Homemade Paneer Recipes

Steps:

• Line a colander with a damp piece of muslin or cheesecloth and set in the sink or over a bowl.
• Pour milk into a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C). Stir well and add salt. Pour in lemon juice gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir until curds separate.
• Ladle curds into the muslin-lined colander. Fold muslin over curds and place a weight on top (such as a bowl filled with water). Press lightly and let drain for 2 to 3 hours.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to 195°F over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir frequently during the heating process to prevent the milk from scalding. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when you stir because this is where the milk is most prone to sticking. The milk will become foamy and bubbles will form on its surface once it reaches the desired temperature.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice until evenly distributed, which will cause the separation of curds from the whey. The process should begin right away, but don't fret if it takes a minute or two. Cover the pan and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes to let the acid work its magic. Check the mixture at this point: It should be slightly yellow and the curds should have completely separated from the whey. Don't panic if this hasn't happened completely yet. Simply add another teaspoon of acid and set aside for a few minutes more. This should do the trick.
• Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set the sieve over a bowl. Ladle the curds and whey into the sieve. Reserve the whey for another use. Season the curds (still in the sieve) with salt, stirring it in using a wooden spoon, then gather up the edges of the cheesecloth into a tight bundle and squeeze the excess whey from the curds. Place the cheesecloth and curds on a large plate and shape them into a square. Wrap the cheesecloth edges around the paneer and place a second plate on top of it to compress it. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. At this point the paneer is ready to use or it can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Pour the gallon of milk into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Watch carefully, as it will boil over almost as soon as it starts to boil. As the milk begins to boil, pour the buttermilk into the pot in a steady stream while stirring constantly. The milk will separate into curd and water.
• Place a cheesecloth into a colander, and pour the milk mixture through it. Reserve some of the liquid for later. Let the milk mixture sit in the colander for a couple of hours, or until it stops dripping.
• After the curds are strained and settled, transfer them to a food processor. Process until smooth. It should be able to form a ball if it is the right consistency. If it is too dry, add a little of the reserved liquid and process again. The consistency should be like a firm ricotta cheese.
• Turn the cheese out onto a clean surface, and knead until smooth. Form into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until needed.
• To cook the paneer, heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the paneer into bite size pieces. Fry for about 1 minute, or until a very pale golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Add to your favorite curry or dish.

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a medium pot. Place on medium-high heat and, when it comes to a boil, turn the heat off and add the vinegar. Stir as the milk starts to curdle.
• Line a large sieve with cheesecloth and, holding it over the sink, pour the milk curds into it, letting the whey drain into the sink. Place the sieve over a bowl and fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the cheese. Set weights on top to press out excess liquid and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until it's solid.

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally. This should take about 30 mins.
• Once it begins to bubble and rise up the sides of the pan, add 2 tbsp lemon juice and the salt - the milk will quickly separate. Add another 1 tbsp lemon juice, or enough to turn the milk into curds and liquid whey. Simmer for 1 min before turning off the heat. The amount of lemon juice needed will depend on the milk's freshness.
• Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin and set over a bowl. Pour the cheese mixture into the sieve and leave for about 10 mins to allow the whey to drain through the cloth. Draw the muslin around the paneer and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
• Transfer the cloth-wrapped cheese to a tray and pat it out into a 2cm-thick rectangle. Cover it with a tray and a couple of heavy tins and transfer to the fridge for at least 2-3 hrs. Unwrap the paneer - if you're not using it straight away, submerge it in cold water and keep it in the fridge. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Steps:

• Prepare a place for the paneer to drain, placing a colander in the sink and lining it with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth or a clean linen kitchen towel.
• Ina large (at least 3 quart) saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over high heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent it from burning or boiling over.
• As soon as the milk comes to the boil, add the yogurt and sir gently. The milk will soon foam up into soft clouds and then break into thick curds of cheese floating in a thin, faintly greenish liquid called whey.
• Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the saucepan into the cheesecloth-lined colander placed in the sink to drain away the whey.
• When the cloth is cool enough to handle, bring its corners together and squeeze the cheese into a ball, twisting the top portion of the cloth to force out more liquid and then securing it with a rubber band.
• Suspend the cheese from the faucet and let it hang over the sink for about 30 minutes to drain off any remaining whey.
• Now press the cheese to make it firm enough to cut. To do this, place the wrapped lump of cheese on its side in a pie pan or frying pan, and place another pie pan or frying pan of equal or smaller size on top of it, or cover the cheese with a plate. Balance a weighty object, such as a teapot filled with water, on the pan or plate to compress the cheese. As you can see in the photos, I put the wrapped cheese in a bowl, placed a smaller bowl on top of that and a large, full bottle of wine into that bowl. Press for 30 minutes more.
• Carefully unwrap the pressed cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes, transfer it to a container and seal tight. Refrigerate until needed. The paneer will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

Steps:

• Combine the milk, yogurt, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. As the milk is just about to boil (it will bubble at the edges), stir in the lemon juice.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Lift the cheesecloth by the four corners and tie them together. Hang the cheese in the cloth over the sink to drain. It will take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once drained, place the cheese, still in the cloth, into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• If later you want to cut the paneer into firm fingers, use a spoon to press the paneer into the shape of the bowl before refrigerating.