Paneer does not melt when heat is applied; it’s comparable to feta, halloumi and queso blanco in this way. It is also made without rennet,* and thus is a great protein source for vegetarians.

Chef Johnny Gnall learned to make paneer at a Aslam’s Rasoi (rasoi means “kitchen” in Hindi), one of San Francisco’s most popular prominent Indian restaurants. He’s become a real fan of paneer.

At the restaurant, chef Mohammed Aslam uses paneer in many of his dishes; one of the most popular is Saag Paneer, puréed spinach, fried paneer, herbs, spices and aromatics (here’s a recipe). The creamy texture of the spinach is complemented well by the supple paneer in this traditional Indian dish, but there’s no need to stick to the playbook when preparing paneer at home.

Make paneer at home with this easy recipe.

It takes 24 hours for the block of cheese to harden, but the steps themselves are simple, as are the ingredients: milk, cream, vinegar and a piece of cheesecloth.
 
 
HOW TO USE PANEER IN EVERYDAY DISHES
 
In eggs. Cut paneer into very small cubes and fold into scrambled eggs; or sprinkle liberally over the top of a frittata or quiche before baking. Add some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to make things pop; or try roughly chopped herbs to add some green and bright flavor. Alternatively, grill or fry a slab of paneer and top it with a fried or poached egg. It’s a different way to indulge and branch out at brunch.

Beyond Indian recipes, here are our favorite ways to use paneer in popular Western dishes.

In most cases, you can use the paneer raw or grilled/fried. The cheese has no overwhelming flavors to conflict with other ingredient, and its texture is pleasant at any temperature.

In salads. Less salty than feta but with a similar texture, paneer adds a bit of richness to any salad.

You can cut it into cubes or simply crumble it with your hands. Its mildness enables it to work with just about any combination of ingredients or dressings.

With roasted vegetables. From peppers to carrots to tomatoes to potatoes, roasted vegetables pair well with paneer. All you need to do is crumble some onto the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven. Not only does paneer add variety to the way you serve vegetables, but kids usually love it.

In soups and stews. The fact that paneer doesn’t melt makes it ideal for soups and stews. Simply cut it into cubes, or even slabs, and drop them into the soup just before serving. It adds some richness and creamy mouthfeel to a soup without significantly altering the flavor profile. Alternatively, you can fry the paneer first. Just blot it on a paper towel before you add it to the soup, to remove excess oil that would otherwise end up floating on the surface of the soup.

Have fun with paneer!
  

Tzatziki tops minced smoked salmon for a
sophisticated appetizer. Photo by Grenouille
Films | IST.

Salsa, from Mexico, is one example. Greek tzatziki (tsah-tsee-kee) is another.

A chilled mixture of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt and some fresh herbs (dill, mint or parsley), the cucumbers can be seeded and finely diced or puréed and strained.

Classic uses in Greek cuisine include as:

More ways to enjoy tzatziki:

 
Made with nonfat Greek yogurt, tzatziki is one of the healthiest sauces or condiments you can find, tasty and low in calories.

Try this tzatziki recipe.

People with lactose intolerance can use soy milk yogurt or try buffalo’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk yogurts, all of which are more easily digestible than cow’s milk yogurt.

More of our favorite dips and salsas.

 
*What’s the difference between a gyro and souvlaki? The preparation and shape. Souvlaki is cubes of meat (lamb, pork, chicken), cooked on individual skewers. The word means “small skewer” in Greek. The meat can be served on the skewer, on a bed of rice or in a piece of pita. Gyro means “going around.” A leg of lamb or other meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is sliced from the leg and served in pita. Döner kebap (“rotating meat” in Greek) and shawarma (“turning”) are other words from different regions, referring to the same food.

But flavored coffees only substitute for dessert if you’re a serious calorie counter. There are other ways to approach “dessert coffee.” This recipe from Eight O’Clock Coffee shows how to really enjoy coffee and a dessert in a single cup.

If this sweet, dessert-like coffee keeps you away from a piece of cake or pie, you actually save on calories. If you’re seriously counting calories, make a reduced-calorie version with caramel-flavored coffee (here’s one from Starbucks); whip some cream with powdered noncaloric sweetener and use a half dozen chocolate chips instead of the toffee candy.

CARAMEL COFFEE ”DESSERT”

Ingredients Per Serving

Preparation

1. Drizzle half of the caramel syrup into the bottom of mug. Pour in coffee. Add milk and whipped cream.

2. Drizzle the remaining caramel syrup over the whipped cream. Garnish with toffee candy.

Variations

You can turn this concept into a multitude of “dessert coffee” recipes.

Find more coffee recipes.

Find more dessert recipes.

If you enjoy baking bread, try Indian naan.

Naan, which means “bread” in Persian, is a flatbread similar to the original, pocketless pita. It is usually leavened with yeast and baked in a tandoor (clay oven). This distinguishes it from roti, which is cooked on an iron griddle called a tava (almost all Indian breads are cooked on a grill or griddle).

Chef Edward Hamann of Sur La Table’s cooking school demonstrates how to make this fragrant flatbread in a conventional oven (on a baking stone or pizza stone—if you don’t already have one, get a round pizza stone to serve both purposes). It bakes quickly, in just three to four minutes.

If you’re a garlic lover, you can sprinkle minced garlic atop the bread before baking.

You can serve naan with any cuisine whatsoever. For an Indian-style snack, add some chutney or raita, seasoned yogurt with cucumbers.

Nigella Seeds

Nigella is a lovely, delicate flower, grown in English cottage gardens since the Elizabethan era. Its triangular black seeds have been dried, roasted, and used for flavoring since ancient times.

The flavor of Nigella is similar to cracked pepper; the oil in the seeds has an aroma similar to oregano.

If you can’t find nigella seed, also called kalonji—or don’t want to buy a spice for only one recipe—simply substitute celery seed, cumin seed, or black or toasted sesame seed.

Find more of our favorite breads and bread recipes.

See the different types of bread in our bodacious Bread Glossary.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

This year, change it up with a Cranberry Margarita, Pomegranate Margarita or Grapefruit Margarita recipe.

The first two recipes are from Avión Tequila; the last is from Felix restaurant in New York City’s SoHo, where Avión Silver is the tequila of choice.

POMEGRANATE MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the tequila, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur and sour mix into a shaker and shake vigorously.

Flying Pomegranate Margarita. Photo
courtesy Avión Tequila.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the tequila, cranberry juice and sour mix into a shaker and shake vigorously.

2. STRAIN over ice or serve straight up in a Martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

Grapefruit Margarita. Photo courtesy Felix Restaurant.

GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. RIM the glass by moistening the rim and twisting it on a plate filled with the salt/pepper mix.

2. COMBINE the tequila, Cointreau and juices into a shaker and shake vigorously.

3. STRAIN over ice or serve straight up in a Martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.