Paneer is a type of Indian cheese,it is popular as cottage cheese.It is a good source of protein. Paneer is used in making of many Indian dishes specially North Indian dishes. Paneer is easily available in stores,but sometimes,if you can not get it at your supermarket then you can make it at home.It is made by curdling heated milk mainly with yogurt or curd,lemon juice or vinegar, or any other food acids.As it is homemade so it is more hygienic,healthy and soft compared to the store bought paneer.It is tough to imagine Indian cuisine without Paneer,specially for veg Indian dishes.Both savory and sweet dishes can be made with Paneer.Paneer is a high protein food; it is often substituted for meat in many vegetarian dishes of Indian cuisine It is quite easy to make at home.
step wise recipe method of making paneer at home
Add milk. in a heavy bottomed vessel,bring it to boil and keep stirring to avoid burning of milk.
Once the milk comes to boil, simmer the gas, start adding yogurt or curd and keep stirring.
Cook for few seconds until the milk solids gets separates from the water.
Take a big bowl,and olace a strainer on it
Put a muslin or cotton cloth on strainer.
Pour this curdled milk through this muslin cloth or thin cotton cloth over the strainer.
Rinse paneer or cottage cheese under the tap water as much as possible.
Now hang the cloth covered paneer with tap for 30 minutes.
Then remove it from tap and and place cloth covered paneer on a flat stariner.
Place a plate on the paneer then put a heavy weight on this plate for another 1 hour.
After 1 hour,remove the cloth from paneer and plate the paneer on a clean chopping board.
Cut the paneer into cubes and use it. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, if you are not going to use it immediately.
Check More Paneer Recipes
1.Lehsuni Methi Paneer(Garlic Methi Paneer)
how to make paneer at home
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Ingredients
- Milk- 2 litres
- Yogurt or Curd-1/4 cup
Materials Used
- Muslin cloth or thin cotton cloth or a cotton big hankerchief-1
- Flat strainer-1 (speally made in steel)
- Heavy weight or mortar pestle
Instructions
- Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add milk.
- Bring it to boil and keep stirring to avoid burning of milk.
- Once the milk comes to boil, simmer the gas, start adding yogurt or curd and keep stirring( if required,add more yogurt or curd ) cook for few seconds until the milk solids gets separates from the water.This water is called whey water,it also good for health,you can use it for making any curry or kneading your roti dough.Switch off the heat.
- Pour this curdled milk to the already lined muslin cloth or thin cotton cloth over a strainer,squeeze out all the whey water then rinse paneer or cottage cheese under the tap water as much as possible.
- Now hang the cloth covered paneer with tap for 30 minutes. Then remove it from tap and place cloth covered paneer on a flat stariner.
- Place a plate on the paneer then put a heavy weight on this plate for another 1 hour. It will help to squeeze more water from paneer and your paneer will not be broken into pieces while cooking .
- After 1 hour,remove the cloth from paneer and plate the paneer on a clean chopping board .Cut the paneer into cubes and use it. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, if you are not going to use it immediately.
Notes
Instead of using yogurt or curd or dahi you can use 2 tablespoons of lemon juuce or vinegar,but I personally prefer curd or yogurt for making paneer as it keeps paneer soft.
