What Is Paneer? How To Make Paneer? Paneer Recipe
Paneer is one of the most widely used ingredient in many Indian dishes. Paneer is widely used in the form of paneer recipe. It is prepared by curdling of milk. While paneer is generally good for health, some set of people need to exercise caution while taking paneer.
Table of Contents
What is paneer?
Paneer is a dairy product prepared by curdling of hot milk. It is widely used in Indian dishes.
Method of preparation
How to make paneer?
Making paneer is very easy. Take 500 ml of milk. Boil it. While it is still hot, add lemon juice extracted from half a lemon (or vinegar). Keep on adding lemon juice till the solid and liquid layer are visibly separate.
Tie the solid part in a cloth (preferably cheesecloth) and drain out all the water. Usually it is tied in a cloth and hung till all the water is drained out. Then it is pressed so that no water is left in the solid mass.
While it is still wrapped in cloth, keep it in a clean place. Put a heavy stone or any heavy object on it for 2 -3 hours.
Remove it and slice it to small cubes. Paneer is done.
For curdling, can buttermilk be used in place of lemon?
Yes, buttermilk can be used.
Paneer benefits
- It is rich in protein and fat.
- Ideal for those seeking weight gain
- Calms Vata and increases Kapha
- May worsen indigestion
- Ideal to be taken only during morning or afternoon. To be avoided at night.
Those who can not avoid it, can take it after processing with spices like ginger, pepper etc, in lunch.
Paneer contraindications
- People with high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis
- during indigestion
- Those who wish to diet
- While having respiratory problems, infection cough and cold and asthma
- Students who are preparing for examinations, because light food is ideal for them, rather than a heavy-to-digest food like paneer recipe.
Paneer recipes
Here are a few Indian paneer recipes
Paneer butter masala
Palak Paneer
Chilli Paneer
Paneer tikka
Paneer with milk?
Can Paneer be taken with milk?
Dr JV Hebbar
Yes, it can be taken by someone wanting to put on weight, or having a high Pitta symptom such as extreme burning sensation allover the body, say during summer season.
This combination requires a very good digestion strength to digest it, as both are heavy to digest. Hence, in any recipe, if you are using these two together, better to spice it up with ginger, cumin, black pepper etc.
Read: Bad Food Combinations And Solution As Per Ayurveda
21 comments on “What Is Paneer? How To Make Paneer? Paneer Recipe”
nimi
Doctor, thank you for this usefull article.
Kunwar Singh
Dear Dr Hebbar,
It is pertinent to mention that you can also make Paneer at home with the help of Paneer Maker available in the market and it is easier and better than making paneer with the very old method to tie the solid and watery layer of paneer in a cloth and squeeze it to drain out the water or else putting paneer under a heavy weight for a longer time to remove the water to get solid paneer.
Best regards,
Kunwar Singh
Dr. V.M. Sharma
Ecelent!
Dr. V.M. Sharma
Dr. Hebbar, you deserve my sincere appreciation for your effort in propagating the concept and role of Ayurveda in diet in disease. As a practicing Allopath I have learnt a lot.
(Dr) V.M. SHARMA
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
Thank you very much sir 🙂
VJ Kumar
I thought paneer + salt is incompatible?
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
I have not seen such a reference.
Ankit Marik
It doesnt increase pitta?Also is it compatible with milk?Paneer kheer?
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
Paneer increases Kapha not Pitta. It is compatible with milk.
Sunny
If somebody doesn’t want to eat meat everyday and wants to get the proteins from Paneer. Is it okay to eat it everyday in lunch? The way I eat Paneer is like soup. I boil couple of cubes of Paneer in water with spices like salt, cumin seed and pinch of ginger. Is it okay? or is there better way to eat to ensure better digestion if you want to eat everyday?
Thanks
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
In a small dose of 10-20 grams of Paneer, as soup, like you have been taking, is fine to continue.
Sunny
I am vata-pitta and play sports for almost 2 hours everybody, where a lot of physicality is involved. If I dont want to meat everyday for protein intake. Then is it okay to eat paneer everyday. Or is it too heavy for digestion everyday? The way i eat paneer is I boiled paneer cubes (already made and refrigerated) in water with little bit of cumin seed, ginger and salt and take it as a soup. Is it okay to eat it like this everyday? I would really appreciate your thoughts on this
Thanks
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
Hi, it is fine to eat panner everyday, in your case. The cumin and ginger added to paneer makes it easy to digest.
anuja
sir, in the recipes one uses cream. is it ok to add cream to salt? should cream be treated same as milk
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
Hi, salt can be added to milk. Cream can be considered very high fat milk
Anju
Sir I want to know that is it alright to make paneer by curdling milk with buttermilk ..my mom does not use lemon or vinegar because it leaves acidic taste….So is it fine to use buttermilk instead of lemon or vinegar..
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
It is fine to use buttermilk for curdling.
dipa khetan
sir is paneer compatible with sour food like lemon, tomatoes etc?
dipa khetan
sir can we make paneer with buttermilk in place of lemon or vinegar?
Rupali More
What are the properties of cheese according to Ayurveda
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
We just published an article about it. Please read here
https://www.easyayurveda.com/2020/07/30/cheese/