After my recent ricotta-making success I decided to try my hand at making some other cheeses. I was planning on making mozzarella but I have to order cheese-making supplies and that is kind of expensive so I decided to make paneer. I love ordering Saag Paneer when I go out to Indian restaurants, but it’s not something I make at home. Most likely because I’d have to figure out where to get paneer. Knowing Toronto it probably isn’t that big of a mission but it’s not one that I’ve decided to undertake.
I figured that paneer would be another great “gateway cheese” because it’s pretty much like making ricotta except that you knead the curds to make it one solid mass. Easy enough.
I used this post from The Kitchn as I guide. As I mentioned above the steps are the same as making ricotta except that you knead the curds, shape them and press them between two plates to remove excess water. From there the paneer goes into the fridge to firm up some more and it’s done.
I’m not joking when I saw that making paneer is stupid easy and totally impressive. Trust me.
Homemade Paneer
1/2 gallon milk (whole or 2%)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth.
Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat
Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until the milk separates into curds and whey. If it doesn’t completely separate add the rest of the lemon juice.
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. When the mixture has cooled gather the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
To flatten, put the bundle on a plate (with a good lip to catch the liquid) and place another plate on top and flatten until it’s a 1-inch disk. Leave the plate on top of the disk and place something heavy on top to flatten it for about an hour.
After the hour is up, drain the liquid and unwrap the paneer. Use the paneer immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
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3 Responses to How To Make Paneer
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this is amazing. I LOVE paneer…and saag paneer!
i’ve been meaning to make ricotta at home, and now i know how to make both it and paneer at the same time. thank you!
Wait a minute… it can’t really be that easy, can it??? How much will this recipe make versus the 4.99$ pack you saw at No Frills (that you mentioned in your most recent post)?
Found you via BlogHER, btw. Love your writing! I enjoy reading fellow Torontonian blogs. Cheers!