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Last Updated: April 17, 2025, 03:43 IST
Influencer and YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva shared a now-viral video from his visit to Torii, alleging that the restaurant served paneer containing starch.
Controversy surrounds Gauri Khan’s restaurant over questions of paneer authenticity.
Torii, a chic eatery in Mumbai owned by Gauri Khan, renowned for its celebrity clientele and stylish ambiance, is currently facing scrutiny. This latest attention arises from allegations made by influencer Sarthak Sachdeva, who has claimed that the restaurant serves “fake” paneer, raising concerns among its patrons.
In a viral video, Sachdeva conducted an iodine tincture test on a sample of paneer he was served at Torii. This test is commonly utilized to identify starch, an additive that can indicate adulteration. Observing the paneer turn dark blue upon contact with the iodine, Sachdeva expressed his astonishment, stating, “Shah Rukh Khan ke restaurant mein paneer nakli tha. Ye dekh ke mere toh hosh udd gaye the,” which translates to him growing quite alarmed by the result.
This incident is part of a broader content series where Sachdeva explores various celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai, including establishments run by Virat Kohli, Shilpa Shetty, and Bobby Deol. Interestingly, his tests at those venues did not yield the same results, with the paneer samples remaining unchanged and indicating no starch presence.
In response to the commotion stirred by the video, Torii’s management released a statement clarifying that the iodine test indicates the presence of starch but not necessarily the authenticity of their paneer. They explained that the dish includes soy-based components, which could account for the reaction seen in the test. They asserted, “We stand by the purity of our paneer and the integrity of our ingredients at Torii.”
Sachdeva, maintaining a light-hearted demeanor, cheekily queried whether he would now be banned from the restaurant, while complimenting the quality of the food on offer.
Nutrition expert Dr. Kiran Soni, leading the Department of Nutrition and Health at Yatharth Hospital, clarified the implications of the iodine test. She stated that while the test can certainly point to starch presence, it does not definitively declare a paneer as fake. “Pure paneer is derived from milk proteins and should not inherently contain starch. A colour change could suggest the use of synthetic or adulterated products,” she mentioned in an interview with HT Lifestyle.
Dr. Soni pointed out that some commercial paneer producers may add starch to improve texture or weight, which could mislead test results. Similarly, panels of batter or soy ingredients present in dishes could affect outcomes of the iodine test. “A dark reaction does not automatically imply the paneer is fully artificial; it might only be mixed with starch,” she clarified.
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