Is Paneer the new halloumi? Sales soar 60% at supermarkets as people search for meat-free alternatives and recipes for Indian cottage cheese go viral on TikTok
- Paneer has become a social media sensation with videos on TikTok and Instagram about the Indian cottage cheese getting more than 266 million views
- Sainsbury’s paneer sales have grown more than 60 per cent in two years
- One top chef told FEMAIL it’s set to become the new halloumi due to it’s high melting point and versatility
It’s the humble vegetarian favourite that’s been enjoyed by Indian families for centuries – but Paneer could soon be set to takeover halloumi as the trendy cheese loved by millennial foodies with sales soaring of the grillable creamy delight.
The Indian cottage cheese – often used in vegetarian curries – has become a social media sensation with videos on TikTok about the cheese getting more than 266 million views.
And sales are soaring too. At Sainsbury’s paneer sales have grown more than 60 per cent in two years. Meanwhile, Waitrose say searches for paneer curry are up more than 81 per cent in a year.
A Tesco source told FEMAIL in 2020 and 2021 the supermarket sold significantly more Paneer than the previous years, while it’s now the third best selling Indian side at Sainsbury’s only behind pilau rice and Bombay potatoes.
Sainsbury’s has even launched a new Taste the Difference paneer jalfrezi & saffron pilau rice ready meal due to the surging popularity of the ingredient.
M&S have seen sales of our paneer jump 22 per cent in the last year – with no signs of sales slowing down.
Paneer butter masala #ASOSAlterEgo #billoskitchen #foryoupage #viral #desifood #fyp #foryou
The Indian cottage cheese – often used in vegetarian curries – has become a social media sensation with videos on TikTok about the cheese getting more than 266 million views. Pictured is a social media users attempt at butter paneer
Vivek Singh’s Paneer aur Mirch Ka Salan
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
· 300g paneer
· 1 onion
· 50g melon seeds
· 1 plum tomato
· 40g ginger paste
· 50g garlic paste
· ½ tsp mustard seeds
· 1 tbsp turmeric
· ½ tbsp coriander
· 3 curry leaves
· 10g jaggery, soaked
· 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Marinade
· ½ tbsp ginger paste
· ½ tbsp garlic paste
· Salt (to taste)
· 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
· 1 tbsp mixed pickle
· 1 tbsp mango chutney
· 25g grated paneer
METHOD
PANEER SAUCE
1. Soak the melon seeds and once soft, blend to fine paste.
2. Heat oil in a pot when hot add sliced onion cook till golden brown then mix in the ginger and garlic pastes, cook for 2 minutes then add the ground spices and plum tomato, cooking for a further 10 minutes. Add the melon paste and cook for another 5 minutes, then blend the sauce until smooth and set aside.
3. To finish, heat oil in a pan and when hot add mustard seeds and curry leaves until they are just crackling and aromatic, then mix into the sauce along with the tamarind and jaggery.
MARINATED PANEER
4. Cut the paneer into a square and cut in the centre to make a pocket for the filling
5. In a bowl, mix together the pickle, mango chutney, salt, grated paneer and stuff the paneer with the mixture
6. For the marinade, mix Greek yoghurt, chilli powder, salt, ginger and garlic paste and completely cover the stuffed paneer for at least an hour.
7. Heat the oven to 180c and cook the marinated paneer for four minutes on each side.
8. Serve the paneer with the sauce, and rice or naan. Top with pickled green chillies for a final garnish.
The surge is down to both to social media where delicious grills and curries have soaring success with millions of people sharing dishes with #paneerrecipe #paneer #paneertikk #paneerlove – and to the rise in vegetarianism with people searching for meat free alternatives.
Most south Asian restaurants serve the cheese cubed and marinated, the same way chicken would be used in a curry, but increasingly chefs are showing off the versatility of the ingredient and cooking it up in new news.
Kricket, an upmarket Indian restaurant in west London, serves the cheese crumbled on a butternut squash while meal kit company Guosto recently launched a paneer naanwich – a Christmas sandwich with an Indian inspired twist.
Jordan Moore, Senior Recipe Developer from recipe box Gousto told FEMAIL: ‘Halloumi has been the king of grillable cheeses for a while now, due to its meaty texture and bacon-like saltiness. Whether BBQ’d, pan fried or deep fried… the possibilities are endless and the outcome is always delicious. However, we think its rival, paneer, gives it a run for its money.
‘Paneer is an Indian cottage cheese, known for its high melting point, making it just as versatile to cook as halloumi. Paneer doesn’t have the same salty kick as halloumi, but this lends itself perfectly to rubs, marinades and famously curries and stews.
‘Our highest ever popularity with customers for paneer happened in the second half of this year with our much loved recipe, Paneer Butter Masala with Coriander Rice. So we’re expecting to see it’s popularity continue to increase into 2022.
The surge is down to both to social media where delicious grills and curries have soaring success with millions of people sharing dishes with #paneerrecipe #paneer #paneertikk #paneerlove – and to the rise in vegetarianism with people searching for meat free alternatives Social media recipe is ipictured.
Most south Asian restaurants serve the cheese cubed and marinated, the same way chicken would be used in a curry, but increasingly chefs are showing off the versatility of the ingredient and cooking it up in new news. Pictured are TikTok users making the dish
Chet Sharma chef Chef Patron at contemporary Indian restaurant in Mayfair which serves serving chaat and grills told FEMAIL he was making paneer in house, until the demand got so much it had to be outsourced.
For an authentic taste – he uses buffalo milk to make the cheese.
The buffalos are grazed on wild terrain in the New Forest and mainly eat grasses but as the seasons go on they move from early spring greens like dandelion and ox eye daisies to things like wild fennel, meadowsweet and lavender.
Every time they’re milked, there are different nuances of flavour, and then in the dairy, they use a low temperature pasteurisation which helps retain this complexity.
‘North Indians have been eating paneer a couple times a week forever, but in the restaurant about 75 per cent of tables order at least one paneer dish,’ he says.
‘We had to outsource ours back to the dairy, it’s the the reality of making the amount we need.
‘We sell more than 10kg a week, that’s 40 litres of milk.
How to make the perfect paneer dish
Dayashankar Sharma, Executive Chef, Heritage Dulwich told FEMAIL: ‘There has been a significant increase in sales. It is one of the most popular vegetarian staples in Indian cooking. Paneer itself is a very diverse ingredient and can be cooked in many ways, be that as a kofta, grilled in a tikka, in a curry or in pakoras.
‘The secret to a good paneer dish it not overcooking your paneer. While you are preparing other ingredients, keep the paneer in seasoned water to ensure that it remains soft and doesn’t dry out.
‘The choice of milk is directly proportional to the quality of the finished paneer. I personally use buffalo milk as for me, the end product is better. Buffalo milk is high in fat which makes for a softer paneer than when made with, say, cow’s milk.
‘It’s a great way of using milk a little past its best, my mum and mother-in-law make it at home because, it’s the easiest cheese to make.
‘The use of paneer in homes very different – not compressed super grillable piece of cheese, it’s more coarse, and more like scrambled egg in texture.
‘There are some dishes where it was cubed and deep fried, it’s a softer set cheese.
‘We serve in a grill, where it’s sliced and grinded – and brine it will fall apart – on a really high heat on charcoal grill – dressed with charcoal ghee in simplest most form
‘It’s not chilli or spicy hot, it’s just got that umami deliciousness.
‘It can also be used like Mediterranean people might use feta, if it’s good paneer – you can treat simply and toss it in a salad or even a dessert.
‘A milder flavour is treated more aggressively and can take spice – can be used in a million different ways.
Vivek Singh, CEO and Executive Chef , The Cinnamon Collection added: ‘Paneer is certainly becoming more and more popular in the Western world but in Indian, it has long been the protein of choice for vegetarians.
‘In my family and heritage, paneer has been popular for a very long time – it’s not just an ingredient, it’s a religion for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
‘It is a special ingredient that people often enjoy on a special occasion – paneer is that treat for vegetarians, and I think that’s why it’s becoming more and more popular in the UK.
‘The thing that makes most paneer dishes delicious is the richness and unctuousness that this ingredient brings. It works best when it’s cooked with a rich and unctuous sauce – whether that’s a richness from spices, nuts or from cream and butter. The more decadent the better!
Vineet Bhatia, the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, who also teaches Indian cooking on his course on BBC Maestro uses high fat milk to make his paneer.
‘This gives me the flexibility to make it into the different textures as we use it in starters mains, savoury and sweet.
‘The most important thing to make sure of when making it at home is to make sure you have a high fat milk like cow’s or buffalo.
‘It doesn’t work with nut milks or goat milks as much as the fat content is too low! I would say commercially available paneer is fine too. Especially for the more firm texture.
Vivek Singh’s Paneer Butter Masala
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
3 tablespoons single cream
25g (2 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into small dice
juice of ½, lemon
1½ teaspoons red chili powder
5 ripe tomatoes, puréed
2 tablespoons whole milk powder
1 tablespoon Greek-style yoghurt
1 tablespoon Boiled Cashew Paste
500g (11b 20z) paneer, cut into 2.5cm
(1-inch) rounds or dice
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
½ teaspoon garam masala
1, teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
Method
1. Heat the ghee or oil in a large, heavy-based casserole, add the cumin seeds, green and black cardamom pods and bay leaf and let them crackle.
2. Add the onion and sauté over a high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the onion colouring.
3. Add the salt, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes, allowing the onion to soften and reduce to bring out its natural sweetness.
4. Stir in the white pepper, ginger-garlic paste and chili powder and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Now add the puréed tomatoes and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, until the tomatoes have reduced by half and the oil begins to separate from the mixture round the side of the pan
6. Add the milk powder and mix well, then stir in the yoghurt. Add the cashew paste and cook for 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the paneer and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, taking care not to break it up.
8. Stir in the dried fenugreek, garam masala and sugar, followed by the cream, and simmer for another minute or two.
9. Finally stir in the cold butter, a few pieces at a time, to emulsify the sauce; be careful not to let it boil.
10. Sprinkle with the fresh coriander, squeeze in the lemon and serve, accompanied by Pilau Rice or Parathas
Chef’s Note
Cooking the onion on a slow heat with the lid on is the secret to getting a really lovely, silky, velvety sauce that is unique to Paneer Butter Masala. Take your time to get the onion right and you will enjoy the dish that much more.
‘The secret to a good paneer dish is the fact that is takes on flavour really well. Make sure to coat your paneer with a punchy marinade and treat it as a vehicle for flavour. So a great marinade before grilling or in an onion and tomato, spiced heavy sauce.
‘My favourite is paneer bhurji – or scrambled paneer. You can get paneer in a crumbly texture too as well as firm, and then I cook it like a desi-scrambled eggs with onion tomatoes, cumin, Kashmiri chillis – is simple and delicious. I also love it with broccoli and grated paneer and pesto, for a less traditional take.
‘Thinking outside the box, I have used paneer to make an Indian version of cheesecake, in summer with fresh mango and with ras malai and value jamun flavours too.
Avinash Shishadhira, head chef at Pali Hill in central London, said he’s seen an increase in paneer sales as people search for healthier meat alternatives.
‘With paneer’s meaty texture, it is a popular choice. People have travelled to India where the is such a common ingredient and the access to recipes and videos on social media platforms has educated people who are going for a meat free diet.
‘Paneer is similar to halloumi but less squeaky in texture and it is very versatile in how you can use it. It can be cooked in a sauce cut into big cubes, marinated and grilled or cooked in a tandoor or simply grated and mixed with squashes and gourds and made into koftas! I think it’s ability to be versatile is key to is fast growing popularity.
‘At the restaurant, we sell so much of it, we sadly don’t have the capacity to make it ourselves, but we work with a really specialist producer who uses 100 per cent cow’s milk. At home though, I do make paneer at home and I must say fresher the paneer the better it tastes! It’s quite simple to make.
‘The secret is to soak the paneer in boiling water for 5-10 minutes to soften it – this will help with a silky texture to the cheese. The sauce needs to be creamy whether you decide to use a tomato, peas and cream or a mixed leafy green (saag) base so it coats the paneer evenly as the paneer itself has a very mild flavour.’
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