Homemade Paneer

Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian Cuisine. It is unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated Milk with Lemon Juice.

 
 
 
To prepare paneer, food acid usually lemon juice or yogurt is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are drained in muslin or cheesecloth  and the excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to give it a good texture and appearance.
 
Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Setting Time : 3 Hours

Yield : about 20 cubes as shown in the picture

 

Ingredients

• 1 Litre Milk  ( 1 litre = 0.264172051 US gallon )
• 2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Directions

1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat milk in medium flame and bring it to boil. When the milk starts boiling , reduce the flame to low

 

2. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the boiling milk and give it a good stir

 

 
3. Continue heating and continue stirring until the milk completely curdles and the whey separately out. At this stage switch of the flame

 

4. Spread a cheese cloth in a metal strainer. Pour the curdled milk or paneer in the cheese cloth.

 

 

 

 5. Hold the strainer with cheese under running tap water for 1 min. This is done to wash off the lemon flavour from the cheese

 

 

6. Squeeze out excess water from the cheese. Bring the corners of the cheese cloth together and tie the cheese. Hang it in the kitchen sink for 30 min

7. Now place the cheese cloth in the metal strainer and place a heavy object over the cheese. I placed a vessel filled with water. Let it sit for 3 hours

 

 

 

8. After 3 hours , remove the cheese from cheese cloth and cut into cubes. Tranfer it to a airtight container or zip lock bag and freeze it or use immediately