Paneer is India’s favourite cheese. Most vegetarian and non-vegetarian people in India eat paneer on a regular basis. This cottage cheese has made its way into the kitchens of India without making any noise and has effortlessly become a major part of it. It is eaten in a variety of ways, including gravies, tikka, pakoda, salad and paratha. Paneer is extremely versatile and goes well with most of the staple dishes like roti or rice. Cooking paneer is extremely fuss-free and it can be made within minutes. But at the same time, complicated paneer dishes can take hours to cook. That, in short, is the versatility of the Indian cottage cheese – paneer.
Now, it is a well-known fact that paneer is heavy in good fats. Eating paneer is a must for people, especially vegetarian people who are looking to gain weight and muscles. It is also rich in protein, which helps in its immense popularity amongst people who are regulars at the gym. So, if you are looking to gain a few pounds and build your muscle, paneer should be your go-to dish. Here are 3 raw paneer recipes which will contribute in your fitness journey.
Paneer salad
Ready to be made within minutes, paneer salad is what should be your post-workout meal. It is healthy, satisfying and, goes without saying, extremely delicious. Let us look at the recipe.
Ingredients
- 200gm paneer
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 cucumber chopped
- Salt as required
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chaat masala
Method
- Take the 200-gm cube of paneer and dice it into bite-sized pieces.
- Chop the onion, tomato and cucumber in an even manner.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the paneer.
- Throw the vegetables into the same bowl.
- Add salt, pepper and chaat masala seasoning.
- Your salad is ready.
Paneer can be eaten raw, in gravies or as tikka | Freepik
Paneer bites
Although we accept that crispy, crunchy paneer ke pakode are the best accompaniment to chai and nothing can replace the joy that they bring, these raw paneer bites are in fact a close second. Let us look at the recipe to make these.
Ingredients
- 150 gms paneer
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt as required
Method
- Slice the large cube of paneer into thin, rectangular pieces.
- Coat each piece with lemon juice.
- Once every piece has lemon juice on it, add the dry spices.
- The dry spices, ie, chilli, pepper and salt will now stick to the slices of paneer, making every slice delicious.
- Enjoy paneer bites with tea or coffee.
Paneer sandwich
Whenever paneer is added to the stuffing of sandwich or toast, it is always cooked into a bhurji. But try this raw paneer version for a cleaner diet, faster cooking and a different kind of taste.
Ingredients
- 100 gms paneer
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt as required
- 4 slices of bread
- Butter
Method
- Take the paneer cube in a bowl and mash it. Do not make it too smooth, just crumble.
- Add the finely chopped onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper to it.
- Make a nice, crumbly filling.
- Take the slices of bread and lather them with butter on one side.
- On another side of 2 slices, spread the raw paneer filling.
- Cover them with the remaining couple of slices.
- Cook the sandwiches in a pan or in a sandwich maker.
- Your sandwiches are ready to serve.
These raw paneer recipes are extremely easy to make and very gym friendly. Try all of these and remain healthy, be fit with a clean diet.