If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you already know about the latest fixation of the iodine tincture test on social media. Digital creators have been using iodine to check the purity of paneer at various restaurants and eateries in India. Now, digital creator Sarthak Sachdeva visited the restaurants of some famous celebrities like Virat Kohli, Shilpa Shetty, and Gauri Khan to check whether the paneer served at their famous restaurants was real or not. Here’s what he found.
Digital Creator’s Paneer Test At Celeb Restaurants
Digital creator Sarthak Sachdeva recently posted a video on Instagram where he visited some famous restaurants by Indian celebrities. His aim? To check whether the paneer served in the restaurants was pure or not. For this, he brought along the Internet’s latest obsession, a bottle of iodine.
So, Sarthak began his pursuit of truth at Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune. He ordered a plate of Paneer Chawal and then stripped the paneer of all its spices and washed it thoroughly. He then added a few drops of iodine, and since the solution did not change its colour, Sarthak said that the paneer was real.
His next stop was Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian. He ordered some fancy paneer dish and repeated the same procedure. Again, he found that the paneer used was real, as per the iodine test rules. He then visited Bobby Deol’s Someplace Else. From the menu, he picked Paneer Chilly and found the paneer was pure again.
Sarthak’s last stop was Gauri Khan’s Torii. Impressed with the lavish interiors of the place, he ordered a paneer dish from the menu and repeated the process. However, the results were shocking! As soon as he added a few drops of iodine to the paneer piece, it turned blue-black, highlighting the presence of starch.
It is to be noted that the iodine tincture test is a widely accepted method to detect the presence of starch in food items. If the paneer has starch, then it is usually considered adulterated or fake. However, it’s not a definitive test for the quality or purity of a food item like paneer.
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Torii’s Response To The Allegation & Online Reactions
Sarthak Sachdeva’s video testing paneer purity at celebrity restaurants garnered a lot of attention online. Thousands of people commented and shared their two cents about the tests. While many were shocked with the test results, some defended it and said, “SRK wala paneer bhi asli tha, sometimes cook karne ke wajah se starch uske upar chipak jata hai, aur starch ke karan ye black colour ata hai. Us paneer ko lab test karao phir pata chalega asli hai ya nakli.”
Others appreciated his honesty and courage to come forward with such a test.
Torii Mumbai responded to the allegation and released 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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P.S. – Curly Tales does not vouch for the authenticity of these iodine tests. Our aim with this article was not to defame any person or their restaurant but to simply bring forward the information we thought was helpful for you all.
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/sarthaksachdevva
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