After viral controversy of fake paneer being served at Gauri Khan’s Torii, we asked an expert if the iodine test is fool-proof

In the age of viral content and consumer awareness, even a slice of paneer can stir national curiosity. That’s exactly what happened when YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva set out to test the purity of paneer at celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai. A firestorm of controversy followed after he claimed the paneer served at Gauri Khan’s luxury restaurant Torii was “fake”.

The video, now widely shared across social media, shows Sarthak conducting an iodine test on paneer dishes at some of Mumbai’s trendiest celebrity eateries—Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune, Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian, Bobby Deol’s Someplace Else, and Gauri Khan’s Torii.

In most restaurants, the paneer did not react to the iodine, indicating purity. However, at Torii, the iodine caused the paneer to turn black—a tell-tale sign of the presence of starch. In disbelief, Sarthak exclaimed, “Shah Rukh Khan ke restaurant mein paneer nakli tha. Ye dekh ke mere toh hosh udd gaye the!”

But is this really proof of fake paneer? Torii’s official Instagram account quickly addressed the viral claim, writing, “The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. As the dish contains soy-based ingredients, this reaction is expected. We stand by the purity of our paneer and the integrity of our ingredients at Torii.”

According to Bharathi Kumar, dietician at Fortis Hospital, Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru: “The presence of starch in paneer can indicate adulteration, as it is not a natural component of pure paneer.”