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Tofu vs. Paneer (Indian cheese)


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monica, who knew you were so kinky? tofu in place of paneer? i'm telling your mother.

it almost sounds like other cooking forum threads that youghurt is an accepatable substitute for sour cream...blasphemy...if that is winds your clock, so be it, but just don't call it traditional,genuine or anything...just a modification of a recipe.

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Doesn't Indo-Chinese food substitute Paneer for Tofu, the other way around?

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Doesn't Indo-Chinese food substitute Paneer for Tofu, the other way around?

not in india, they don't. we call it "bean-curd" and it has been around for quite some time.

That's interesting, because I've had a dish called "Szechuan Paneer" at a local Indo-Chinese place in NJ. I wonder if the restaurant came up with the dish itself.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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At Chola, there is a dish called "chicken jalfrezi" which is chicken in an aromatic tomato and ginger sauce -- with tofu and various spices. According to the restaurant, this is one particular Indo-Chinese dish that they've had for quite some time.

Soba

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first of all, chicken jalfrezi is not an indo-chinese dish. secondly, if it has paneer in it that's a wrinkle, not a traditional ingredient. relying on indian restaurants in the u.s for information on these matters is, sadly, not a safe thing to do.

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I once was given a "Mattar Paneer" (Peas and Paneer) made with tofu at a restaurant called Moghul, in Itaewon, Seoul. At the time (late 1980s), I think it was the only (allegedly) Indian restaurant in the entire country.

There are recipes for Kerau Ra Tofu Tarkari (Peas and Tofu Curry) and Tofu Kauli Ra Chyau Ko Tarkari (Tofu, Cauliflower, and Mushroom Stir-Fry) in the Nepal Cookbook (Dehli: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1997), written by the Association of Nepalis in the Americas. No mention in the book of whether tofu is used as a paneer substitute in the U.S., or is also common in Nepal itself. However, the use of the English pronounciation (tofu), which derives from Japanese, seems to indicate that in either case it's a recent addition to the cuisine.

Sun-Ki Chai
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sunki/

Former Hawaii Forum Host

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Does anyone find tofu and paneer the least bit similar?

Being from Kerala I am not qualified to talk about paneer. Cheese is not an ingredient in traditional south Indian cuisine. But I do love paneer dishes. At best tofu may look like paneer, but taste wise, it certainly does not.

Ammini Ramachandran

www.Peppertrail.com

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This is such an interesting discussion. With all the claims that tofu is so healthy for you.. I am still not a tofu kind of gal... Paneer has just a delightfull taste and is good for you.. why mess with perfection. I admit I do suggest tofu as an alternate in my recipes for people to make sure the recipes are adaptable to individual lifestyles and tastes.

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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The only time I have substituted tofu for paneer is in matar-paneer. It actually works quite well. If the tofu is cut into "dominoes" and browned moderately it produces a fine dish.

Of course it is not "the same." I did this partly out of curiosity and partly because I didn't feel like making paneer or bussing across town to get some. I have done it several times now. I have been curious to try the same substitution elsewhere, but haven't yet.

By the way - our local(Baltimore) Korean merchants are an excellent source of good, freshly-made tofu. That makes a difference. The best tofu is mild, but definitely not tasteless.

BB

Food is all about history and geography.

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