Ayurvedic Cooking – Spotlight – Paneer
Posted by Mary on Sep 23, 2009
Paneer is a fresh cheese traditionally made from whole milk. It is crumbly and semi-soft when raw, and has a firm, slightly chewy texture when cooked. Its faintly nutty flavor works well with many different foods and spices. It does not melt down with frying or cooking, but retains its shape and texture, so it can crumbled or cubed for use in different dishes.
From the ayurvedic perspective, paneer offers nourishment but can be taxing on the digestion. It is preferable to eat paneer dishes at the mid-day meal, and to cook it with spices that enhance digestion. If you would like to combine paneer with other vegetables, or to make it in a sauce, dice the paneer and fry the cubes in ghee separately and add to the dish two to three minutes before the cooking process is complete. Fried paneer cubes make an excellent garnish for rice pulaos. Sliced paneer can be baked into a casserole with other vegetables.
While paneer is available at Indian grocery stores, it can easily be made fresh at home. Ayurvedic healers recommend making the paneer fresh for use within the day for better digestibility.
