Me and my friend Alana made paneer the other week! I use an exclamation point because paneer is one of my most favorite foods and so it was doubly exciting to actually make it from scratch. It’s kind of like ricotta but tangier, similar in texture to a firm tofu and it absorbs the flavors of curries and marinades really well. If you have not had this cheese yet, you must try and if you have tried and not made – you must make! It’s so easy! I posted about it before here if you’d like to read more about my obssession with this cheese:)
Thanks Alana for taking awesome photos!
Ingredients:
8 cups whole milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
Method:
Warm milk in a pot under medium heat.
When the milk starts to boil, add lemon juice slowly and stir gently and continuously.
The cheese will start forming in a just seconds.
Turn off the heat when the curd has separated from the whey and the whey is kind of a yellowy green color.
While the curd is settling in the pot for a few minutes, line a colander with 2 or 3 pieces of cheese cloth or other thin cotton cloth (not terry!)
Pour the contents of the pot into the lined colander with a bowl or pot underneath (this is if you want to save the whey as it makes for a good broth in soup or other curries and can also be used as a substitute for water when making rice.) Rinse the curds so that the lemon is washed away.
Wrap the curds tightly in the cloth and then tie around a faucet – I learned this in a cooking class:) Let it hang for about 30 minutes.
Next take it out of the cloth and shape it in a square with height of about an inch and wrap it back in the cloth. Put a heavy weight on top of it. (We had a little bit of fun with what we used – I couldn’t tell you if this is the optimal weight but I have heard pots work well too).
The cheese will become solid after 30 minutes, but we actually put it in the refrigerator for a few hours and I think that helped to dry it out further. If you have time for that, I suggest putting the weighted down block in the fridge.
When firm, cut the paneer into cubes. You can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for months.
If you want to make your cheese more solid, you can fry it up so that it maintains shape – paneer crumbles easily when heated. You can use the cheese in a curry, marinate it for a barbecue or put it in a sandwich. In the next post, I’ll give you a recipe for saag paneer (spinach and cheese curry).
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I made paneer few days ago and it was a disaster. However I learned where I went wrong. Your paneer has come out really well.
hey paneer looks so perfect..it has come out great..hey will be sending you an email about the guest post tomorrow.Sorry for the delay..
We make the paneer is a similar fashion..but step by step pictures will help many..
The paneer looks great — I definitely want to try to make it. That’s interesting that you learned the tying on the faucet thing in a cooking class. I always thought it was just an Indian thing because my mom used to do it when she made paneer. 🙂
oh my god. This is one of my favorite food, too!! I adore paneer so much, but it’s not easy to procure here in downtown LA. AAH! Amazing! But where can I find that cloth?
Oh I love this idea. I too love paneer, the idea of making it at home is awesome. I bet it is so fresh and tasty! I use a cheesecloth often to thicken my yogurt….will try this!
Your paneer looks very perfect. And thanks for the detailed steps. I never get this perfect.
Looks great! Can’t wait for a good recipe for saag paneer. That’s one of my very favorite dishes from our local Indian restaurant. I’d LOVE to make it at home.
Thanks Elizabeth! This is my recipe for palak paneer, which is similar to saag paneer but uses spinach instead of mustard greens: http://abcdsofcooking.blogspot.com/2010/04/saag-paneer-spinach-and-cheese.html
Do you ever knead the paneer? I’ve read recipes where that’s done but when I’ve never tried it.
Hi Rachel,
That’s interesting. I have not kneaded it before, but I’m thinking that serves the same purpose as putting a weight on top to squeeze out more of the moisture. Let me know how your paneer turns out!
Wow, that’s really easy..
Thank for sharing your recipe..
Regards, http://grosirtas.co/maika-etnik/