Surti paneer
A soft, rennet-set paneer from Surat in Gujarat, sold in its whey.
Also: Surati paneer, Surti cheese
Surti paneer, from Surat in Gujarat, is a soft fresh cheese quite unlike the firm pressed paneer of North India. Buffalo milk is set with rennet rather than acid, and the soft curd is ladled into small baskets or moulds to drain only briefly. The cheeses are sold sitting in their own whey, which keeps them moist, and they are eaten within a day or two. Surti paneer is delicate, smooth and mildly salty, somewhat like a fresh Italian ricotta or mozzarella, and is usually eaten as it is, without cooking. It is part of the same western Indian rennet-cheese tradition as the Parsi topli nu paneer.