View source for Paneer

{{Short description|Type of fresh cheese in South Asian cuisine}}
{{Lead too short|date=January 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Paneer
| image = Panir Paneer Indian cheese fresh.jpg
| caption = Paneer
| alternate_name = Ponir, Indian cottage cheese
| region = [[South Asia]]
| creator = 
| type = [[Cheese]]
| served = 
| main_ingredient =Cow or buffalo milk
| calories = 
| other = Rich source of milk protein
}}
	
'''Paneer''' ({{IPA|hns|/pəˈniːr/ |pron}}), is a [[fresh cheese|fresh]] [[acid-set cheese]], common in [[South Asian cuisine|cuisine of South Asia]], made from cow milk or buffalo milk.<ref name=Kumar11/> It is a [[Cheese ripening|non-aged]], non-melting [[soft cheese]] made by [[curdling]] 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 language|Persian]] {{Transliteration|fa|panir}} ({{Wikt-lang|fa|پنیر}}) 'cheese', which comes from Old Iranian.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |access-date=19 August 2024 |title=Entry: paneer |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=paneer |website=The American Heritage Dictionary}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Nundolal Dey  |title=Rasātala or the Under-world |journal=The Indian Historical Quarterly |volume=2 |issue=1–2 |year=1985 |publisher=Ramanand Vidya Bhawan |pages=236–237 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oTMKAQAAIAAJ |quote=Panir is a Persian word, though derived from the common Sanskrit words ''Pai'' (Payas = milk) and ''Nir'' (nīra = water) meaning milk without water.}}</ref> [[Armenian language|Armenian]] {{Transliteration|hy|panir}} ({{lang|hy|պանիր}}), [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] {{lang|az|pəndir}}, [[Bengali language|Bengali]] ''ponir'' (পনির), [[Turkish language|Turkish]] {{lang|tr|peynir}} and [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] {{Transliteration|tk|peýnir}}, all derived from Persian {{Transliteration|fa|panir}}, also refer to cheese of any type.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Alan |editor-last1=Jaine |editor-first1=Tom |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0191018251 |edition=2nd |quote=panir and peynir, the Persian and Turkish words for 'cheese' (...)}}</ref>

==History==
{{Further information|Chhena}}
[[File:Sp rajjo.jpg|thumb|alt=A gravy-based dish with many thick cheese cubes together with some vegetables and spices is shown. In the lower parts of the image, some coriander leaves have been added on top as a garnish.|''[[Shahi paneer]]'', a dish from the [[Indian subcontinent]] with paneer as a primary ingredient]]

The origin of paneer is debated. [[Vedic period|Ancient Indian]], [[Afghan people|Afghan]], [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] and [[Portuguese India|Portuguese]] origins have been proposed for paneer.<ref name="Sanjeev_2010"/><ref>{{cite book |first1=Timothy G. |last1=Roufs |first2=Kathleen |last2=Smyth Roufs |title=Sweet Treats Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture |year=2014 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781610692212 |page=168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_eCBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA168}}</ref>

Legends about [[Krishna]] make several references to milk, butter, [[ghee]] and [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] (yogurt), but do not mention [[sour milk cheese]].<ref name="Harlan_2000">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tuor2vcVtiQC&pg=PA57 |title=Milk - Beyond the Dairy: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1999 |editor-first=Harlan |editor-last=Walker |publisher=Oxford Symposium |year=2000 |isbn=9781903018064 |pages=53–57}}</ref> According to [[Arthur Berriedale Keith]], a kind of cheese is "perhaps referred to" in [[Rigveda]] 6.48.18.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6TVLlPvuMAC&pg=PA209 |title=Vedic Index of Names and Subjects |author-link=Arthur Berriedale Keith |first=Arthur Berriedale |last=Keith |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |year=1995 |isbn=9788120813328 |page=209}}</ref> However, [[Otto Schrader (philologist)|Otto Schrader]] (1890) believes that the Rigveda only mentions "a skin of sour milk, not cheese in the proper sense".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107733 |title=Prehistoric Antiquities of the Aryan Peoples |author-link=Otto Schrader (philologist) |first=Otto |last=Schrader |publisher=C. Griffin |year=1890 |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107733/page/n339 319]}}</ref> Vedic literature refers to a substance that is interpreted by some authors, such as [[K. T. Achaya]], [[Om Prakash (historian)|Om Prakash]] and [[Sanjeev Kapoor]], as a possible form of paneer, but without definitive evidence.<ref name="Sanjeev_2010">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=heG2bdW_NrMC&pg=PA3 |title=Paneer |first=Sanjeev |last=Kapoor |author-link=Sanjeev Kapoor |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=2010 |isbn=9788179913307 |page=3}}</ref>

[[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]]-like enzymes and notes that the "Vedas may include some of the earliest known references to rennet-coagulated cheeses".<ref>''The Oxford Companion to Cheese'', 2016. p. 373.</ref> ''Lokopakara'' text dated to the 10th century gives two recipes for coagulated cheeses made from [[water buffalo|buffalo]] milk for making sweets using plants and roots. According to the text, buffalo milk was coagulated using roots of [[amaranth]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramachandran |first1=Ammini |title=Lokopakara – Part III Recipes |url=https://peppertrail.com/recipes-from-lokopakara/ |website=Peppertrail |access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> ''[[Manasollasa]]'', a Sanskrit-language text by the 12th-century king [[Someshvara III]], describes ''Kshiraprakara'', a similar sweet food prepared from milk solids after separating boiled milk using buttermilk.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ena Desai |chapter=Gastronomy of Bengal |editor=Lotika Varadarajan |title=Indo-Portuguese Encounters: Journeys in Science, Technology, and Culture |volume=II |year=2006 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy / Centra de Historia de Alem-Mar, Universidade Nova de Lisboa / Aryan Books International |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5LfaAAAAMAAJ |page=668|isbn=9788173053023 }}</ref><ref name="Michael2011">{{Cite book |last=Michael Krondl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gN6ySQnUnfwC&pg=PA38 |title=Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert |publisher=Chicago Review Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-55652-954-2 |pages=7–8|quote= "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."}}</ref>

Another theory is that like the word itself, paneer originated in [[Persianate]] lands and spread to the [[Indian subcontinent]] under [[Muslim]] rule.<ref name="origin">{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JTTxAAAAMAAJ |title=The Technology of Traditional Milk Products in Developing Countries |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=1990 |page=169 |isbn=9789251028995}}</ref> Paneer, according to this theory, was developed and moulded to suit local tastes under these rulers, and the [[Delhi Sultanate]] and [[Mughal Empire]] are when paneer as currently known developed. Another theory states that paneer is [[Afghans|Afghan]] in origin and spread to [[India]] from the lands that make up [[Afghanistan]].<ref name="origin"/> [[National Dairy Research Institute]] states that paneer was introduced into India by Afghan and Iranian invaders.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1zs4NzrRWhQC&pg=PA231 |title=Feta & Related Cheeses |first1=R. K. |last1=Robinson |first2=A. Y. |last2=Tamime |publisher=CRC Press |year=1996 |isbn=9780747600770 |page=231}}</ref> Based on texts such as ''[[Charaka 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 the [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]]-[[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahana]] era.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5lpMAAAAYAAJ |first=K.V.S.S. |last=Rao |title=Paneer technology — A review |journal=Indian Journal of Dairy Science |volume=45 |publisher=Indian Dairy Science Association |year=1992 |page=281}}</ref> 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]] and was introduced in India by Afghan and Iranian travellers.<ref name=Kumar11>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Sunil |last2=Rai |first2=D.C. |last3=Niranjan |first3=K. |last4=Bhat |first4=Zuhaib |title=Paneer—An Indian soft cheese variant: a review |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=821–831 |publisher=Springer |date=2011 |doi=10.1007/s13197-011-0567-x |quote="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" |pmid=24803688 |pmc=4008736}}</ref>

Another theory is that the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] may have introduced the technique of "breaking" milk with acid to [[Bengal]] 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.<ref name="Harlan_2000"/><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=orHWFRMKf4EC&pg=PA33 |title=India: Food and Cooking: The Ultimate Book on Indian Cuisine |first=Pat |last=Chapman |author-link=Pat Chapman (food writer) |publisher=New Holland |year=2009 |isbn=9781845376192 |page=33}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efOjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 |title=Cultures of Milk |first=Andrea S. |last=Wiley |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2014 |isbn=9780674369702 |page=2}}</ref> A type of smoked cheese called [[Bandel cheese]] was introduced by the Portuguese in Bengal, which is distinct from paneer.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tamang |first1=Jyoti Prakash |title=Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of India: Science History and Culture |date=2 March 2020 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-15-1486-9 |page=676 |language=en}}</ref>

== Nutrition and preparation ==
{{Nutritionalvalue
| name = paneer
| kJ = 1251
| protein = 15.9 g
| fat = 15.5 g
| carbs = 23.3 g
| sugars = 22.5 g
| iron_mg = 0
| calcium_mg = 597
| magnesium_mg = 58
| phosphorus_mg = 490
| potassium_mg = 728
| sodium_mg = 185
| zinc_mg = 2.04
| vitA_ug = 155
| betacarotene_ug = 34
| source_usda = 1
| source = [http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2666/2 nutritiondata.com]
}}

Paneer is prepared by adding food [[acid]], such as lemon juice, vinegar, [[citric acid]] or [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] (yogurt),<ref>Adiraja Dasa. ''The Hare Krishna book of Vegetarian Cooking''. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1989, {{ISBN|0-902677-07-1}}</ref> to hot milk to separate the [[curd]]s from the [[whey]]. 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.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

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 [[curry|curries]]. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes) results in a softer, fluffier cheese.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

In [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]], [[Odia cuisine|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]]s or various types of [[bread]], [[deep-frying|deep-fried]] in a light batter or used in cooking.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

In the area surrounding the city of [[Surat]] in [[Gujarat]], ''surti paneer'' is made by draining the curds and ripening them in whey for 12 to 36 hours.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

==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 roti(Indian bread). Paneer dishes can be sweet, like shahi paneer, or spicy/hot, like chilli paneer.

===Paneer dishes===
Some paneer recipes include:
* [[Matar paneer]] (paneer with peas)
* [[Shahi paneer]] (paneer cooked in a [[Mughlai]] curry)
* [[Paneer tikka]] (a vegetarian version of [[chicken tikka]], paneer placed on skewers and roasted)
* [[Paneer tikka masala]]
* Chilli paneer (an [[Indian Chinese cuisine|Indo-Chinese preparation]] with spicy chilies, onions and green peppers, usually served dry and garnished with spring onions)
* [[Kadai paneer|Kadai Paneer]]
* Paneer [[pakora]] (paneer [[fritters]])
* [[Palak paneer]]
* [[Khoya paneer]]
* Paneer [[Momo (food)|momo]]
* [[Paneer makhani]]
* Paneer [[pasanda]] (shallow-fried stuffed paneer sandwiches in a smooth, creamy onion-tomato based gravy)
* Paneer lababdar
* Paneer [[Dopiaza]] (named so because twice the normal amount of [[onions]] are used in this recipe).

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Chamcham - Bainan - Howrah 2015-04-14 7905.JPG | [[Chomchom]] is a popular paneer sweet 
File:ChennaPoda.jpg | [[Chhena poda]] is a popular baked paneer cheese-cake from India
File:Gur er Sandesh.jpg | [[Sandesh (confectionery)|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
</gallery>

==Similar cheeses==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2018}}

[[Anari (cheese)|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 (dairy product)|quark]] 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 [[rennet]] extracted from the stomach of [[ruminants]], and cow's [[Skimmed milk|skim milk]]. [[Queso blanco]] or [[queso fresco]] are often recommended as substitutes in the Americas and [[Spain]] 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).

==See also==
* {{Annotated link|Kalari cheese}}
* [[Chhurpi]] - Himalayan cheese
* {{Annotated link|Shosha (cheese)}}
* {{Annotated link|Kesong puti}}
* {{Annotated link|Cottage cheese}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian cheeses]]
[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Iranian cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Punjabi cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]
[[Category:Acid-set cheeses]]
[[Category:Hindu cuisine]]
[[Category:South Asian cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]