That Cheap Restaurant Paneer Might Not Be Paneer At All

Analogue paneer swaps milk fat for vegetable oil, starch and emulsifiers, and looks almost identical to the real thing.

FSSAI rules require it be sold as 'analogue' or 'non-dairy', not as paneer, and restaurants are being pushed to disclose it.

The viral iodine test only flags starch, not vegetable oil, so a negative result does not prove your paneer is genuine.

A boil-and-watch test plus the squeeze, crumble and taste checks are more reliable at home.

If the price is far below loose-milk paneer, treat it as a red flag and ask what you are buying.