Paneer Burger and Paneer Wraps - Courtesy of McD in India

During my trip to India quite some time ago, I couldn't resist heading to the nearest McDonald's Restaurant. As far as I know, McDonald's tends to have different items on the menu in each and every country. India was no different. I just have to go and have a peek at the menu in the McDonald's within the international airport. Guess what I discovered? Indeed they have something authentically local item on offer. Something only available in India, a menu tailored to the local taste buds. The Special Item on the menu was known as McSpicy Paneer! You have no idea what kind stuff is that! I couldn't imagine at the time either. They come in 2 different versions. The faithful burger and the fancy wrap version.

You must be wondering what the heck is this Paneer? For your information, Paneer is a type of cheese whose origins can be traced back to south Asia and the middle east. It is made by adding vinegar or lemon juice into heated milk, then the resulting curd is drained and excess water removed. The resulting paneer is then dipped in chilled water for 2-3 hours to give it some good texture and appearance.

The use of this Paneer is very common in India, they can be turned into fabulous and delicious dishes. Pan fried, deep fried or boiled in sauces, there are endless ways to savour this interesting ingredient.

In this case, McDonald's deep fried the paneer to give it a crispy outer shell with soft and hot inner filling. Coupled with some special sauce and added with some local spice and chillies, you have a local winner!
I jumped at the chance to taste both of the burger and the wrap version. I know I would just regret if I let this golden chance slip by. So I dutifully lined up at the counter and eagerly waiting to bite into McDonald's take on the traditional Paneer.

The first bite, the creamy and cripsy paneer is laden with spices! Its spicy to the taste and very delicious I might add. Aromatic spices overwhelms your senses, nothing like I've ever tasted before! Very nice indeed.

The Burger version has a bigger paneer than the wrapped variant. But the wrapped variant has more iceberg lettuce in it. As you can see, the burger has a lot more creamy sauces on it, at least McDonald's didn't skimp on the sauce. A very flavourful bite from India!

What kind of special menu item do you have in your country? I can't wait to sample them all!