Paneer Surprise Burger

Nobody knows where paneer comes from, and several countries have a claim. The word is Persian for cheese, and one theory holds that the cheese itself came from Persian or Afghan lands and took its present form under the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals. Another says Portuguese settlers taught Bengal to split milk with acid in the 17th century, which would make paneer and its Bengali relative chhena relatively recent. Vague references in the Vedas are sometimes read as early paneer, without firm evidence. What is certain is that it does not melt, which is why it can be marinated, grilled and served as a patty.

• India
• Since 2016
• $

Wat-a-Burger was started by an airline pilot. Rajat Jaiswal, who has logged more than 7,000 flying hours, built the business in his time between flights with his childhood friend Farman Beig, who had come back from business studies in the UK in 2015. The company was registered on 14 February 2016 and opened its first outlet in Noida, just outside Delhi, the same month.

Outlets in cities across India, most of them franchises outside the big metros.

The full Wat-a-Burger burger menu and story →