How to Make Paneer

This simple and easy to make cheese is traditionally used in South Asian cooking, and only has three ingredients.  Let me show you how to make Paneer, as it is certainly not one to leave out of your cheese making repertoire.

Paneer is a fresh cheese common to South Asia, especially in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines. It is an unripened, acid-set, non-melting cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids.

Paneer

Traditional recipe provided by Neha. Makes about 500 gm (1 lb) of Paneer.

Ingredients

• 2 Litres (2 quarts) Full Cream Milk
• 6 Tablespoons full fat yoghurt (greek or natural)
• 4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Method

1. Add the milk to a 4 litre (1 gal) pot
2. Bring to milk to the boil
3. When the milk starts to rise, lower to a simmer and add in the yogurt and stir well.
4. Add the lemon juice whilst stirring and you will see the milk curdle into curds and whey.  The whey should be a clear yellow colour.
5. Keep simmering for 2 minutes whilst stirring, during which time the curds will thicken.
6. Strain the cheese through a tight weave cheesecloth.
7. Flatten the cheese in the cloth by placing a board on top and adding about 2 kg (4.4lbs) of weight for 30 minutes.
8. Cut into cubes ready for cooking.  This cheese will store for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the kitchen fridge.

The addition of the yoghurt adds a little more flavour to an otherwise bland cheese.  The beauty of this cheese is that it doesn’t melt, so can be used in curries and dhal dishes.

To help you recreate Paneer, I have created a Paneer YouTube video which you can watch below.  It runs for [5:48] minutes.

This cheese is ideal for the newbie curd nerd.  Now that you know how to make Paneer, why not give it try.  It can even be eaten plain.  My son Ben can’t get enough of it and my first batch didn’t even make it into a meal!