Paneer is not just for curries, or so says Riya Patel, founder of All The Aunties and author of The Paneer Cookbook (Hachette UK, £22).
Patel is on a quest to bring the Indian cottage cheese into the mainstream and while her range of paneer has laid the groundwork, this book, with over 80 recipes, shows just how versatile the cheese can be.
It covers recipes across cuisines and categories including picky bits like Buffalo Paneer Nuggets, salads including a Grilled Corn & Avocado Salad with Blackened Paneer and carb centrepieces such as Spicy Miso Burgers.
While fusion food can get a bad name, paneer is so bland (with no insult meant) that the recipes really work. The cheese acts as a vehicle to flavours from all around the world without challenge. The gochujang paneer traybake, for example, is delicious, easy and healthy.
Of course, Patel also does south Asian cuisine, and she does it very well. The Matar Paneer recipe, probably the most familiar way to eat the protein for Brits, is delicious and simple.
The book often encourages home cooks to buy All The Aunties paneer, unsurprisingly, but it is clear Patel’s passion is for paneer more generally. She even demonstrates how to make your own at home, for those keen to take scratch cooking to another level.
The book demonstrates there is truly a remarkable amount you can do with paneer. The only downside is that shoppers who don’t already put paneer in their weekly shop are unlikely to buy a book dedicated to it.
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