HEALTH BENEFITS : PANEER

HISTORY OF PANEER

The origin of paneer is said to be from different era. Each have their own belief of origination. The Ancient Indian, Afghan-Iranian and Portuguese-Bengali have been proposed for origins of paneer. According to some theories, the Portuguese may have introduced the technique of "breaking" milk with acid to Bengal in the 17th century. Thus, Indian acid-set cheeses such as paneer and chhena were first prepared in Bengal, under Portuguese influence.

PREPARATION OF PANEER

Paneer or chhena is usually prepared with the help of acids like lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid or dahi (curd) to the hot milk. The presence of acid helps the milk to curdle and separate the curds from the whey. The curd is then drained onto a muslin cloth and the excess water is pressed out. Post which the paneer is dipped into cold water for 2-3 hours to improve its texture and appearance.

The north Indians, use pieces of cubes in the preparations of curry. They usually wrap the curd in a cloth and place it under a heavy weight for 2-3 hours and then cut them for their use. Pressing the paneer or chhena for a shorter time, approx., 20 minutes, resulting in softer and fluffier cottage cheese.

In other east Indian cuisines and Bengal, paneer or chhena are kneaded by hand to make dough-like consistency heavily salted and hardened to produce “ponir,” which is typically eaten with biscuits or bread, deep fried in a light batter or used in cooking.

AMAZING USES OF WHEY (LEFTOVER WATER FROM PANEER)

Once the paneer is drained, the leftover water is known as whey. It is rich in natural healthy proteins. Whey helps to build muscle strength, provide cellular energy, improve the immune system and also prevent diseases like cancer and AIDS. Also, the leftover water is nutritious and it helps reduce the risk of thrombosis, lowers the blood pressure level, slows down the ageing process, promotes weight loss, helps in balancing hormones and also prevents heart attacks and strokes. Whey can just be drunk as is or can be used into multiple food preparations like, making chapatti dough, adding to fruit juices or soups, use it to make any gravies or curries, for baking purpose also, most of the nutrients get broken down to incomplete structures when the food is cooked. Thus, add this water when preparing food to keep the nutrients intact and also make the food more nutritious.

Whey water can also be used for hair and skin. It is rich in proteins that can bring shine to your hair. To gain this benefit of whey water, apply it on your hair after shampooing your hair, rub it gently on your hair and scalp, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water. Secondly, If you have ever gone to a spa, you must have seen them offering whey baths. This is because whey water is gentle, mildly acidic, and anti-microbial. It provides good pH balance to your scalp, skin and hair. This is why it is effective in cleansing, softening, toning and moisturizing your skin. You can give yourself a whey bath at home too, provided that you have a bath tub. Fill your bath tub with water, add 2 cups of whey water in it, hop inside and soak yourself in it for 20-30 minutes. After that, take your normal bath as usual.

SIDE-EFFECTS & ALLERGIES OF PANEER

Paneer is rich in fat and people who lives a desk-bound life may develop cholesterol with consumption of paneer. Eating paneer and indulging in some serious exercises would definitely benefit the body as energy and protein would be released faster to the body. Consumption of paneer can cause allergic reactions in people who have dairy allergies. Further, one should buy paneer from a good shop to avoid any skin allergies or cause of loose motions and loss of water. The chances of developing food poisoning are also high if you eat poor quality paneer. It is a food item that has high moisture content. This is the reason why it is considered a highly perishable product. High quality paneer should be used so that the moisture is under permissible limits. The sodium content in paneer can cause hypertension which can increase the chances of heart attack.