Where are South Delhi folks getting their paneer from?

Shraddha: Hello. Where are South Delhi peeps getting their paneer from? There were some reports about adulterated paneer floating about, and we had stopped consuming it.With the weather changing, yesterday we had palak paneer using Ananda paneer, and it tasted like eraser pieces. 

 I’m in New Friends Colony—can anyone around here help suggest please?

Aditya: Gopala’s.

Shruti: Modern Bazaar.

Shraddha: Do they make it fresh? Is it reliable?

Mayukh: I don’t know much but honestly, Amul’s malai paneer has always been solid. I’d trust them not to breach public trust considering the brand goodwill they have made, and that fitness influencers on social media keep subjecting them to lab tests often.

Shraddha: Good to know. 

Ambika: Strongly suspect it’s made of milk powder or something 😕It’s not a health hazard but not like freshly made.

Mayukh: It’s packaged, after all. But at this point, this analog paneer health scare has just made one afraid of the product.

Ambika: I buy from the paneer bhandar at Aurobindo Market (one of the fancier paneer Bhandars) and it’s pretty good. The only one I like.

Sunita: They are very good (opposite Midland’s Book Shop), but quite far for me. We go to a place in Bhogal that’s been around for 50+ years and does good paneer and white makhan too now.

Mayukh: Honestly reminds me of the ‘Kurkure is plastic’ debacle, but unlike a snack by one big brand, paneer is so ubiquitous and multi-vendor that you suspect every one.

Kartikeya: Gopala has been pretty good so far, in my experience.

Paromita: In my area (prominent inhabitants are Sikhs), shops advocate buying Mother Dairy over Amul—less creamy and healthier. I think both are dependable, being cooperatives with huge brand value. But I’m not too sure about paneer from the average dhaba or small restaurants. The paneer scare is more about adulteration, not blaming manufacturers as such. So loosely bought paneer is a no-no.

Bani: ID and Mother Dairy malai paneer have been tested and aren’t found to be adulterated. We like Mother Dairy the best. But what’s best is to make it at home—once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to go back to store-bought options. We’ve been increasingly making it at home.

Ashwani: BTW it’s so easy to make paneer at home—the only ingredient needed is milk. If one vouches for the quality of whole milk, the paneer will be fresh and unadulterated.

Just boil the milk on a medium- flame. Titration of lemon juice, stirring the milk slowly. The final drop would separate the paneer and the whey.Decant off the whey using a fine mesh colander.I usually place the paneer in the tofu/paneer press, pressing.In some time, open the press, remove the paneer slab, and refrigerate.The paneer is ready.

I know many of you would be making it at home, but still I wrote the method here to motivate others who may want to make it instead of trying to find good quality, fresh, unadulterated paneer. This may save your commute and stress about the quality. Enjoy nature and a good day.