Paneer (Hindi: ???? pan?r, from Persian (Persian language) ???? panir) is a fresh cheese common in South Asian (South Asia) cuisine (South Asian cuisine). It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid.

Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian (lactovegetarianism) and providing an important source of protein for vegetarian Hindus (Vegetarianism in India).