How to make Paneer at home. Homemade Paneer Indian Cheese

Homemade Paneer

Homemade Paneer is a fresh cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice , vinegar or curd / yogurt .Many vegetarian curries , appetizers and desserts are made by adding paneer as the main Ingredient.

I prefer home made paneer and love it, with paratha in my breakfasts or in my dinners too. Here is my Recipe of how to make Homemade Paneer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 1/4 full fat milk
2 tsp lemon or 2 tsp vinegar or 1/4 cup yoghurt/curd
salt ( optional )

HOW TO MAKE PANEER:

Boil the milk in a large pot. ( I have used full fat buffalo’s milk , but can use full fat cow’s milk as well )

Add the lemon juice or curd or vinegar and stir the milk.

Once you add the lemon juice or vinegar or curd , immediately the milk will curdle up , switch off the gas.

Add some ice water or ice cubes to prevent indian cheese to cook more further and become hard. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes.

On a large strainer , keep a muslin cloth and pour this cuddled paneer.

Collect together the muslin cloth and make a knot of it, squeezing excess water .Hang it for about 30 -45 minutes , to remove excess whey.

Remove the paneer block out of the muslin cloth , chop into desired pieces and use further to add in curries or as vegetable or serve with parantha .

NOTE :

I add salt , preferably rock salt after adding lemon juice as I like my paneer to be a little salty , if you want you can add too only if the paneer has to be used for savoury dishes and not in any desserts.
Make sure you do not add too much of vinegar or lemon juice as this will make your indian cheese too hard , so add as much as needed.
If your milk doesn’t curdle up , then immediately add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to milk to curdle up .
Do not over cook the paneer , it may become hard so as soon as the milk curdles up , off the gas.
When you remove the paneer from muslin cloth , it forms the shape of drop , so once when you keep the paneer hanged in muslin cloth for 30 -40 minutes , after that keep the paneer with muslin cloth on a flat surface on a steel plate and place a heavy thing on it . Press it , so that paneer becomes flat and square in shape , chop into small pieces.
Homemade paneer can be used in Homemade Ras Malai which would be healthier option if you are making it at home