Paneer Fry | Marinated Pan Fried Paneer | THE CURRY GUY (2024)

FAQs

Should you fry paneer before adding to curry? ›

Paneer is already cooked.

So it's not essential that you cook it prior to adding to curry. Some people like a golden brown colour on the outside. If you like, you can shallow fry, deep fry, or grill paneer before adding it to a curry. This will create a golden crust on the outside.

Top tip: If you find your paneer can get a bit dry or chewy when fried or cooked, you can soak it in water for 10 minutes so it retains more moisture while cooking.

The water in the bowl will keep the paneer moist and fresh for long.

Paneer can be made with buffalo milk, goat milk, sheep milk or cow's milk. Although it is similar to cottage cheese, paneer is usually made without rennet and therefore has a different texture. Paneer is made by curdling milk with a food acid, usually lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid.

This is because cooking extracts the paneer moisture making it hard or rubbery to eat. On the other hand, putting the paneer in water keeps it soft and gives the necessary moisture (if lost while cooking).

Paneer is an animal product which is prepared by curdling hot milk using lime juice, vinegar or citric acid. It can be eaten raw as well as to prepare a variety of dishes. There are various types of Paneer such as conventional Paneer, low fat Paneer, soy Paneer, filled Paneer and vegetable stuff Paneer[1][2].

When paneer is stored in the refrigerator it becomes dry and hard in texture. To make the paneer soft,always soak the paneer in warm water for five minutes prior to cooking. When paneer absorbs the water it becomes soft. Do not soak it in boiling hot water or for a long duration.

Does raw paneer contain protein? Raw paneer contains more protein than the cooked form. Deep-frying paneer destroys most of its protein content. Therefore, it is best to eat it raw or lightly sauteed.

Optional: Pan-fry Paneer

Here are some tips if you choose to pan-fry: Use a non-stick pan, which prevents paneer from sticking. To prevent paneer cubes from popping, reduce the heat and keep turning. It may also help to pat with a paper towel to dry excess water before using.

Although many Indians translate "paneer" into "cottage cheese", cottage cheese is made using rennet extracted from the stomach of ruminants, and cow's 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.

Why paneer is not vegan? ›

Is paneer vegan-friendly? No, traditionally paneer is not suitable for vegans as it's made from dairy-based milk – usually buffalo or cows.

Most store bought paneer contains additives or at least citric acid that is not good for health. At home we can make paneer using curd or lemon juice and the quality is much better than the store bought one. The processing of the milk to turn it into cheese is expensive in terms of both labor and capital.

Frying paneer: Usually paneer is added raw while making paneer butter masala. But you can also fry it first and then add it to the gravy. But if you are frying it inappropriately, then it will turn hard and chewy. Fry them on a medium heat in little oil until golden and drop them to a bowl of water.

Paneer has a mild, milky flavour and a dense crumbly texture that goes beautifully well with strong spicy flavours used in many classic Indian dishes. Because it won't melt like other cheeses, chunks of it can be stirred into soups or curries and remain intact.

Yes, no problem with not cooking it, but uncooked paneer is not a good dish. It is more a dry and stingy (for lack of a better word) cheese. So you see paneer or cottage cheese is best served cooked and well seasoned. That is where the real magic of cheese lies!