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 Paneer | |
| Alternative names | Ponir, Indian cottage cheese |
|---|---|
| Type | Cheese |
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Main ingredients | Cow or buffalo milk |
| Other information | Rich source of milk protein |
Paneer (pronounced[/pəˈniːr/]), is afreshacid-set cheese, common incuisine of South Asia, made from cow milk or buffalo milk.[1] It is anon-aged, non-meltingsoft cheese made bycurdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Paneer was predominantly used in most northIndian dishes and is now commonly used throughoutIndia due to its versatility as an ingredient in diverse dishes.
The wordpaneer entered English from theHindi-Urdu termpanīr, which comes fromPersianpanir (پنیر) 'cheese', which comes from Old Iranian.[2][3]Armenianpanir (պանիր),Azerbaijanipəndir,Bengaliponir (পনির),Turkishpeynir andTurkmenpeýnir, all derived from Persianpanir, also refer to cheese of any type.[4]
The origin of paneer is debated.Ancient Indian,Afghan,Iranian andPortuguese origins have been proposed for paneer.[5][6]
Legends aboutKrishna make several references to milk, butter,ghee anddahi (yogurt), but do not mentionsour milk cheese.[7] According toArthur Berriedale Keith, a kind of cheese is "perhaps referred to" inRigveda 6.48.18.[8] However,Otto Schrader (1890) believes that the Rigveda only mentions "a skin of sour milk, not cheese in the proper sense".[9] Vedic literature refers to a substance that is interpreted by some authors, such asK. T. Achaya,Om Prakash andSanjeev Kapoor, as a possible form of paneer, but without definitive evidence.[5]
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".[10]Lokopakara text dated to the 10th century gives two recipes for coagulated cheeses made frombuffalo milk for making sweets using plants and roots. According to the text, buffalo milk was coagulated using roots ofamaranth plant 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.[11]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.[12][13]
Another theory is that like the word itself, paneer originated inPersianate lands and spread to theIndian subcontinent underMuslim rule.[14] Paneer, according to this theory, was developed and moulded to suit local tastes under these rulers, and theDelhi Sultanate andMughal Empire are when paneer as currently known developed. Another theory states that paneer isAfghan in origin and spread toIndia from the lands that make upAfghanistan.[14]National Dairy Research Institute states that paneer was introduced into India by Afghan and Iranian invaders.[15] 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-Satavahana era.[16] Sunil Kumaret al.(2011) interpret this product as the present-day paneer. According to them, paneer is indigenous to the north-western part ofSouth Asia and was introduced in India by Afghan and Iranian travellers.[1]
Another theory is that thePortuguese may have introduced the technique of "breaking" milk with acid toBengal 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.[7][17][18] A type of smoked cheese calledBandel cheese was introduced by the Portuguese in Bengal, which is distinct from paneer.[19]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 1,251 kJ (299 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23.3 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sugars | 22.5 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15.5 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15.9 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[20] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from theNational Academies.[21] Source:nutritiondata.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paneer is prepared by adding foodacid, such as lemon juice, vinegar,citric acid ordahi (yogurt),[22] to hot milk to separate thecurds from thewhey. The curds are drained inmuslin orcheesecloth 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
InBengali,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 (calledponir), which is typically eaten in slices atteatime withbiscuits or various types ofbread,deep-fried in a light batter or used in cooking.[citation needed]
In the area surrounding the city ofSurat inGujarat,surti paneer is made by draining the curds and ripening them in whey for 12 to 36 hours.[citation needed]
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 roti(Indian bread). Paneer dishes can be sweet, like shahi paneer, or spicy/hot, like chilli paneer.
Some paneer recipes include:
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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 ofquark are similar except that they are made fromcultured milk and may be salted. Although many South Asians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese is made usingrennet extracted from the stomach ofruminants, and cow'sskim milk.Queso blanco orqueso fresco are often recommended as substitutes in the Americas andSpain 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 toqueso panela, as well as unsaltedhalloumi (although it is made using rennet).
People during the Kusana and Saka Satavahana periods (AD75–300) used to consume a solid mass, whose description seems to the earliest reference to the present day paneer
Panir is a Persian word, though derived from the common Sanskrit wordsPai (Payas = milk) andNir (nīra = water) meaning milk without water.
panir and peynir, the Persian and Turkish words for 'cheese' (...)
In another recipe he gives directions for a syrup-soaked fritter many modern Indians would recognize. To make it, the cook is told to curdle warm milk by adding buttermilk, then strain it to remove the liquid. (Nowadays this fresh cheese would be called chhana.) The resulting curds are then mixed with a little rice flour, formed into balls, and fried in ghee. Finally, they are soaked in syrup.
