🧀 Paneer
Also known as: panir
Fresh pressed cheese of South Asia: hot milk curdled with acid; cow's milk paneer has 52–54% moisture and 24–26% fat.
Paneer is a fresh, unripened cheese made by acid-coagulating hot milk. It is used widely in dishes in northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal; cow's, buffalo or mixed milk can be used, but buffalo milk is preferred 3.
FAO considers that paneer was probably brought to India from the Middle East by Persian and Afghan invaders. Beyond the north-west of the subcontinent, according to this FAO publication, it spread only over the preceding few decades 3.
Traditionally the milk is boiled, acid is added in a thin stream, and the whey is drained once clear. The curd is pressed and kept in chilled water for 3–4 hours to firm up. On the industrial line of India's National Dairy Development Board, milk is heated to 85 °C, cooled to 75 °C, coagulated with citric acid, pressed for 10–15 minutes and chilled for 3 hours in water at 4 °C 3.
Composition depends on the milk: cow's milk paneer has 52–54% moisture, 24–26% fat and 16–19% protein, buffalo milk paneer 50–52%, 28–30% and 13–15%; lactose is about 2%. Yield is 18–20% of the milk's weight 3.
Under FSSAI's 2018 draft, regular paneer has up to 60% moisture and at least 50% milk fat in dry matter 1; FAO gives an older limit of up to 70% moisture 3. A product in which milk fat is replaced is a cheese analogue, and in 2026 FSSAI called selling it as "paneer" a serious violation 2.
Paneer or other cheese, paneer or chhena? Paneer is fresh and unripened: hot milk is curdled with acid, the curd is pressed and chilled, and there is no ageing, unlike rennet cheeses. Chhena is made the same way but not pressed, so it is softer. Paneer is moist, up to 60% moisture under FSSAI's 2018 draft, with at least 50% milk fat in dry matter, so it is firm yet soft. A product with milk fat replaced by another fat is not paneer but a cheese analogue.
Look for the word "paneer" on the pack, not "cheese analogue"; selling an analogue as paneer is prohibited under FSSAI rules. Check that the ingredients list milk, and that it is made from pasteurised milk. Paneer is sold as a pale chilled block, usually vacuum-packed, at Indian and Asian grocers and in the chilled aisle of larger supermarkets. Keep it cold: it spoils fast at room temperature.
Why it matters to you. Buy a product called "paneer", not "cheese analogue" 2, and keep it cold: in lab tests regular paneer kept for 7 days at 4 °C and only 2 days at 30 °C 4. In pregnancy the NHS considers paneer from pasteurised milk safe 5.
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's, buffalo or mixed milk; acid 3 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal 3 |
| Country | India 3 |
| Temperature | 85 °C, coagulation at 75 °C; chilling in water at 4 °C 3 |
| Duration | No ripening; pressing 10–15 min 3 |
| Legal basis | FSSAI 2018 draft, reg. 2.1.16: ≤ 60% moisture, ≥ 50% fat in dry matter 1 |
Cheese
Paneer belongs to fresh cheeses. It is made across India and South Asia from cow's or buffalo milk without rennet: hot milk is curdled with lemon juice or citric acid, and the curd is drained in cloth and pressed into a firm block. There is no ripening; under the FSSAI standard paneer has no more than 60% moisture. Because it is acid-set, it does not melt but only softens. Tip: fry paneer cubes until golden, then add them to palak paneer or a tomato sauce.
How it connects to milk
🧀 Paneer → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
How it connects to Cheese
Links
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk, 🥛 Buffalo milk
- Where it is stored or sold
- 🧊 Refrigerator
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🧪 Milk fat, 🧪 Lactose
- Traditions
- 🌍 South Asia, 🧑🤝🧑 Indians
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese, 🥛 Fresh cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🍬 Khoa, 🧀 Chhena, 🧀 Wagasi, 🧀 Queso fresco
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that a “cheese analogue” is the same paneer, only cheaper?
No. If milk fat has been replaced with another fat, under FSSAI rules it is a different product, a cheese analogue. Selling it as “paneer” is prohibited.
How does paneer differ from chhena?
Both are acid-coagulated from hot milk, but paneer is pressed and soft chhena is not; under FSSAI’s draft chhena may have up to 65% moisture, paneer up to 60%.
Which milk is paneer made from?
Cow’s, buffalo or mixed milk; buffalo milk is preferred.
Where did paneer come from?
FAO considers it was probably brought to India from the Middle East by Persian and Afghan invaders.
How long does paneer keep?
In laboratory tests, regular paneer kept for 7 days at 4 °C and only 2 days at 30 °C.
Recipes
What to read next
- 🧑🤝🧑 Indians — The people of India in South Asia, the world’s largest milk producer; dahi, ghee and paneer are everyday foods, and a mixture of milk, yoghurt and ghee is offered to the gods in Hindu rituals.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
- 🧊 Refrigerator — Home storage of milk: no warmer than +4 °C.
- 🍬 Khoa — Whole milk cooked down to 65–70% solids — the base of Indian sweets such as peda, barfi and gulab jamun.
Similar
🧀 Chhena · 🧀 Queso fresco · 🧀 Wagasi · 🪭 Rushan · 🧶 Oaxaca cheese · 🧀 Leipäjuusto
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FSSAI — Standard for Chhana and Paneer, reg. 2.1.16 (draft amendment, 2018)
- FSSAI / PIB — Public Notice on Correct Labelling of Cheese Analogues, 2026
- FAO — The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries, 7.5.1 Paneer
- Shashikumar C. S. S., Puranik D. B. Study on Use of Lactoferrin for the Biopreservation of Paneer. Tropical Agricultural Research, 2012
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy