India's versatile paneer trends in the West as interest in plant-based and keto diets rise
As the demand for plant-based diets grows around the world, more people are developing a taste for paneer, a cheese that has long been a staple for vegetarians in India.
Soft and marble-white, the versatile paneer is a vital source of protein and calcium, and can be a main course, appetiser, side dish, and dessert. It is usually made by adding acidic food like lemon to hot milk, and later draining the curd in a muslin cloth, and pressing it to remove excess water.
The almost bland taste of paneer allows it to absorb the myriad masalas it is cooked in, resulting in renowned dishes such as paneer butter masala in Delhi dhabas (roadside restaurants), chilli paneer in Indian Chinese eateries and paneer tikka in upmarket restaurants.
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Paneer was used in Mughal kitchens to recreate meat dishes for vegetarians. International fast food chains in India have also incorporated paneer into their menus to cater to vegetarians. For instance, Domino's offers a popular spicy paneer tikka topping on its pizzas, while sandwich chain Subway offers paneer tikka sandwiches.
Paneer has in recent weeks been trending on TikTok and other social media platforms amid an increase in plant-based eating and interest in the low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet.
The United States is the largest market for ketogenic diets, a market valued at US$9.5 billion in 2019, Bloomberg reported. According to data by market research firm Grand View Research, the global keto market is expected to be worth some US$14.75 billion by 2027.
British and American supermarket chains such as Tesco and Whole Foods now stock different brands of paneer. Palak paneer - paneer in a creamy spinach gravy - has been a favourite with people in the West, but chefs across the US, Australia, Europe and the UK have increasingly become more creative in using the ingredient, including smoking it or serving it in pies, tikka rolls and even in lasagne.
Curd consumption has risen 19 per cent in the past decade, according to recent data from the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.
Ruchit Harneja, an Indian chef who works at Musaafer Restaurant in Texas, says US commercial cheese-makers have started considering paneer as a contender to other forms of cheese.
"Modern and creative restaurants like ours use it in our menus in many ways. We flavour our in-house paneer with crushed coriander seeds and pepper," he said.
"A lot of people here have also started to replace tofu in their recipes with paneer, as paneer is considered to have three times more protein than tofu and gives a better texture, too."
The spike in demand has been a boon for producers such as Punjab Milk Foods in Canada, which makes the Nanak paneer, as well as the California-based Sach Foods, which specialises in small-batch paneer.
In India though, paneer is so mainstream it could be seen "passe" to upmarket diners, said Shobha Krishnan, an architect based in Bangalore.
"[Instead], they have a craze for gourmet cheeses from the West like burrata, stilton, halloumi, feta and Parmesan," he said. "Gourmet cheese platters are popular in parties, served with drinks."
But paneer too originated from outside India, according to food historian KT Achaya. In his book on Indian food, titled Indian Food - A Historical Companion, he writes that coagulating milk was taboo in the ancient Aryan culture which makes references to milk, butter, ghee and yogurt, but does not mention sour milk cheese.
Many experts think that since milk was sacred in ancient India, cheese-making must have been an imported practice, possibly from Afghanistan.
New Delhi-based chef Sabyasachi Gorai, a food consultant and president of the Young chefs Forum, said paneer probably came to India through the Armenians, as they call their cottage cheese "paneer".
"For Indians today, paneer may not be a big deal as it's common and ubiquitous, but it's all a cycle," he said.
"In yesteryears, Indian ghee [clarified butter] trended abroad, now it's paneer. It also has a lot to do with Indian food taking centre stage across the world."
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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