Day 7: This is Not Paneer

Yes, this is not paneer curry. This is tofu. Looks and tastes somewhat similar to paneer.

No, it was not very tough or time taking to cook. Very similar to paneer curry and then Maggi Bhuna Masala came in very handy. Though I am not a fan of these ready to cook masala mixes but then as you know I have just started to cultivate my culinary skills and am also very slow as of now so these are just used to save some time so that I can write this blog before going to sleep. Promise to avoid these and use more traditional methods when I gather some pace.

I won’t talk any more about the dish pictured, however what I would like to talk is about this paneer like thing TOFU.

Paneer is used mostly in the Indian subcontinent only. A very good source of protein and also very versatile. one can cook more than 100 dishes of it. On the other hand we Indians were never very fond of Soya based foods. The soyabeen dal has mostly been used as a fodder and also has always been considered a very ‘heavy’ dal which many having week stomachs would always avoid.

The Chinese, however, were always a fan of soyabean in general and Tofu in particular. So in essence both these ancient civilizations have been having some kind of Paneer, one milk based and one Soya based.

Tofu is made from by coagulating soya milk. And how do we make soya milk. Think. Very simple, grind soaked soyabean seeds with water and blend well. Soya milk is ready.

In past few years, Soya milk and based products are continuing their war to replace regular milk and milk products. We Indians, who swear by anything having paneer in it, have till recently avoided soya based foods(especially tofu). The trend is changing now, very slowly, though. Lifestyles are changing and the risk of cholesterol is higher now than ever. So people who don’t do much physical labour, have to have some thing that reduces their cholesterol intake without disturbing their stubborn taste buds. First we saw Nutralite butter (Though not butter but made from vegetable oils) giving a good competition to amul and now this tofu thing.

There may be many reasons why people buy or why they should or shouldn’t buy tofu, I use it only for following reasons, I don’t like packaged paneer, don’t get shudh paneer always in my neighbourhood, get tofu easily in a nearby mall and also this tofu has a longer shelf life. Also, since tofu is more porous than paneer, it absorbs all the spices and flavor of the food and becomes more tasty.

I often try to try new things and tofu was a successful try.

Some suggestions: Always look for date of packing and try to buy fresh . Also look that its not masala one, just plain tofu. Though very similar to paneer, it needs one extra step before being ready to cook. Cut it in pieces, soak in normal water for 10-15 minutes, squeeze water and soak again for five minutes. Sometimes, there may be some strange odour coming out it but don’t worry, all is well, just repeat the above step one or two more times.

No judgements here. Nothing can ever beat Makkhan or Paneer. They are timeless treasure of Indian cooking. But as we change our lifestyles and spend 10-12 hrs of our day in front of this screen, leaving no room for some exercise, the least we can do is to avoid cholesterol. So replacing a part of our regular butter and paneer with nutralite and tofu can be a first significant step here.