🧀 Paneer

Dairy product 🏺 Traditional product ✔ Checked: 10.2026 · sources: 2

Also known as: panir

A fresh, unripened South Asian cheese: milk is curdled with acid (lemon juice) and pressed.

Paneer is a fresh, unripened South Asian cheese made by curdling milk with acid. Milk (cow’s, buffalo or a mix; buffalo milk is valued more) is brought to the boil and, still on the heat, acid is poured in in a thin stream — lemon juice, citric acid solution or sour whey. When the whey turns clear, the curd is drained in a cloth, pressed under a weight and dipped in cold water to firm it up.

Paneer is widely used in the cuisines of North India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal. It goes into vegetable and legume dishes (palak paneer, matar paneer), is fried in cubes, or marinated and baked (paneer tikka). In India, commercial paneer is also produced using technology developed by the National Dairy Development Board.

Paneer contains no rennet and does not melt when heated — the cubes hold their shape. It differs from Bengali chhena in being pressed; soft, unpressed chhena is used for sweets such as rasgulla. Adyghe cheese is made by a similar method.

Main links. Click a topic to open it.

How it connects to milk

🧀 Paneer → made from → 🥛 Milk

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between paneer and Adyghe cheese?

Both are made by curdling hot milk with acid, without rennet. They differ in the acid used as the coagulant, pressing and cooking traditions.

Why doesn’t paneer melt?

Paneer is curdled with acid at high temperature, which makes its protein network heat-stable. That is why paneer cubes keep their shape when fried.

How to make paneer at home?

Bring milk to the boil, add lemon juice, wait until the whey turns clear, drain the curd in cheesecloth and press it under a weight.

Recipes

Homemade paneer

ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.

Sources

🕸 Show on the map of links All topics