Last Updated on August 16, 2021 by Sindhu
Check out the 10 best substitutes for Indian cheese, Paneer to continue with your home cooking!
Paneer is an Indian fresh cheese that is used in a variety of Indian vegetarian dishes such as Paneer butter masala and Paneer tikka. But just in case you ran out of paneer or you couldn’t find it in stores, the below substitutes work perfectly depending on the recipe.
You can also call Paneer Farmer’s cheese or Curd cheese. Because it is one of the most minimally processed cheeses available as it doesn’t require culturing or aging. Hence, most Indian households prefer to make their own paneer. Because it doesn’t melt with heat, it can be cooked into a curry, grilled, or fried to be eaten as an appetizer, grated to use in salad or naan.
It is completely vegetarian friendly, unlike some other cheeses which use rennet, an enzyme from cow’s or goat’s stomach lining.
Paneer is an excellent source of fat, protein for people on a vegetarian diet. It is also a rich source of calcium.
Let’s check out some of the best Paneer substitutes for your home cooking.
- Queso blanco
- Halloumi
- Tofu
- Queso panela
- Ricotta cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Mozzarella
- Feta
- Queso fresco
- Homemade paneer
1. Queso blanco
Queso Blanco is a popular Mexican cheese used in a variety of dishes. You will be surprised at how much similar it tastes to paneer. Because both paneer and queso blanco are prepared in a similar way. The milk is boiled and then curdled by adding a souring agent such as lemon juice or vinegar. The cheese curds are then hung in a cheesecloth and then placed under a heavy object to give them a shape.
It softens a bit with temperature, but never melts. So it holds its shape perfectly, which makes queso blanco very much an ideal substitute for paneer curries, kebabs, or appetizers.
2. Halloumi
Halloumi cheese is made from sheep or goat’s milk, which contains less lactose when compared to cow’s milk. This is a very firm cheese and holds on to its texture beautifully after cooking.
Halloumi cheese is the best paneer substitute for grilled dishes or appetizers such as Paneer Tikka, Paneer kebab. It becomes crispy with heat and that adds to the texture of the dish.
3. Tofu (Extra-firm)
Tofu, also called bean curd is made from Soybeans. It is an excellent source of vegan protein with less fat.
Tofu is available in various textures such as silken, soft, firm, and extra-firm. Soft varieties work beautifully for soups or salads whereas firm and extra-firm are best for grilling, frying, or adding to curries.
Since soybeans are often genetically modified and commercially cultivated, it is always advisable to opt for Organic tofu.
4. Queso panela
Queso panela is a cheese made from low-fat pasteurized milk. It used to be moulded in a basket and hence the name Queso canasta. It just softens with heat but never melts.
We can say that Queso panela is an excellent low-fat and healthy substitute for Paneer.
5. Ricotta cheese
Ricotta is a fresh cheese from Italy. It is very soft and spongy with a beautiful flavor.
Unsalted, pressed and well-drained ricotta cheese can replace paneer in dishes that require less to no heat cooking such as sandwiches, salads, or wraps.
But because of the soft texture we can’t use ricotta cheese in curries or soups.
6. Cottage cheese
There is a reason why Paneer is called Indian cottage cheese. The paneer cheese curds before pressing look just like cottage cheese.
With its soft and fluffy texture, cottage cheese can be a great substitute for paneer in salads, wraps, sandwiches or just to add creaminess to a curry.
7. Mozzarella
Mozzarella is also a fresh cheese from Italian regions. It is best eaten when fresh and has a very rich flavor. But as it melts with temperature, we cannot use it in high heat cooking dishes such as soups or curries.
But Mozzarella can be an excellent paneer substitute for sandwiches or garnishing.
8. Feta
Feta is a cheese with a Greek background. It is generally made from sheep’s milk and aged for at least 4 weeks.
We can substitute paneer with Feta cheese since it doesn’t melt easily. However, care should be taken before adding salt to the dish as feta cheese already has salt in it.
9. Queso fresco
Queso fresco is also a Mexican cheese, similar to Queso blanco.
This cheese also holds its texture upon heating. So it can be used to substitute paneer in curries like tikka masala.
Queso blanco vs Queso fresco
Queso blanco is made by curdling the milk using a sour agent such as lemon or vinegar. Whereas Queso fresco uses rennet(an enzyme from cow’s or sheep’s stomach lining) for cheese production.
So we can say that Queso blanco is vegetarian-friendly, but technically speaking Queso fresco is not. And also Queso blanco mostly uses cow’s milk but Queso fresco uses a mix of cow’s and goat’s milk.
10. Homemade paneer
Sometimes, it’s so easy to make a few things in our kitchen than strolling through so many stores. And paneer is one such thing.
You just need milk, lemon juice, and some resting time to make fresh paneer at home.
So do give it a try as the store-bought paneer can never match the taste and flavor of homemade paneer.
A bit of paneer questions
What are the famous paneer dishes? Paneer butter masala, Palak paneer, Shahi paneer, Paneer korma, Paneer pakora, Paneer tikka, Kadai paneer, Saag paneer, and Paneer bhurji are some of the many famous and tasty dishes that can be made with paneer.
What does paneer taste like?
Paneer tastes similar to a rich and unsalted cottage cheese or feta cheese, You can taste the goodness of milk fats which have a rich and creamy flavor.
Since it doesn’t have a strong taste of its own, it picks up all the flavors with which it is being cooked.
Some even feel that paneer resembles very tender chicken when cooked with spices
Why is paneer called Indian cottage cheese?
Paneer and cottage cheese share a lot of similarities. Both are fresh cheese, which is minimally processed and doesn’t use rennet in the process of production.
The cheese curds when making paneer resembles cottage cheese and hence the name Indian cottage cheese. You can often see that paneer is referred to as Indian cottage cheese in restaurants.
Paneer vs Mozzarella cheese
Paneer is an Indian fresh cheese, whereas Mozzarella is from Italy. Typically paneer is made from Cow’s milk, but traditional mozzarella is made from water buffalo’s milk.
No other animals product such as rennet is used in the making of paneer. But rennet is used in making mozzarella.
Paneer doesn’t melt easily whereas mozzarella does become soft and melts a bit with temperature.
Where to buy paneer?
You can easily find paneer either in fresh form or frozen form in any Indian or Asian grocery store. You can also find paneer in grocery stores or specialty food stores.
Can you freeze paneer?
Yes! You can freeze paneer in an airtight container for up to 6 months. It is always advisable to cut paneer in the way you would like to use them and then freeze. Thus, the thawing process becomes easy.
Conclusion – Best paneer substitutes
Without any doubt, the best substitute for paneer is Queso blanco, which is basically another name for paneer in Mexico.
The most easily available substitute for paneer is Halloumi for high heat cooking and Ricotta cheese for low-heat cooking.
The best vegetarian substitute for paneer without rennet would be Queso blanco or Queso panela.
Whereas Extra-firm Tofu is an excellent option for Vegan, lactose-free, and low-fat paneer substitutes.
