Must Try Paneer Or Indian Cottage Cheese Recipes

Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is a highly nutritious form of soft cheese. Made from curdled milk, paneer can be used to make a variety of dishes. Apart from starters & main course items, paneer can be used to make sumptuous desserts too. Homemade or store bought, fresh paneer is used across many Indian kitchens. Let's look at a few must try paneer or Indian cottage cheese recipes.

Palak Paneer:

A delicious & healthy main dish that can be served for lunch as well as dinner. 

Wash & chop two cups of fresh spinach. Next, add cooking oil to a kadhai. Sauté chopped green chilies along with the spinach leaves. Further, cool & grind to a smooth paste by adding little water. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, little cinnamon to the kadhai & sauté using little oil. Further, sauté chopped onions till translucent. Once done, add chopped tomatoes & cook till mushy. Next, add salt & garam masala to taste. Cover & cook well. Now, add the spinach gravy, mix well & cook. Finally, add paneer cubes & cook for 4-5 minutes. Serve hot. 

Paneer Tikka:

Fans of tandoor items can't stop loving this delicious snack. Moreover, it a hugely popular item served as a starter. Pairs well with mint coriander chutney.

Chop the desired quantity of paneer in cubes along with onions & green bell peppers. Next, take some thick curd in a bowl & add spice powders like red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt & ginger garlic paste. Mix well. Further,  add a little lemon juice. Add the cubed paneer, onion & green bell peppers to the marinade & mix well to coat. Keep aside for couple of hours in a refrigerator. Place the cubed items on a skewer. Next, drizzle some oil on the paneer & veggies. Finally, grill on a grill pan or in oven. Serve hot.

Paneer Bhurji

Made with scrambled paneer, this dish tastes great when served with hot phulkas. In addition, have it with some tasty pickle to tickle your taste buds. 

Scramble the desired quantity of fresh paneer & keep aside. Further, chop couple of onions & tomatoes finely. Now in a pan add hot oil and some cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add a little ginger garlic paste & sauté till the raw smell goes away. Next, add the chopped onions, tomatoes & cook till mushy. Now, add spice powders like turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder & salt to taste. Cook till aromatic. Now add the crumbled paneer and mix well. Next, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes till well blended. Finally, serve hot with a generous garnish of coriander.

Also read: 5 easy ways to cook with coriander

Paneer Pulao

Elevate the taste of your rice preparation by adding paneer & seasonal veggies. 

Soak one cup basmati rice for 30 mins. Wash & drain. Meanwhile sauté cubed paneer in ghee (clarified butter) till golden on both sides. Remove & drain on absorbent paper. Next, add ghee to pressure cooker & sauté whole spices like cardamom, clove, small cinnamon stick along with cumin seeds. Further, add chopped onion & cook till translucent. Now add seasonal chopped veggies like fresh peas, carrots, beans & cook. Do take care that the veggies still have some crunch. Further, add paneer cubes, drained rice, salt & garam masala to taste. Finally, add water & cook for two whistles. Serve hot with kadhi or any vegetable gravy. A different cottage cheese recipe, don't you think?

Kalakand

Now, how can resist a dessert that can be rustled up in 15 minutes?

Finely grate homemade or store bought paneer. Keep aside. In a heavy bottom pan, add one tin condensed milk. Next, add the grated paneer & mix well. Put on the stove over low flame. Next, add sugar to taste. Mix well & simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Finally, add cardamom powder & mix. Transfer to a tray greased with ghee. Let the mixture set in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut into squares & garnish with chopped almonds & pistachios.