(
Hindi)
Paneer is unique; there is no substitute for it. Being homemade
cheese, in
India it is eaten
either by itself, or as an ingredient in recipes (
e.g. subji!).
Surpassing other cheeses, it is unique for its versatility, fine taste,
high melting point.
Complementing
sensei's w/u above, I thought I would give the recipe I
learnt along with some yield amounts, and information on curdling agents.
Ingredients
Total time: approx. 30 mins
Method
- Heat the milk over a medium heat in a pot large enough to
allow the milk to rise without overflowing. Whilst waiting for
the milk to boil, prepare your choice of curdling agent and
get a strainer/collander ready by lining it with two layers of
cheesecloth(*) and propping it above a receptacle
to collect the whey.
- If you want it to be rich, add the butter once it is at
a suitable temperature. Stir gently anyway, to keep it from sticking.
- When the milk begins to rise, stir in the curdling agent.
Stir in one direction only at this time. The sponge-like
paneer will now begin to separate from the clear yellow-green
whey. If the whey does not become clear, add a small amount more
of the curdling agent, and keep stirring.
- After the curds and whey have separated completely, remove
the pot from the heat. Pour the contents into the cheesecloth
(make sure it's big enough!). After a large amount of the liquid
has drained, wash the curds under cold water to remove any
excess curdling agent. Then press out the liquid.
- If you want firm paneer (e.g. for cubes, or
for kneading into dough), then bind the paneer like a package
withing the cheesecloth, pat into a block, and press it under a heavy
weight for some time. The longer you leave it, the firmer it
will be. You can then cut it afterwards.
- If you only need soft cheese, then simply tighten the cheesecloth
around the paneer, squeeze a bit, and leave to drain.
(*) If you do not have cheesecloth, you can use
muslin or something
similar. I use a old worn-thin
dhoti personally.
Sometimes paneer is known as chenna when it is soft, and
only as paneer when it is pressed.
Yields
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) yields 4 oz (100 g) chenna or 3 oz (75 g) pressed paneer
7 cups (1.7 l) yields 9 oz (250 g) chenna or 7 oz (200 g) pressed paneer
12 cups (3 l) yields 14 oz (400 g) chenna or 12 oz (350 g) pressed paneer
Commonly used curdling agents
- Lemon Juice - this will give a light, sour taste.
Approx 1 tbsp lemon juice will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of
milk.
- Citric Acid (sour salt) - these crystals (which you
can buy in supermarkets or pharmacists) are easy to use and store.
For firm curds, bring the milk to a full boil. Then add the citric
acid a little at a time. Too much will result in mushy curds.
Approx 1/2 tsp citric acid will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of
milk.
- Yoghurt - this results in the cheese being thick and
soft. Before adding you may want to dilute with a small amount
of warm milk.
Approx 4 or 5 tbsp yoghurt will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of
milk.
- Whey - Whey resulting from this recipe can be kept
over to use the next day. As it sours it becomes more effective.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. (Of course you can
use it for something else, e.g. cooking Dal in.)
Like lemon juice, whey can give a slightly sour taste to the
paneer.
At least 2/3 cup (150 ml) sour whey is needed to curdle
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk.
N.B. If you want to use the
whey for something else, then take care
about the amount of curdling agent you use. Of course, if you only
want the
curds then you can use plenty (it will be washed out anyway).