Cheese & Butter

Cheese and ponir at Metromart:

Cheese has gone from an occasional import to a weekly item in a lot of Bangladeshi kitchens — pizza at home, cheese toast for children, ponir in a curry on a day nobody wants meat. Metromart stocks the everyday sorts rather than a specialist counter's range: the things you actually cook with.

Mozzarella is the melting cheese. Mild on its own, but it stretches and browns when heated, which is why it's the one for pizza, baked pasta, cheese toast and anything that needs to pull apart. It's not really meant to be eaten cold — mozzarella earns its place in the oven.

Cooking ponir — paneer — is the opposite. It holds its shape under heat instead of melting, so it can be cubed, fried and dropped into a gravy without disappearing. Ponir curry, ponir bhuna, skewers, or simply pan-fried with salt and chilli. For anyone cooking vegetarian a few times a week, it does the job meat would.

Ponir in smaller packs suits households that use it occasionally rather than by the block, and it's the cheaper way to try it if you haven't cooked with it before.

Why does ponir stay solid when mozzarella melts?

The difference is how each cheese is set. Ponir is coagulated with acid, which locks the proteins into a structure that softens but doesn't flow when heated. Mozzarella is set differently and its protein network relaxes with heat, which is what lets it stretch and pull.

That single difference is why the two aren't interchangeable, however similar they look in the fridge.

Mozzarella or ponir — which one do you need?

Ask whether you want the cheese to melt or to hold. Pizza, toasties and bakes need mozzarella. Curries, skewers and anything browned in a pan and served in pieces need ponir. Buying the wrong one is the most common disappointment in this category.

Ponir on a pizza stays in stubborn cubes that never melt into a layer. Mozzarella in a curry dissolves into the gravy and the pieces vanish entirely. Neither can be rescued once it's in the pan, so it's worth checking before you cook rather than after.

Storing it:

Keep cheese and ponir refrigerated and sealed. Once opened, wrap it properly rather than leaving it in a loose bag — both dry out quickly and pick up smells from whatever else is in the fridge.

Ponir can be frozen if you won't use it in time, though the texture firms up and crumbles more easily afterwards, so it's better suited to a curry than to frying in neat cubes. Mozzarella freezes reasonably well for cooking, less well for anything where you'd notice the texture.

Check the date on the pack when it arrives, and refrigerate promptly — dairy is one of the few things worth unpacking before the rest of the order.

Beyond the weekly shop:

Metromart also stocks electronics and electrical goods, bicycles, books, office supplies, outdoor accessories and fashion. It's a wider range than most online grocers carry, which means a single order can cover the shopping and the thing you've been meaning to replace for a month.

How to find what you need:

Browse by category above, or use the search if you know what you're after. Every category breaks down into subcategories — beverages into soft drinks, fruit drinks and drink powders, for instance — so you can narrow down quickly rather than scrolling a long list.

If you shop by brand, the brands page lists everything stocked, which is usually faster when you know exactly what you want.

Ordering and delivery:

Set your delivery location before you shop, since availability and timing vary by area. Add what you need, choose a delivery slot and pay through any of the secure methods at checkout.

Frozen and chilled items are packed appropriately, though drinks and ambient goods arrive at room temperature. For bulk, office or event orders, contact support directly rather than adding items one at a time — case rates are usually available.

Physical outlets

Metromart operates physical stores alongside the online shop. If you'd rather see something before buying, or need it the same hour, the outlets page lists locations. Browse our outlets here.