Gauri Khan's luxury restaurant Torii, which was launched in 2024, recently came under fire. The reason? YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva alleged that the restaurant served “fake” paneer. On April 15, the content creator posted a video on Instagram where he visited several celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai, including Shilpa Shetty's Bastian, Bobby Deol's Someplace Else, and Gauri's Torii. His mission was to test whether the paneer served at these places was authentic.
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The now-viral video shows Sarthak conducting an iodine tincture test on a piece of paneer to detect the presence of starch, which would indicate adulteration. While Bastian and Someplace Else passed the test, it was Torii that sparked controversy. The paneer at the first two restaurants turned blue – indicating no starch – whereas the paneer at Torii turned black upon contact with iodine.
Torii responded in a statement: "We are utterly surprised at the news of 'fake paneer' being served at Torii. The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. For all dishes that contain soy-based ingredients (a staple in Asian food) this reaction is expected. From sourcing our produce to the food being served on the plate to our patrons, there are quality checks at every step of the way. Our commitment to excellence in the food we serve remains unwavered."
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These days, several reports of fake paneer being served in markets and eating establishments are coming to our attention. If you want to identify fake paneer, here are some other methods you can use.
How To Identify Fake Paneer:
1. Aroma and Texture: Authentic paneer has a milky smell, infused with a fresh aroma and crumbly texture. Tear a small piece of paneer and press it between your fingers. If it feels extra smooth and rubbery, then chances are that it is fake.
2. Packaging: Before buying paneer from grocery stores, always check for quality certifications like the FSSAI mark.
3. Heating Test: For this, heat a small piece of paneer in a dry pan. If it turns slightly brown and starts to crumble, then be assured that the paneer is real. Meanwhile, fake paneer will melt and release excess water.
4. Arhar Dal Test: This test requires you to boil the paneer in water, let it cool and then sprinkle some arhar dal powder on it. Wait for 10 minutes. If you see the paneer turns light red in colour, it means the paneer is adulterated.
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