Homemade Paneer (Homemade Indian Cheese)
Homemade Paneer recipe, a fresh, unsalted, unaged Indian cheese; a very quick and easy process that can be done under less than 90 minutes!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
- 2 litres organic whole milk
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice ((or you can use 300g/10.5oz yoghurt))
Instructions
- 1
Line the sieve with the muslin or cheese cloth and place on one of the pots and place in the sink.
- 2
Heat the milk on medium-high heat in a large heavy based saucepan. When it starts simmering, keep a close eye on it as it will boil over quickly.
- 3
Add the lemon juice and gently stir to help the separation of the curd from the whey.
- 4
If you find that the milk hasn’t fully curdled, add a little bit more lemon juice. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes.
- 5
Pour the curdled milk through the muslin – the curd will collect in the muslin.
- 6
Pick the 4 ends of the muslin up and squeeze lightly. Be careful, it'll be hot.
- 7
Rinse the curd in cool running water for about 10 seconds.
- 8
Squeeze as much liquid out of the curd/paneer as you can, by twisting the muslin. Be careful, it’ll still be hot. Gloves will help.
- 9
If you want to flavour it, now's the time to do it. Mix it anything you like: salt, herbs, chilli. Then tie it back up in the muslin.
- 10
Hang the curd filled muslin on your kitchen tap and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Or hang it off anything with a bowl underneath to catch the draining liquid.
- 11
Now place the paneer on a flat plate, flattening it as much as is possible with your palm. Place another plate over it and weigh down with some food cans or a saucepan filled with water. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes. Or, if you would like a square or rectangular block of cheese, fit it into a relevant dish and weigh down.
- 12
After 30 minutes, your paneer is all ready to be used.