Homemade Paneer Panir Indian Curd Cheese Food

HOMEMADE PANEER (PANIR - INDIAN CHEESE)

Steps:

• Prepare a place for the paneer to drain, placing a colander in the sink and lining it with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth or a clean linen kitchen towel.
• Ina large (at least 3 quart) saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over high heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent it from burning or boiling over.
• As soon as the milk comes to the boil, add the yogurt and sir gently. The milk will soon foam up into soft clouds and then break into thick curds of cheese floating in a thin, faintly greenish liquid called whey.
• Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the saucepan into the cheesecloth-lined colander placed in the sink to drain away the whey.
• When the cloth is cool enough to handle, bring its corners together and squeeze the cheese into a ball, twisting the top portion of the cloth to force out more liquid and then securing it with a rubber band.
• Suspend the cheese from the faucet and let it hang over the sink for about 30 minutes to drain off any remaining whey.
• Now press the cheese to make it firm enough to cut. To do this, place the wrapped lump of cheese on its side in a pie pan or frying pan, and place another pie pan or frying pan of equal or smaller size on top of it, or cover the cheese with a plate. Balance a weighty object, such as a teapot filled with water, on the pan or plate to compress the cheese. As you can see in the photos, I put the wrapped cheese in a bowl, placed a smaller bowl on top of that and a large, full bottle of wine into that bowl. Press for 30 minutes more.
• Carefully unwrap the pressed cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes, transfer it to a container and seal tight. Refrigerate until needed. The paneer will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

HOMEMADE PANEER / PANIR (INDIAN CURD CHEESE)

Steps:

• For channa:
• Pour milk into a heavy 4-quart saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in buttermilk.
• When the curds form a mass (you'll see a clear, pale-yellow whey surrounding the curds), remove pan from heat, let stand, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
• Line a colander with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth.
• Set the colander in the sink or in a bowl if you wish to save the whey (see note).
• Gather together the corners of the cloth, give one or two twists, and tie with a kitchen twine.
• Gently pour the curds and whey into the cheesecloth.
• Hang the cheesecloth bag over the faucet and let the cheese drain for 1 hour, or until it is as thick as yogurt (this is channa).
• If the weather is warm, leave the cheesecloth bag in the colander, set the colander on a plate to catch the drippings, and refrigerate until the cheese has thickened.
• Unwrap the channa and use immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (Note: Save the whey for making your next batch of paneer, use it for cooking lentils or pilafs, or add it to soups.)
• Yields approximately 10 ounces. Nutrition Infomation: PER OUNCE (channa): 75 calories, 5 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), cholesterol and sodium content is not available, 0 g fiber.
• For Paneer cheese:
• Snugly wrap cheesecloth around the channa to form a"cake."
• Place on a cookie sheet, place another cookie sheet on top and add weights (for example, 2 or 3 large cans of tomatoes, 2 or 3 bricks, a large pitcher of water).
• Let the cheese sit for 2 to 4 hours.Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Yields 8 ounces (1 cup). Nutrition Infomation: PER OUNCE (paneer): 100 calories, 7 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (5 g saturated), cholesterol and sodium content is not available, 0 g fiber.

PANEER (PANIR)

Steps:

• Boil water in a large pot, then add milk.
• Bring to a full foaming boil, stirring to prevent sticking.
• Lower heat, the add lemon juice stirring constantly.
• Soft curds should appear in 10-15 seconds, separating from the light yellow, clear whey.
• Remove from heat and allow to stand 5-6 minutes.
• Line a colander with finely woven tea towels (not cheesecloth!).
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the curds from the pot and into the towel-lined colander. Use fine strainer to get the smallest remainders.
• Gather the corners of the towels and twist into a tight ball.
• Put a weight (heavy pan?) on top of the ball and let it rest 10 minutes.
• Unwrap and use in recipe or wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

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.

PANEER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to 195°F over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir frequently during the heating process to prevent the milk from scalding. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when you stir because this is where the milk is most prone to sticking. The milk will become foamy and bubbles will form on its surface once it reaches the desired temperature.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice until evenly distributed, which will cause the separation of curds from the whey. The process should begin right away, but don't fret if it takes a minute or two. Cover the pan and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes to let the acid work its magic. Check the mixture at this point: It should be slightly yellow and the curds should have completely separated from the whey. Don't panic if this hasn't happened completely yet. Simply add another teaspoon of acid and set aside for a few minutes more. This should do the trick.
• Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set the sieve over a bowl. Ladle the curds and whey into the sieve. Reserve the whey for another use. Season the curds (still in the sieve) with salt, stirring it in using a wooden spoon, then gather up the edges of the cheesecloth into a tight bundle and squeeze the excess whey from the curds. Place the cheesecloth and curds on a large plate and shape them into a square. Wrap the cheesecloth edges around the paneer and place a second plate on top of it to compress it. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. At this point the paneer is ready to use or it can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 3 days.

MUTTER PANEER -- INDIAN CHEESE CURRY

Steps:

• Put a little bit of oil in a deep, heavy bottomed frying pan and brown the cheese, turning frequently so no sides burn. When it is browned, set aside on a plate.
• Add more oil, if needed, to the pan and throw in the onions.
• Let them fry until golden, then add the garlic and spices.
• Fry some more for a couple minutes, then add the tin of tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water.
• Let simmer for about five minutes, then put in the fried cheese and peas and simmer covered over a low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Check the consistency and simmer some more if needed to bring it down to a thickness you like.
• Serve with rice and other Indian curries of your choice.

SAAG PANEER (PANIR) - INDIAN SPINACH AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Fry the onions, garlic, ginger and spices in oil for around 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, making sure the heat is down to a simmer.
• Add the spinach and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the paneer and yogurt and simmer for around 5 minutes.

INDIAN PANEER CHEESE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan bring cream (or whole milk) to just boiling.
• Remove from heat and slowly add vinegar.
• Stir and leave to crdle (aprox 5-6 min).
• Pour through a colander lined with muslin and allow to drain.
• ball up in muslin and squeese remaining curd and refridgerate.
• Chop cheese into large cubes it is now redy to use in your curry.

STIR FRIED PANEER WITH VEGGIES (PANEER BURJI)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium-high flame and saute garlic paste in it for 30 seconds, without allowing it to brown.
• Add the chopped onions and bell peppers and saute for 5-10 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
• Now turn the flame to high and add the paneer (or feta cheese), tomatoes, chili powder, garam masala, and salt, and saute with constant stirring for about 10 minutes or until all the juices have come out of the tomatoes and absorbed by the veggies and the paneer.
• Remove from flame and serve hot with rotis or bread!