Mention the word Paneer and I can instantly think of so many delightful dishes we have enjoyed over the years. At home, eating out or at weddings, wherever there is good food, Paneer is part of it. That is how life was until I left India and moved to Australia. Coming here, I realised that while Australians and other communities had no idea about Paneer, people from the Indian Subcontinent had been trying in vain to find anything that matches the taste of home-made Paneer. Before long, I also joined the long list of Paneer lovers who kept trying other varieties of cheese, hoping one of them would come close to our Paneer. But no such luck.
Things changed one day when we found new packets of Paneer in the fridge of our local Indian spice shop. It wasn’t a name any of us had heard from India – Sharma’s Kitchen – but then we realised it was from right here in Sydney Australia! Someone had actually managed to make Paneer here! But it was still a bit early because none of us had tasted it yet. So we took a pack home and the pack took us back home. The Paneer by Sharma’s Kitchen was every bit what we had left back home! They had managed to recreate the same taste, texture and freshness we were all so in live with. In no time, Indian restaurants began to offer Paneer dishes on their menus and life was never the same again.
For the not-yet-familiar with this wonder food, Paneer is one of the most popular ingredients in vegetarian cooking in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is an unaged, non-melting soft cheesemade by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Its soft yet firm texture and delicious taste make Paneer a favourite because it blends in effortlessly with any dish, any kind of recipe or curry.
While people from the Indian subcontinent have known about Paneer for generations, this versatile product is becoming popular around the world as well. More and more people are discovering Paneer and its host of benefits. Also known as cottage cheese, it is a wonder food, rich in protein and nutrients and low on fat which can be easily digested. So cooking friendly, all you need to do is cut Paneer block in small pieces or grate paneer and add it into the gravy (a thick or thin puree of various masalas with tomatoes and onion) and the dish is done. Not only as vegetable curry but Paneer can on the grill, BBQ or eaten straight from the pack.
My first meeting with Paneer in Australia was a good 20 years ago but the memory is just as fresh today, quite like a pack of Sharma’s Kitchen Paneer
in my local Indian shop.
My first meeting with Paneer in Australia was a good 20 years ago but the memory is just as fresh today, quite like a pack of Sharma’s Kitchen Paneer in my local Indian shop.
Sharma’s Kitchen Paneer is the leading Indian Paneer brand in Australia, being the pioneer in the market. It packs all the benefits of natural yoghurt plus the added goodness of Probiotics. Available at all leading Indian stores all over Australia, Sharma's Kitchen Paneer has won multiple State and National awards for quality.
Multiple Gold & Silver winner at both DIAA and Sydney Royal Awards
