ponir''), which is typically eaten in slices at teatime with

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be savoury, similar to crackers. ...

s or various types of

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

, deep-fried in a light batter or used in cooking. In the area surrounding the city of

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, ''surti paneer'' is made by draining the curds and ripening them in whey for 12 to 36 hours.

Use in dishes

Paneer is the most common type of cheese used in traditional cuisines 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.

Paneer dishes

Some paneer recipes include: * Paneer pulao (paneer with rice) * Mattar paneer (paneer with peas) * Shahi paneer (paneer cooked in a Mughlai curry) *

Paneer tikka Paneer tikka or Paneer Soola or Chhena Soola is an Indian cuisine, Indian dish made from chunks of paneer/ chhena marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor. It is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka and other meat dishes. It is a popular ...

(a vegetarian version of

chicken tikka Chicken tikka is a chicken dish popular in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers on a brazier called or over charcoal after marinating in Indian spices and ...

, paneer placed on skewers and roasted) * Paneer tikka masala * Chilli paneer (an Indo-Chinese preparation with spicy chilies, onions and green peppers, usually served dry and garnished with spring onions) * Kadai Paneer * Paneer pakora (paneer fritters) * Palak paneer * Khoya paneer * Paneer momo * Paneer butter masala * Paneer pasanda (shallow-fried stuffed paneer sandwiches in a smooth, creamy onion-tomato based gravy) * Paneer lababdar * Paneer Do Pyaza (named so because twice the normal amount of

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified ...

are used in this recipe). File:Chamcham - Bainan - Howrah 2015-04-14 7905.JPG , Chomchom is a popular paneer sweet File:ChennaPoda.jpg ,

Chhena poda Chhenapoda () () is a cheese dessert from the Indian state of Odisha. ''Chhena poda'' literally means ''Burnt Cheese'' in Odia, referring to its caramelised crust exterior and soft, spongy texture with slightly smoky notes. It is often describ ...

is a popular baked paneer cheese-cake from India File:Gur er Sandesh.jpg , Sandesh is a popular paneer sweet dish. File:Matar-Paneer.JPG , Mattar paneer, a vegetarian dish from India File:Yummy Palak Paneer.jpg , Palak paneer, a spinach-based curry dish File:Ishwar Paneer.JPG , Paneer tikka masala from India File:Malai Paneer Pizza from India.jpg , A pizza with paneer and vegetable toppings from India

Similar cheeses

Anari, a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus, is very similar in taste and texture to fresh Indian paneer. Circassian cheese is produced using a similar method and is close in consistency to paneer, but is usually salted. Farmer cheese (pressed curds) and firm versions of

quark A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei ...

are similar except that they are made from cultured milk and may be salted. Although many South Asians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese is made using

extracted from the stomach of

ruminants Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principa ...

, and cow's

skim milk Skimmed milk (British English), or skim milk (American English), is made when all the milkfat is removed from whole milk. It tends to contain around 0.1% to 0.3% fat. Background Historically, skimmed milk was used for fattening pigs, and was re ...

. Queso blanco or queso fresco are often recommended as substitutes in the Americas and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

as 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 also shares some similarities to queso panela, as well as unsalted halloumi (although it is made using rennet).

References

{{reflist Indian cheeses Indian cuisine Iranian cuisine Nepalese cuisine Punjabi cuisine Vegetarian cuisine Acid-set cheeses Hindu cuisine South Asian cuisine Vegetarian dishes of India