I made two homemade flavored paneer cheeses for a screening party of my friend Vincey’s short film, Señorita which he wrote, directed and starred in. At the party, I served one sundried tomato paneer with basil chutney on the side and one carmelized pistachio paneer with honey on top. To make flavored paneer, you follow the usual directions and mix in your flavoring right before you hang the paneer to drain.
It was definitely a labor of love to make these paneers but I am so proud of Vincey and all of his hard work. His film has been invited to more than 15 international festivals and was screened at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival this year. Yay Vincey! The party was also a bit of a sendoff/fundraiser because he will be returning home to the Philippines to shoot the feature length film of Señorita. I’m so excited for him and can’t wait to see it.
To donate funds towards the making of Vincey’s feature film, you can go here.
Ingredients
8 oz. homemade paneer
5 or to your liking sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
black pepper
Method
Soak the sundried tomatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes. Chop them into small pieces.
Mix in sundried tomatoes and black pepper with curds right before you hang the paneer to drain. (reference paneer recipe here)
When paneer is solidified, cut into cubes and shallow fry in a non-stick pan until browned.
Ingredients
3 cups green herbs – 1 bunch worth of basil leaves and the remainder filled by equal parts cilantro and mint leaves
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts and blanched almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
3 Indian green chilis (to your taste and can also use jalapeno as a substitute), chopped small
salt
water
Method
In a mortar and pestle, pound down the garlic cloves with a few pinches of salt. Next add the nuts and pound down. Add this mixture to the blender and puree with the herb leaves and olive oil. Next add in the lemon, ginger and green chilis and puree. Add salt to your taste and water until you get to the consistency you like.
8 oz. homemade paneer
In a non stick fry pan, heat ghee or butter and sugar under medium low heat until sugar starts to get pastey. Turn down the heat to low, add pistachios and constantly stir until brown and fragrant. Lay them out to cool and harden.
Mix in carmelized pistachios (leaving some aside) with curds right before you hang the paneer to drain. (reference paneer recipe here)
When paneer is solidified, cut into cubes and shallow fry in a non stick pan until browned.
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Never heard of flavoured paneer!!! Amazing