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Tag: Authentic

Is Your Paneer Authentic? Here Are 5 Easy Ways To Spot Fake Paneer

Every other day, we see news about adulterated grocery products being openly sold in the market. From dals to spices, nothing is safe and you have to be extra careful before buying them to not harm your health. Another such product is paneer. A staple in Indian cuisine, paneer is loved for its soft texture and creamy flavour. However, with the increasing risk of food adulteration, it is important to check for authenticity. If you are someone who frequently buys packaged or store-bought paneer, then here are some easy tips to check for its authenticity.

Also Read:Can’t Decide Between Butter Paneer And Shahi Paneer? 5 Factors To Help You Choose

^{Photo: iStock}

Here Are 5 Easy Tips To Spot Fake Paneer

1. Check Its Aroma and Texture

If you’ve ever tasted raw paneer at home, you’d know how it has a distinct milky smell. This is what sets real paneer apart from fake paneer. Authentic paneer has a fresh aroma with a firm yet crumbly texture. Take a small piece and press it between your fingers. If the paneer feels rubbery, overly smooth, or doesn’t have a signature milky scent, it might be fake or adulterated.

2. Inspect The Packaging

For packaged paneer, the label could be a big giveaway of its authenticity. Always check for quality certifications like the FSSAI mark. Look for specific terms like “imitation” or “analogue” which the manufacturers are required to display if the product isn’t made from pure dairy. This can help you make an informed decision.

3. Do A Heating Test

All you have to do is heat a small piece of paneer in a dry pan. Authentic paneer will brown slightly and crumble in the pan, while fake paneer may melt unevenly, release excess water, or may also appear oily. This simple test can help you confirm the quality of the paneer before incorporating it into your recipes.

^{Photo: iStock}

4. Use Iodine To Test Authenticity

Another way to test the authenticity of paneer is by doing a quick iodine test to know if it contains starch or not. Boil a piece of paneer, let it cool, and then add a few drops of iodine tincture to the water. If you see the solution turning blue, it shows the presence of starch in your storebought paneer.

5. Try The Arhar Dal Test

For this test, you need to boil the paneer in water, cool it, and then sprinkle some arhar dal powder on the paneer. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the paneer changes its colour to a light red colour, it is most likely contaminated with harmful substances like detergent or urea, which are sometimes used in adulteration.

Also Read: Love Pizza? How To Make Authentic Pizza At Home – 7 Easy Tips And Hacks

So, the next time you’re unsure about the authenticity of your paneer, make sure to try these tests to prevent any health concerns.

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January 19, 2025
Ring In Pongal 2025 With These Authentic, Nutritious And Tasty Recipes
Of all the festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Pongal holds a special place. Like most harvest festivals across India, Pongal coincides with the beginning of the six-month northward journey of the sun. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai (pronounced thigh) and is often referred to as Thai Pongal. The festivities last for four days (typically January 13-16 or 14-17), and the state gets into a festive mode.

It all begins with Bhogi, the day before Pongal, when old possessions are burnt before sunrise in a bonfire (akin to Holika in some parts of northern India). This bonfire is believed to burn down all the negativity of the year gone by, ushering in new positive energy and prosperity with the onset of Pongal.

Also Read: How To Make Dalia Pongal? A Simple And Wholesome Dish You Would Love To Devour

The most important day of the festivities is Pongal Thirunaal (falling on January 14th this year) or Pongal day. In many ways, this festival is a ‘thanksgiving’ to the Sun God for an abundant harvest and begins with cooking Pongal in large earthen pots outdoors.

Pongal is derived from the Tamil word Pongu (to boil over). Most households prepare Ven Pongal (a popular breakfast dish across Tamil Nadu) spiced with whole peppercorns and curry leaves, and the sweet Sakkarai Pongal. Some communities in Tamil Nadu also make a kuzhambu (gravy) with a mix of country vegetables (see recipe) that is served as an accompaniment to Pongal.

Healthy Twist: Kodo Millet Pongal Recipe

(Serves 2)

We’ve given a healthy twist to the classic Pongal. This recipe substitutes rice with Kodo millet:

Ingredients
- 6 tbsp kodo millet (varagu in Tamil)
- 4 tbsp moong dal
- 1 green chilli
- Water (use 3 parts water for 1 part millet and dal combined)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Grated ginger (optional, to taste)
- 8-10 split cashew nuts
- 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
- Asafoetida
- Curry leaves (a few leaves)
Method
1. Dry roast the moong dal before pressure cooking it with kodo millet, salt, green chilli, and cumin. Cook until soft (about 15 minutes on a simmer after the first whistle).
2. Temper the curry leaves in ghee along with asafoetida, peppercorns, cashews, and grated ginger.
3. Stir the tempered mixture into the cooked millet and dal.
4. Add extra ghee if desired, and serve with coconut chutney or kootu (see recipe below).
Also Read:Malli Pongal Recipe: A Delicious Twist To A South Indian Breakfast Staple You Just Can’t Resist

Kavuni Arisi Pongal (Black Rice Sweet Pongal)

This recipe is a slight twist on the classic Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal). The kavuni arisi (black rice) adds a mildly sweet flavour and is rich in antioxidants.

Ingredients
1 cup kavuni arisi (black rice)
3 cups water
1/2 cup jaggery
1/4 tbsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp roasted cashews
1 tbsp grated coconut (optional)

Method
1. Clean and soak the rice overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
2. Rinse well, drain, and transfer to a pressure cooker.
3. Add water and pressure cook for 5-7 whistles on a low-medium flame.
4. Slightly mash the cooked rice, then add jaggery, cardamom powder, and roasted cashews. Mix well.
5. Cook for 5 minutes on a low flame. Finally, stir in the ghee.
6. Top with grated coconut and serve hot.
Also Read: Watch: Make Instant Corns Appe In Minutes For Healthy South Indian Breakfast

Ezhukari Kootu (Vegetable Curry with Seven Vegetables)

This traditional dish is served in many Tamil Nadu homes during Pongal as an accompaniment.

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup moong dal
- 1/4 cup raw banana (cut into pieces)
- 1/2 cup yellow pumpkin (cut into pieces)
- 1/2 cup sweet potato (cut into pieces)
- 1/4 cup fresh broad beans (avaraikkai), peeled
- 1/4 cup elephant yam (cut into pieces)
- 2 arbi (cut into pieces)
- Salt (to taste)
To grind:
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 green chillies
To temper:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2-3 shallots (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Method
1. Pressure cook the moong dal for 2 whistles.
2. Blend the grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies, and a little water into a coarse paste.
3. Peel and chop the raw banana, yellow pumpkin, yam, arbi, and sweet potato into small cubes. Chop the broad beans finely.
4. Add the vegetables to a pan with salt, turmeric powder, and water. Stir well, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft.
5. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the dal and coconut masala. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Temper the shallots, mustard seeds, and curry leaves in coconut oil. Add to the kootu, mix well, and serve.
Enjoy these authentic Pongal recipes and celebrate the festival with joy and good food! Let me know if you’d like further edits.
About Ashwin RajagopalanI am the proverbial slashie – a content architect, writer, speaker and cultural intelligence coach. School lunch boxes are usually the beginning of our culinary discoveries.That curiosity hasn’t waned. It’s only got stronger as I’ve explored culinary cultures, street food and fine dining restaurants across the world. I’ve discovered cultures and destinations through culinary motifs. I am equally passionate about writing on consumer tech and travel.

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January 10, 2025
7 Tips To Make Authentic South Indian Rasam At Home
When we think of South Indian cuisine, dishes like sambar, dosa, idli, and vada come to our minds. But did you know that rasam has its own place in this cuisine? A classic rasam is made with a mixture of delicious spices, including the sourness of tamarind, the sweetness of jaggery, and the spicy taste of spices. Rasam is consumed a lot in winter because it is full of many health benefits. Consuming it not only keeps your digestion healthy but also strengthens your immunity. Rasam is a comforting food for many people. In fact, if you have a cold, consuming a bowl of hot rasam gives you relief from that too.
If you want, you can pair this South Indian soup with rice, dosa, idli, vada, or papad. The best thing about rasam is that in this recipe you get a chance to experiment, and that is why we have many recipes to try, from the classic rasam recipe to lemon rasam. However, to make the perfect rasam, it is important to have the right balance of flavours and neither be too watery nor too thick. If you also want to prepare perfect rasam at home, then here we have given some tips along with the recipe which you can follow.

Also Read: Drinking Too Much Masala Tea? Watch for These 6 Warning Signs!

Photo Credit: iStock

How To Fix The Excessive Sourness Of Tamarind In Rasam?

Rasam is prepared with a combination of tamarind and tomato, but sometimes, apart from tamarind, we use such a variety of tomatoes which is quite sour, due to which the rasam becomes quite tangy. To fix this tanginess, you have to cook one cup of gram dal and mash it in it. Add jaggery to the dal and after cooking for some time, add this mixture to the rasam. With this tip, you can balance the sourness of rasam.

Here Are 7 Important Tips For Making South Indian Rasam:
- Tamarind is an important ingredient for making rasam; tamarind water is often used in rasam. Soak it in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes.
- If you do not have tamarind, you can use lemon to make the rasam sour.
- Toor dal is used in classic rasam recipes, but it is not necessary to include it in every rasam recipe.
- To make rasam powder, take whole red chilli, cumin, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, gram dal, and whole coriander. All these things have to be roasted with ghee on low flame.
- After all the things cool down, prepare rasam powder by grinding the ingredients in a mortar and pestle; this gives more taste to the rasam. If you want, you can also grind it in a mixer.
- If you want to store the rasam, do not add green coriander to it. When you reheat it to drink, you can add green coriander to it.
- If you want to enjoy delicious rasam this winter season, then we have five great options to try which you can make at home. Click here.
Also Read: Winter Weight Loss Tip: Swap Your Regular Roti for Makki Ki Roti – Here’s How

Try these recipes and let us know which rasam recipe you liked. Happy Cooking!
About PayalFood in the mind, Bollywood in the heart – these two things often shimmer in Payal’s writing. Besides penning thoughts, Payal enjoys a playful tango with new and delicious recipes. Roaming around is her jam; whether catching up on the latest flicks or grooving to the beat, Payal knows how to keep her empty moments brimming with flavour and rhythm.

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November 19, 2024