Paneer is fresh cheese made from curdled milk and is very commonly used all over India. It is also called cottage cheese and chhena. In this post, we would like to explain how to make Paneer. This is the process we follow, however you will come across different methods on this with slight variations when you search on Internet.
Ingredients:
- Milk – 1 litre
- Curd – 1.25 cups (Curd can be of any consistency)
Preparation Time: 10-15 mins.
Note:
- Depending on the type of milk (low fat, toned, full cream, etc.), the paneer quantity obtained and time taken for milk to curdle will vary.
- Many people use lemon juice or white vinegar to curdle the milk. Personally, after trying all the methods we found that the paneer obtained by using curd is softest and of smooth consistency. But, if you do not want to use curd, you can use white vinegar or lemon juice.
Method
Bring the milk to a boil in a large container and then turn the heat to lowest setting.
Now, add little bit curd and sprinkle few drops of water to the milk, and let the heat remain on low flame throughout.
Keep adding little curd at regular intervals (not all at once).
Once in a while, gently stir once so that the milk does not stick to the vessel. Do NOT stir vigorously or frequently.
Slowly, the milk will begin to curdle and once all the water separates from the cheese/paneer completely, stop adding curd.
Switch off the heat and drain the water well from the container using a muslin cloth (if you want in cube form) or any strainer (if you want in crumbled form). Do not throw this water as it very nutritious. It is called whey and it is very rich in proteins. When cooled, you can store it in refrigerator upto 2-3 days and use it to cook rice or knead dough.
If you want the paneer in cube form, place it in centre of muslin cloth and fold cloth from all sides roughly into a thick rectangular shape. Put some heavy weight over it and leave it for couple of hours for it to set properly. However, if you want the paneer in crumbled form, then just directly use the paneer strained using any strainer.
Below are the recipes of the paneer dishes from our website:
