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{{short description|type of fresh cheese commonly used in Indian subcontinental cuisine}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
| image = Panir Paneer Indian cheese fresh.jpg
| caption = Paneer
| alternate_name = Poneer, Fonir
| country = [[Indian Subcontinent]]
| creator =
| type = [[Cheese]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = Strained curdled milk
| calories =
| other = Rich source of milk protein
}}

'''Paneer''' ({{IPA-hns|pəniːr|pron}}), '''ponir''' ({{IPA-bn|po̯ni̯r|pron}}) or '''Indian cottage cheese''' is a [[fresh cheese|fresh]] [[acid-set cheese]] common in the [[Indian subcontinent]] ([[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], [[India]], [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Sri Lanka]]) made from cow 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. Its acid-set form ([[cheese curd]]) before pressing is called [[chhena]].

==Etymology==

The word ''paneer'' entered English from [[Persian language|Persian]] {{transl|fa|panir}} ({{Wikt-lang|fa|پنیر}}) 'cheese', which comes from Old Iranian.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing|last1=Company|access-date=2019-09-30|title=The American Heritage Dictionary entry: paneer|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=paneer|website=www.ahdictionary.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oTMKAQAAIAAJ |title= Rastala or the Under-world| journal= The Indian Historical Quarterly| volume= 2| number= 1–2 |publisher=Ramanand Vidya Bhawan |year=1985 |page=236 }}</ref> [[Armenian language|Armenian]] {{transl|hy|panir}} ({{lang|hy|պանիր}}), [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] {{lang|az|pəndir}}, [[Turkish language|Turkish]] {{lang|tr|peynir}} and [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] {{transl|tk|peýnir}}, all derived from Persian {{transl|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=OUP Oxford| location= Oxford| isbn= 978-0191018251|edition=2|quote=panir and peynir, the Persian and Turkish words for 'cheese' (...)}}</ref>

==History==
The origin of paneer is debated. [[Vedic period|Ancient Indian]], [[Afghan people|Afghan]]-[[Iranian people|Iranian]] and [[Portuguese India|Portuguese]]-[[Bengal]]i 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>

Vedic literature refers to a substance that is interpreted by some authors, such as [[Sanjeev Kapoor]], as a form of paneer.<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> 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]] 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> [[K. T. Achaya]] mentions that acidulation of milk was a taboo in the ancient [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] culture, pointing out that the 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>

For the making of what is today called [[Chhena|chhana]], [[Manasollasa]], the 12th century [[Sanskrit]] text recommends the addition of a sour substance (even sour curds from a previous operation) to boiled milk, after which the [[precipitate]] was separated, the cheese then mixed with rice flour and shaped into various balls, and then [[Deep frying|deep-fried]] to make sweets.{{cn|date=March 2021}}

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 molded to suit local tastes under these rulers, and the [[Delhi Sultanate]] and [[Mughal Empire]] is when paneer as currently known developed. Another theory states that paneer is [[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''. interpret this product as the present-day paneer. According to them, paneer is indigenous to 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 |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> The first cottage cheese is of Indo-Portuguese origins and is known as [[Bandel Cheese]].

==Preparation==
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name = Paneer, from cow milk
| serving_size = 100 g
| kJ = 1108.76
| protein = 18.3 g
| fat = 20.8 g
| carbs = 1.2 g
| calcium_mg = 208
| right = 1
| source = [https://doctor.ndtv.com/faq/what-is-the-nutritional-value-of-paneer-8353 What is the nutritional value of paneer? - Doctor NDTV]
}}
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.

In North Indian cuisines, the curds are wrapped in [[cheesecloth|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.

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.

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.

==Use in dishes==
[[File:Matar-Paneer.JPG|thumb|''[[Mattar paneer]]'', a vegetarian dish from India]]
[[File:Saag Paneer.jpg|thumbnail|[[Saag paneer]] or [[palak paneer]], a spinach-based curry dish]]
[[File:An aesthetic Panner Butter Masala.jpg|thumb|Paneer butter masala]]
[[File:Ishwar Paneer.JPG|thumb|Paneer tikka masala from India]]
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 is used in main dishes as well as desserts and snacks.

The well-known [[rosogolla]] features plain ''chhana'' beaten by hand and shaped into balls which are boiled in [[syrup]]. The ''sana'' / ''chhana'' / ''chhena'' used in such cases is manufactured by a slightly different procedure from paneer; it is drained but not pressed, so that some moisture is retained, which makes for a soft, malleable consistency. It may, however, be pressed slightly into small cubes and curried to form a ''dalna'' in Maithili, Oriya and Bengali cuisines.

===Paneer dishes===
Some paneer recipes include

* Paneer pulao (paneer with rice)
*[[Mattar paneer]] (paneer with peas)
*[[Shahi paneer]] (paneer cooked in a rich [[Mughlai]] curry)
*[[Paneer tikka]] (a vegetarian version of [[chicken tikka]], paneer placed on skewers and roasted)
*[[Paneer tikka masala]]
* Chili paneer (an [[Indian Chinese cuisine|Indo-Chinese preparation]] with spicy chilies, onions and green peppers, usually served dry and garnished with spring onions)
*[[Pakoda|Paneer pakora]] (paneer [[fritters]])
*[[Palak paneer]]
*[[Khoya paneer]]
* Paneer [[momo (dumpling)|momo]]
* [[Kadai paneer]]
* [[Paneer Kalimirch]]
* [[Paneer do pyaza]]

[[File:Malai Paneer Pizza from India.jpg|thumb|right|A pizza with paneer and vegetable topping from India]]

==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 cottage cheese) and firm versions of [[quark (dairy product)|quark]] are similar except that they are made from [[cultured milk]] and may be salted. Although many Indians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese may be made using [[rennet]] extracted from the stomach of [[ruminants]] and such varieties when pressed into farmer cheese are firmer than paneer. [[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 is also similar to unsalted [[halloumi]].

==See also==
* [[Kalari cheese]]
* [[Chhurpi]]
* [[Shosha (cheese)]]
*[[Cottage cheese]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Indian cheeses]]
[[Category:Punjabi cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan cuisine]]
[[Category:Iranian cuisine]]

Paneer - Revision history

Ahmedabadwebdesigning: updated page

imported>Politanvm: Reverted 1 edit by 2001:569:78C4:6400:708A:2B18:9EB4:528B (talk): Spammy reference and duplicating etymology section