Paneer in Indian cuisine, cooking methods. Calorie content and useful composition of a dairy product. Beneficial effect on the body and contraindications for use. Indian cheese recipes and interesting facts about it.
Paneer is a fresh wet cheese popular in South Asian cuisines, especially Nepalese, Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi. Local names are bus or shenna. The product is made from milk using food grade acid. The consistency is delicate and soft, the color, when produced without spices, is uniform white, without inclusions. The taste depends on the type of sourdough - from sour to sweet. When heated, it does not melt and does not change its shape. The popularity of paneer is explained by the religious beliefs of the majority of the population of the countries of South Asia - the rejection of meat food. The product helps to restore the reserve of animal protein in the body due to its high nutritional value.
How is paneer prepared?
The technology for making cheese in industrial and home conditions differs in the volume of production and processing of raw materials. At the first stage of making paneers, they are made like curd, that is, milk is fermented and whey is separated.
Under industrial conditions, milk is pasteurized and heated to a temperature of 90 ° C, at home it is boiled. Then sour sourdough is introduced. Lemon juice or acid, apple cider vinegar, whey, yogurt, kefir can be used. Approximate yield: 3 liters of raw materials - 450-500 g of the final product.
How to make paneer:
- The milk is poured into a thick-walled metal pan.
- Heat to a boil.
- An acidifier is introduced - the juice of half a lemon, 3 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar, 0.5 liters of sour dairy products.
- Stir gently, making sure that the whey separates, but the curd layer does not stratify.
- Remove from heat to preserve the delicate texture of the final product.
- Allow to stand for a while, and then filter the contents of the pan through cheesecloth folded in several layers.
- The gauze is suspended for 4-8 hours to separate as much liquid as possible.
- Pull the cheesecloth and put the curd under the press.
The longer the curd mass is under oppression, the denser the structure of the final product. Various seasonings, spices, salt or sugar can be added to improve the taste during the boiling stage of milk. Homemade paneer is often made with turmeric, suneli hops, and dried dill. If in the future you plan to use cheese as an ingredient in various dishes, it is better to refuse the introduction of flavorings.
Composition and calorie content of paneer
The palatability of paneer cheese depends on the type of milk acidifier and possible flavor enhancers. The calculation of the nutritional value of the product was carried out using the traditional technology - curdling with citric acid.
The calorie content of paneer is 274 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 12, 8 g;
- Fat - 15.7 g;
- Carbohydrates - 21 g.
The nutrient content is typical for dairy products. Most:
- Potassium - a building material for dense organic tissues;
- Calcium - a substance that regulates heart contractions;
- Sulfur - supports the production of bile and stimulates the synthesis of melanin;
- Phosphorus - distributes energy throughout the body and normalizes vital processes;
- Gland - responsible for the reproduction of red blood cells;
- Vitamin D, calciferol - with its lack, the work of the central nervous system (central nervous system) is disrupted;
- Vitamin A, retinol - with a shortage, vision deteriorates and premature age-related changes appear;
- Nicotinic acid - stabilizes blood pressure.
Paneer contains saturated fatty acids, which have a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair, increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and prevent the development of senile dementia and atherosclerosis.
Indian paneer cheese is not a dietary product, but it is recommended to be added to the menu for those who are losing weight due to its nutritional properties. There is a quick satiety, the stomach does not have time to stretch, and the next time it will be easier to reduce the portion.
Benefits of paneer
The product is often introduced into the diet of patients recovering from severe debilitating diseases, children - to stimulate growth and prevent rickets, pregnant women - in order to prevent abnormalities in the development of the fetus.
Benefits of paneer:
- Stimulates the removal of accumulated toxins and toxins from the intestines, has an antioxidant effect.
- Reduces the production of intestinal gas by preventing pinching of hernias.
- Reduces blood pressure, normalizes heart rate, improves myocardial condition.
- Stabilizes the conduction of nerve impulses, activates brain activity.
- Strengthens bone tissue, participates in the building of muscle fibers.
- Reduces the load on the digestive organs, reduces acidity (when made with whey and kefir, without spices).
- Increases the tone of the body.
- Decreases the production of histamine.
The beneficial properties of Indian paneer include increased work capacity and endurance. If, when switching to vegetarianism, this product is included in the menu on a regular basis, up to 4-5 times a week, you will not feel weakness and fatigue in the daytime. Physical activity will be easily tolerated, there will be no negative changes associated with the emotional state.
Contraindications and harm of paneer
This dairy product should not be introduced into the diet with lactase deficiency. Milk protein (casein) is not destroyed during cooking.
But the harm of paneer can only be provoked in case of overeating and intolerance to any type of acidifier or flavoring additives. The most dangerous is the abuse of a product that contains salt.
The complex "milk protein + salt" has a pronounced effect on kidney function. At the slightest violation of functionality, fluid will accumulate in the body, edema will occur. Also, such an addition to the diet will stimulate the accumulation of "bad" cholesterol, which will have a detrimental effect on the condition of the blood vessels.
You should not lean on Indian cheese if you need to control weight. The calorie content of homemade paneer made from "one's own" milk can reach up to 420 kcal. But this does not mean that you need to completely abandon it. 50-70 g up to 3 times a week will not lead to rapid weight gain.
Paneer recipes
Milk cheese recipes are based on the fact that it does not melt. During heat treatment, useful substances are not fully preserved.
Delicious paneer recipes:
- Nun-paneer-sabzi … The preparation is very simple. In a blender bowl, spread soft cheese, cut into pieces, a handful of seedless raisins, walnut kernels, a few mint leaves and interrupt until pasty. Serve with flat cakes or spread on fresh bread.
- Palak paneer … Cheese, 400 g, cut into small cubes and fried in ghee (or ghee) until golden brown. Remove the frying from the heat, put it in a regular dish, add oil and fry the chopped vegetables together: onion - 1 pc., Peeled tomatoes - 2 pcs., 4 garlic cloves, green chili pod. Add 15 g of grated ginger root, season with turmeric and garam masala, add salt if required. Fresh spinach, 600 g, boil for 3 minutes in boiling water and put on ice to maintain a beautiful color. After cooling, the stems are cut, laid out with seasoned vegetables, poured with "live" yogurt - 100-200 ml, interrupted with a submersible blender until smooth. Pour in the fried paneer and simmer for 5 minutes. A simpler recipe for palak paneer. Seeds of black mustard and cumin, asafoetida are fried in refined sunflower oil. When a pronounced smell of seasonings appears, spread very finely chopped garlic and onions, carrots and ginger - rub on a fine grater, and then cilantro and tomatoes. Before interrupting fresh tomatoes, peel them off, dipping them in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Boil frozen spinach in boiling water for 4 minutes. All stew for up to 4 minutes, interrupt with a blender, add paneer cubes. To achieve the consistency of the soup, pour boiling water over the eye, garam masala, salt and cumin. Before serving, cream is poured into the still hot soup, and salted.
- Malai sweater … Boil potatoes (6 pieces) without peel and knead in mashed potatoes. Place 200 g of paneer, a teaspoon of cumin and cilantro in a blender bowl. Stir the resulting cheese paste with potatoes to make the dough denser, pour flour "on the eye". Small cutlets are formed and fried in ghee. For the sauce, interrupt 4 tomatoes, 1 piece of bell pepper and carrots, half a red onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic. 1 teaspoon of spices are fried in a frying pan: seeds of cumin and black mustard, asafoetida and garam masala, turmeric. If you want something spicier, you can add half a green chili pod. Fry the seasonings until a pungent spicy smell appears, then spread the vegetable paste and stew for 5 minutes. Put cutlets in a frying pan, cover with a lid and leave for 3 minutes over low heat.
- Sushi … The nori leaves are spread in a single layer and the pieces of paneer are wrapped in the same way as sushi is rolled. Plain ghee or ghee is melted in a frying pan, "sushi" is fried on both sides.
- Morning salad … 2 cucumbers and 2 tomatoes are cut into large slices and put on a plate, mixed. Paneer is finely chopped and sprinkled on top. For dressing, mix a little grated fresh ginger, 2 tbsp each. l. olive oil and lemon juice, chopped cilantro. Salted, brought to a homogeneous consistency.
- Curd dessert … Freshly made homemade paneer is kneaded with sugar and spread over a hot cast iron skillet. Stir constantly until the mass thickens. As soon as the fried cheese begins to easily lag behind the bottom of the pan, you can turn it off. Pour in 1 tsp. cardamom and ground saffron, mixed with crushed pistachios, spread on a flat dish, leveled and placed in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 1-2 minutes. Take it out of the oven, sprinkle it with rose water on top, cut it into cakes. Each is decorated with candied rose petals.
Hot meals can be prepared from a dairy product that was cooked 2-3 days ago. Desserts and salads - only from fresh paneer, otherwise you will not be able to enjoy the mild delicate taste.
Interesting facts about paneer
The first mentions of cheese are found in the Indian Vedas as early as 6000 BC. NS. However, the Persians insist that they were the first to make this dairy product, and only then the technology was adopted by the Indians, Turks, Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Moreover, "paneer" is a Persian word literally meaning soft cheese.
There are legends about the origin of the product. According to one of them, the recipe for paneer cheese was passed on to people by the Gods, and the other is more mundane. Allegedly, a trader from ancient Arabia, Hanan, took milk in a pot with him on a long journey, but it turned sour. Throwing away the edible was considered blasphemy, so the traveler drank the whey, and wrapped the grains of cottage cheese with a clean rag to eat, if no other food could be obtained, and put them in the knapsack at the very bottom. And in the evening, unfolding a rag, Hanan saw a white block. I tried it and realized that the new dish is tasty and quickly restores the spent energy. Back home, the merchant shared a recipe for a new product.
There are many varieties of dairy products, recipes for making paneer are passed down from generation to generation. For example, it is impossible to cook Armenian khoratz paneer at home, this rare dish contains many herbs, and ripening takes place in a pot sealed with wax. Nun-paneer-sabzi is made in every family in its own way, and in the Persian recipe, cheese is fermented with the juice of a special herb.
Ayurveda proponents have found their place in ideology and diet. It is believed that it suits people with a vata constitution, that is, slender and thin, painfully reacting to physical and mental discomfort, but at the same time characterized by unpredictability. Paneer increases their ability to work and allows them to focus on a specific action. But for the silent heavyweights with a kapha constitution, cheese is bad. It not only worsens the general condition, provoking stagnant processes, but also reduces communication skills.
What is paneer - watch the video:
If there is paneer at home, then guests will not be left without a snack table. You just need to remember that this dish must be consumed fresh. The shelf life in the refrigerator is up to 3 days (in salt water - up to 5), but nutrients begin to deteriorate after 36 hours. If you want to be not only full, but also healthy, eat soft cheese during this time.
