Homemade Herbed Paneer Cheese Food

HOMEMADE PANEER (FRESH INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE)

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium high heat until the top becomes foamy, just as looks like it's about to boil.
• Turn stove off. Add lemon juice and stir for 1 minute. The milk should begin to curdle. If it doesn't, turn the stove back on and bring back to a gentle boil until the solids separate.
• Line strainer or colander: Place over a deep bowl. Line strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth (Note 1).
• Strain: Ladle in half of the curdled milk to begin with, then pour the rest in. Leave until all the liquid drains - this might take 5 to 10 minutes.
• Rinse: Discard liquid (whey) in the bowl. Bundle the paneer up in the cheesecloth (it will still be quite watery at this stage) then rinse bundle briefly under cold tap water. This helps to remove lemon flavour + cool for easier handling.
• Squeeze out excess water by twisting the cheesecloth and squeezing the bundle, but not so hard that paneer squeezes out through the cloth. Once liquid no longer comes out, stop. The paneer will still be quite soft at this stage.
• Weigh cheese down with weights: Shape cheese into a disc around 2cm / ¾" thick, still wrapped in cheesecloth. Place in a strainer or colander set over a bowl. Top with a small plate then 2 x 400g/14oz cans (or similar weight).
• Refrigerate for 4 hours. During this time the paneer will set (become firm) and remaining liquid will drain out. (Note 2)
• Remove paneer from fridge and carefully unwrap. There will be a dent in the middle, this is normal (it's from the draining).
• At this stage, the paneer is now ready for use. You can either cut it immediately and use in a recipe (such as Palak Paneer!), or store the whole uncut block for another time and just cut when needed.
• Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 3 months.

PANEER: HOMEMADE INDIAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
• In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
• Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
• Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
• Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
• Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
• Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese! You did it! You can now use this in any number of traditional Indian dishes, like saag paneer.

HOMEMADE HERBED PANEER CHEESE

Steps:

• Slowly heat milk and cream in a 6-quart pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scalding, until mixture foams and reaches 190°F, 25-30 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. salt, stir once, and continue to cook, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until mixture separates into clumps of milky white curds and whey, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line a large sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer curds into strainer, letting whey collect in bowl. Strain until curds begin to firm up, 15-20 minutes, then transfer curds to a medium bowl with slotted spoon. Discard whey or reserve for another use.
• Fold chopped herbs and remaining 1 Tbsp. salt into curds. Transfer both layers of cheesecloth to a large plate and spoon herbed curds into the center. Use the back of a spoon to flatten curds into a round 3/4-1" thick. Gather ends of cheesecloth and wrap tightly around curds. Place a second plate on top and use a can or other heavy object to weigh it down. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Remove cheesecloth and place pressed cheese onto a cutting board. Cut into 1" cubes and serve or use as desired.

PANEER

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally. This should take about 30 mins.
• Once it begins to bubble and rise up the sides of the pan, add 2 tbsp lemon juice and the salt - the milk will quickly separate. Add another 1 tbsp lemon juice, or enough to turn the milk into curds and liquid whey. Simmer for 1 min before turning off the heat. The amount of lemon juice needed will depend on the milk's freshness.
• Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin and set over a bowl. Pour the cheese mixture into the sieve and leave for about 10 mins to allow the whey to drain through the cloth. Draw the muslin around the paneer and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
• Transfer the cloth-wrapped cheese to a tray and pat it out into a 2cm-thick rectangle. Cover it with a tray and a couple of heavy tins and transfer to the fridge for at least 2-3 hrs. Unwrap the paneer - if you're not using it straight away, submerge it in cold water and keep it in the fridge. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

HERB & SPICE PANEER FRITTERS

Steps:

• Toast the cumin seeds in a large, non-stick frying pan for about 1 min, shaking the pan until a shade darker, taking care not to burn. Remove from the heat and place the seeds in a mixing bowl.
• Add everything else, except the oil, lemon and chilli sauce, to the bowl. Season well and mix very thoroughly. Using wet hands, take walnut-size handfuls of the mixture, then press into flat little cakes, like fish cakes or patties. They can now be chilled until ready to cook, or cooked straight away.
• Reheat the pan over a medium flame and add enough oil to cover the base of the pan. When hot, add the fritters, cook until golden underneath, then turn over and cook until golden all over. Be careful as they may splutter slightly. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm as you cook batches. Serve with lemon wedges and sweet chilli sauce.

HERBY PANEER PARCELS

Steps:

• To make the herb paste, wash your herbs really well, including the coriander stalks. Squeeze lightly to get rid of excess water. Tip into a food processor or blender along with the garlic, ginger, chilli (if using), lemon juice, oil, garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Whizz until quite fine and smooth. Stir in the double cream, yogurt and ajwain seeds, if using. Taste and adjust any spices or seasoning to taste.
• Cut each block of paneer into 4 pieces. Pierce the paneer all over with a skewer to allow some of the paste to sink inside. Coat the paneer in the herby paste, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hr, or as long as possible.
• When ready to cook, heat a griddle pan or grill. Prepare 2 sheets of foil and place 4 pieces of the paneer on each. Sprinkle over the onion and top with a generous knob of butter. Bring the foil together to make a parcel that encompasses the cheese completely. Place straight on your hot grill or griddle pan for 8-10 mins or until the paneer is hot through and steamy. Ideally there will be a little charring coming through at the bottom - you will need to open the parcel and peek to check this. Sprinkle over the chaat masala and serve hot, still wrapped in the foil or on a plate.

PANEER (HOME MADE)

Steps:

• Combine the milk, yogurt, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. As the milk is just about to boil (it will bubble at the edges), stir in the lemon juice.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Lift the cheesecloth by the four corners and tie them together. Hang the cheese in the cloth over the sink to drain. It will take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once drained, place the cheese, still in the cloth, into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• If later you want to cut the paneer into firm fingers, use a spoon to press the paneer into the shape of the bowl before refrigerating.