Homemade Paneer Cheese (Panir)
Paneer is a fresh, semi-firm cheese that is delicious in vegetarian curries like palak paneer (spinach and cheese curry), saag paneer (mixed greens and cheese curry), or muttar paneer (green peas and cheese curry). It's also used in desserts, or can be eaten plain as a snack.
Equipment
- colander or wire mesh strainer
- butter muslin or cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 2 tsp citric acid (dissolved in 1 cup hot water) (substitute 8 tablespoons lemon juice for the citric acid + water)
Instructions
- Dissolve the citric acid in a cup or less of warm water. If you are using lemon juice, squeeze and strain the lemon juice for fresh lemons, or measure out the bottled juice.
- Pour the milk into a large stockpot. Bring up to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently in the beginning and almost constantly as it is about to boil so that it doesn't scorch.
- Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the citric acid or lemon juice, drizzling it over the top of the milk while gently stirring for up to a minute, until the curd begins to separate from the whey.
- If the whey is still very milky and opaque, keep heating the mixture, or add a bit more lemon or citric acid mixture, until you get a clear separation.
- Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. The curds will settle and clump together a bit.
- Line your colander, strainer, or cheese mold with a large square of clean butter muslin or cheesecloth. Place it over another pot or heat-resistant pan to catch the whey, and gently ladle the curds from the pot into the colander. The whey will drain out leaving the curds.
- Once you have strained all the whey, gather the corners of the cheesecloth and rinse the curds with cold, fresh running water. This will rinse out a lot of the coagulant (either lemon or citric acid) so that your cheese is more neutrally flavored and not tangy.
- Either gather the corners and hang the cheese to drain for a relatively soft cheese, or press the cheese with a 5 lb weight for 2-3 hours for a firm paneer. You can improvise a press by placing a saucer on top of the cheesecloth bundle, and then adding a small weight (like canned goods, or a milk jug filled with water or the strained whey).
- Unwrap the cheese and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Chill or freeze the whey if you are saving it for other recipes. The cheese is ready to use right away, or you can refrigerate it for up to two weeks.
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