Homemade Paneer

- Serves 6 (yields about 350g)
​Paneer or farmer’s cheese (also known as Indian cottage cheese) is a common, non-melting fresh cheese usually made at home with leftover full-cream milk. A very popular vegetarian protein substitute in India, paneer curries and appetizers are loved by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Unlike other cheese, it doesn’t require the use of rennet and is made simply by separating hot milk using an acid like vinegar, lemon juice or yogurt. My recipe below is easy to make and requires no special equipment, and once you have mastered the technique of homemade paneer, you will never go back to buying its store bought version.
Image by Abhishek Mahajan from Pixels

Ingredients for Homemade Paneer

​2 liters of fresh full cream milk
3-4 tablespoons white vinegar OR 1/4 cup lemon juice
large cheese cloth or handkerchief

Recipe
  1. Heat milk in a large saucepan until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low flame.
  2. Add vinegar or lemon juice gradually one tablespoon at a time and stir the milk gently. The curd will start separating from the whey. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take it off the flame and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Next, drain the whey through a sieve lined with a large cheese cloth or handkerchief. Leave the strainer in a bowl full of ice cold water for 10 minutes. 
  4. Now, pull the ends of the cloth together to form a ball of paneer. Drain excess water by squeezing the ball. Tie the top of the cloth just above the ball with a rubber band 
  5. To set paneer,  place the ball of paneer under a flat heavy object for about 2 hours. Cut it into cubes before using. 
Note : Paneer can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze paneer, cut into cubes and store in a ziploc bag.
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