Paneer
From Free net encyclopedia
Paneer (in Persian پنير sometimes spelled Panir or Paner), is the Persian word for "cheese". It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting Farmer cheese that is similar to acid-set fresh mozzarella and queso blanco, except that it does not have salt added. Like mozzarella, Bengali paneer is beaten or kneaded. However, other types of paneer are simply pressed. Paneer is the only type of cheese indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and is most commonly used in Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine. Paneer is a primary source of protein for Buddhists (typically those of South Asian origin) who adhere to vegetarian but not to vegan diets.
Paneer is known in North India and Pakistan by the same name; however, in Bengal it is known by the name "Chhena" and in south India, by names derived from "Panneer" and "Channa" (not to be confused with Chana, the Bengali name for the chick pea).
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Preparation
Paneer is easily made at home and should be consumed fresh. It stales with keeping and becomes brittle and useless with refrigeration.
Ingredients
- 1 litre or quart full-fat milk
- ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) citric acid or 4 teaspoons (20ml) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
Procedure
Dissolve the citric acid in water. Bring milk to a boil, stirring continuously. Add the acid solution gradually, while stirring. When the white curds separate from the yellowish whey, switch off the heat. Cover for 3-4 minutes. Drain into a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. Tie up the cloth and hold it under running water. Press out excess water.
From this point, the preparation of paneer diverges based on proposed use. In Mughlai cuisine, the paneer-cloth is put under a heavy weight, such as a stone slab, for two to three hours, and is then cut into cubes for use in curries. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes), will result in a softer, fluffier cheese. Bengali cuisine demands paneer-dough produced by beating the paneer by hand into a dough-like consistency.
Mughlai cuisine
Paneer is the only type of cheese traditionally known in South Asia. The ruling aristocracy in Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh for much of the second millennium AD was of Turkic (Central Asian) and Persian origin, and it was they who introduced paneer to South Asia. Given this background, it is not surprising that in large parts of north India, Paneer is an aspirational food, and defines sumptuousness in vegetarian feasts.
Unlike most other cheeses, paneer does not melt at normal cooking temperatures, and is used in many Mughlai curry dishes. It is very popular when wrapped in dough and deep-fried. Recipes for some of the other popular vegetarian Mughlai dishes are linked below:
Bengali cuisine
In Bangladesh and Indian Bengal, two kinds of cheese are commonly found: ponir (a hard paneer) and chhena (a soft paneer).
Ponir is a salty semi-hard cheese made in villages across Bangladesh and Indian Bengal. Its sharp flavor and high salt content contrasts with the softer, milder chhena. Ponir is typically eaten in slices at teatime with biscuits or bread, or deep-fried in a light batter.
While Mughlai cuisine uses paneer in spicy curry dishes, the use of chhena in Bengali cuisine is restricted to sweetmeats, for which this region is justly renowned. Most Bengali sweets feature chhena beaten by hand into dough-like consistency and then used in crafting the sweetmeat. The chhena used in such cases is manufactured by a slightly different procedure from Mughlai Paneer; it is drained but not pressed, so that some moisture is retained, which makes for a soft, malleable consistency.
The Rôshogolla or "Rasgulla" is the classical sweetmeat made by this method. It features plain chhena beaten by hand into the right consistency, then shaped into balls which are dunked into sugar syrup. Recipes for some popular chhena-based Bengali sweetmeats are linked below:
Vegan substitute
Firm tofu cubed into small pieces, rolled in turmeric, and fried is a useful substitute for vegans and others who do not eat milk.