Being addicted to dairy products such as yogurt and cottage cheese is quite normal. Many people crave the tangy sour taste of yogurt, while some may like soft cheese. However, there still are some people that confuse yogurt with paneer. It often results in the yogurt vs paneer comparisons.
In fact, many western recipe books refer to paneer as curd. In the USA, curd actually means homemade crumbled cottage cheese. Conversely, curd and yogurt are interchangeably used in Indian recipes.
This difference in usage can cause confusion in the minds of people. Therefore, it becomes necessary for us to step in and clear all the doubts in people’s minds.
Is Paneer Yogurt?
This has to be one of the most asked questions in the dairy food industry. So to know if the Indian cottage cheese is yogurt, let us first look at what they are.
In simple terms, milk yogurt or curd is the result of the bacterial fermentation of milk. Very often, manufacturers either sweeten it or add flavors. Bacteria like Lactobacillus and Streptococcus help convert lactose in milk into curd. They are also the reason for dairy yogurt’s thick texture and consistency. Most people eat yogurt by layering it over their favorite Indian food.
On the other hand, paneer is a type of cheese. It is also a vital ingredient in many South Asian cuisine, especially Indian cuisine. Producers add acidic substances like vinegar, lemon juice, or even curd to curdle the milk. Want to know the history?
As you may have noticed, there is a big difference between the preparation methods of these two vital ingredients. Therefore, curd and cheese are not the same things.
What Are The Differences Between Paneer And Yogurt?
Even if paneer and yogurt are dairy products, there still are many differences between the two. The distinctiveness is based on the preparation methods, the nutritional value offered, and the health benefits of paneer and yogurt.
Just by checking these characteristics, you can decide which of these two dairy products suits your lifestyle.
Paneer is a versatile ingredient that you can use for making a variety of dishes. Saute it with a tablespoon of oil, some cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of coriander powder, chili powder, and a teaspoon of cumin powder with a teaspoon of salt, and wait until it’s golden brown to make a grilled Indian cottage cheese recipe.
Nutritional Value
When you check the nutritional value of any food item, you will look at how many calories, macronutrients, calcium, and other prominent nutrition it contains.
Calories
In yogurt vs paneer, yogurt wins the race if you want to consume fewer calories. There are only 120 calories per cup of yogurt, whereas cottage cheese gives 160 calories for the same amount.
Consuming more calories may affect your body to some extent as it may result in more body fat percentage. You certainly do not want that. Furthermore, Greek yogurt also contains more probiotics (live active bacterial cultures).
Macronutrients
You certainly cannot ignore the macronutrient values in the yogurt vs paneer comparison. Cottage cheese is a better source of macronutrients as it wins in all three macros, namely proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. If you are into consuming a keto diet, you may want to know, “Is paneer keto?”
For every cup of curd, you will receive just about 20 grams of protein. However, if you want a boost in protein intake, the Indian cheese is an ideal option as it will give about 24 grams of protein. Therefore, paneer is a protein-packed food item.
Carbohydrates and fats are other factors that can affect your decision to eat them. The cheese pieces are a high-fat product than curd because it holds about 20-25% of fats out of their total volume. However, there are many variants of milk yogurt and Indian cheese available in the market, which are low-fat and fat-free. Low-fat vs full-fat paneer might interest you.
Sodium
As we all know, sodium is vital for the healthy functioning of muscles and the smooth movement of nerves. However, excess of it can result in harmful effects. In yogurt vs paneer, yogurt wins the race because a cup of plain yogurt contains about 171 mg of sodium per cup. In comparison, a cup of cottage cheese has about 127 mg of sodium.
However, some variants of cheese can deliver up to 5 times the sodium content present in the plain, non-fat, dairy yogurt. Shockingly, some brands produce cottage cheese cubes that contain as high as 700 mg of sodium in just one cup. This value touches one-third of the advised daily limit of 2,300 mg.
Health Benefits
Yogurt or paneer, which is healthy? Let us find out by looking the yogurt vs paneer health benefits:
- Yogurt: Aids intestinal infections, Heals yeast infections, Reduces blood pressure, Remedy for Osteoporosis, Reduces cholesterol, Prevents cavities
- Paneer: Beneficial for lowering the back, body, and joint pain, Best for weight loss, Prevents Cancer, Remedy for Osteoporosis, Reduces blood pressure
Besides these, you should also look at the nutritional values to determine which one is a healthier option for you. According to us, Greek yogurt wins the competition, but if we take proteins into account, the battle can end in a draw.
Since curd has fewer sodium and calories and more nutrition coming from calcium and probiotics, it ultimately takes the victory.
How to Make Paneer with Yogurt?
Making homemade cottage cheese is quite a simple task. If instructions are followed carefully, even a beginner can make it without difficulties. Additionally, you can even learn how to make paneer in an instant pot.
Many people wonder if they can make cubed cottage cheese out of homemade yogurt. Fortunately, you can turn yogurt into paneer without any difficulty. Therefore, we bring you the popular yogurt paneer recipe.
You can also make paneer in a yogurt maker.
Ingredients
The recipe card includes only two ingredients – full-fat milk and an acidic substance like lemon juice, curd, or vinegar.
Many people often get confused about choosing the right acidic agent for their recipe. Should you use yogurt or lemon juice to make paneer? Using either of them would result in a soft block and heavy cream. You can also use vinegar, lime juice, curd, etc. For this recipe, we will be employing yogurt.
Step #1: Curdle Milk
Pour the full-fat milk into a container and boil it at medium heat. Make sure that the temperature goes above 200 degrees Fahrenheit for better results.
Once the bubbles start to rise, use yogurt to curdle milk for paneer. 1/2 cup of the acidic substance would suffice. You will see the milk splitting into the fresh cheese curds within a few minutes. Additionally, check out Milk vs Paneer.
You are just 9-10 minutes into the cheese-making process. You should not go off and check your socials as milk can boil and spill over at any minute.
If you use the yogurt maker, you only need to set the temperature and the time. It will heat up and make the situation favorable for preparing it. You can set the device’s temperature between 30 to 50 degrees and wait for your cottage cheese to manufacture.
Step #2: Separating Cheese Curds from the Whey
When the milk curdles, leave the full-fat milk on medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Now, you can distinguish soft paneer from whey.
Turn off the heat to ensure that you don’t overcook the homemade cottage cheese. This is the time when you get to taste your self-made cheese. However, it is still hot enough so take necessary precautions. Finally, the cream-filled cottage cheese comes into your mouth to bless it with its lovely taste.
Step #3: Strain and Set
The next and final step will require you to cover the cheese with muslin or cheesecloth. Keep another container below the filter to accumulate the whey.
We recommend not throwing away the whey as it is full of nutrients. You can even spice it with salt and cumin for a tangy, refreshing drink. At last, place heavy objects over the cheesecloth to give the pieces a perfect shape.
In many Indian restaurants, it is used to make popular recipes such as the delicious paneer tikka masala, matar paneer, paneer kofta korma, paneer makhani, and other cuisines.
Say hello to the delicious, soft, creamy, homemade paneer pieces!
