Friday 3 August 2012

How to make Paneer (Indian Cheese) at home?

Ingredients

Whole milk…………....….3 pints
Lime/lemon juice…….…4-5 table spoon
      
Method
  • Simmer the milk in a deep pan. (Note: the milk should not be boiling vigorously, but should be kept lightly simmering for 1 min)
  • Add one table spoon of lime juice. Mix with a spoon. The milk will start to curdle.
  • Now add the remaining lime juice one table spoon at a time, mixing the milk at each interval. (Do not add all the lime juice in one go, keep an interval of at least ½ min between each table spoon of lime). Once you add the 4th spoon, the paneer will have separated completely, leaving behind the greenish water.   
  • Use a muslin cloth to strain the paneer from the greenish water.
  • Roughly run the panner in running cold water to remove the lime taste.
  • Now tie a knot to the muslin cloth to hang it in a suitable place (e.g. from the kitchen tap) to drain water from the paneer. Leave it to drain for 15-20 min.
  • Now untie and unknot the muslin cloth and try and shape the paneer in a square/rectangle by folding and wrapping the cloth around the paneer.
  • Place the wrapped paneer on a plate and place any kind of weight (e.g. a pan) on top of the paneer to add pressure on it to drain any excess water from it and help it set in the required shape.  Leave it to shape for 1-2 hrs.
  • Unwrap the paneer and use it as required.
Note:
If you drain it for too long or squeeze out all the moisture for the paneer, it can get very dry and crumble, and might not set in shape properly.

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