Ever Tried Paneer Cheese?

If you’re even remotely familiar with Indian or other South Asian food, you’ve probably met paneer: This squeaky, fresh cheese is versatile, tasty, and a vegetarian’s best friend. It’s typically enjoyed in flavorful gravies, stuffed in flatbreads, or grilled on a kebab, but my fondest memories of paneer are of me and my brother stealing plain chunks of the cheese out of the hot pan while my mom was cooking. (Full disclosure: I have no self-control when it comes to cheese—this isn’t some nostalgic story from when I was a small child; this was probably like, a month ago.)

If you’re ready to give paneer a try, you don’t need to feel restricted to Indian food—you can use it many of the ways that you would use tofu. Lightly pan-fry cubes in some oil until it’s golden brown, and you can toss them in salads, wraps, or sandwiches (McDonalds in India famously uses paneer in their sandwiches and “burgers” to cater to vegetarian customers). Crumbled paneer can be used to stuff flatbreads, or used the same way you would make a tofu scramble or tofu “sofritas” for a burrito bowl. Shredded paneer can be dipped in a savory batter and deep-fried to make fritters. Here are a few more ideas to get you started. (Alternatively, you could just eat cubes of fried cheese plain, the way I’ve been doing for years—highly recommend)

Palak Paneer
This recipe is a classic North Indian dish consisting of a spicy spinach sauce with cubes of the fried cheese. The spices in this dish pack a fragrant, flavorful punch after being lightly toasted—you don’t want to skip this step.