A Country That Loves Its Paneer

Posted by Ritu Kumari on July 4th, 2016

Anyone who is a vegetarian and has travelled abroad, knows what the outsiders are missing: cottage cheese aka paneer.

In India, paneer represents the best that vegetarians can opt for. In fact it is loved by vegetarians and well as non vegetarians alike. Be it kadhai paneer or paneer paranthe or paneer tikka, the humble milk product is loved in many forms. In many households, it is a Sunday lunch dish. Feeling nostalgic? We feel you.

Paneer is one of the best sources of protein. Its low fat content makes it an ideal choice for people who want to lose weight or are worried about their cholesterol levels. Paneer is considered even better than milk in terms of nutrition by some people.

When McDonald’s set its foot in India, the first focus was to develop a menu that would have an instant connect with the customers here. So the burgers were designed accordingly. The aloo tikkis and the chicken burgers happened. But, surprisingly, for a long time, paneer burger was not thought of.

But why?

Well that is an array of reasons behind not introducing a paneer burger. First of all, it was never done before. Sourcing fresh paneer on a mass scale was challenging. Also, paneer, unlike chicken or aloo patty, doesn’t absorb spices easily. Preparing the perfect paneer patty was the first challenge.

So McDonald’s asked people for their opinions. The survey came up with many options, some feasible, some not.

At first, people suggested that McDonald’s could go for a paneer bhurji burger. Who doesn’t love paneer bhurji, right? But we all know how that works. As expected, it was difficult to hold the bhurji between two buns. So this idea was rejected. Then there was the option of adding a simple slice of paneer with some spices sprinkled on it. But that too didn’t happen. Finally, a breaded paneer patty was prepared. The coating of paneer was kept spicy. Hence McSpicy paneer came about.

McSpicy Paneer burger was launched along with McSpicy chicken burger. Both the burgers were an instant hit. The promos were focused on the spicy aspect of the burgers though. Both the burgers were kind of long awaited as Indians love their spice and this sounded just perfect.

Initially launched for a brief period of time, the burger made its way into people’s hearts and subsequently into McDonald’s permanent menu.

Till today, the burger is one of the top favorites at McDonald’s. In case you haven’t tried it yet, go for it, you won’t be disappointed.

Link: http://mcdonaldsblog.in/2016/06/and-this-is-how-the-mcspicypaneer-came-about/