Paneer Cheese Patties In Creamy Thickened Milk 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.

SAFFRON MILK PATTIES

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, soak the saffron threads in the milk about 30 minutes. Then, in a large nonstick skillet or saucepan, mix the cream, dry milk, and ricotta cheese and cook, stirring, over medium heat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the saffron-infused milk and the saffron, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture (khoa) is almost dry and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 7 to 10 minutes.2. Remove from the heat. Let cool about 1 hour and shape the mixture into 1-inch patties. Then, with your thumb, press into the center of each patty to make a slight depression. Press some ground pistachios into the depression and serve, preferably at room temperature.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PANEER CHEESE PATTIES IN CREAMY THICKENED MILK

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the paneer cheese in advance. Soak the saffron threads in the milk about 30 minutes. Prepare the dessert masala. Then place the paneer cheese and the flour in a food processor and process until it's smooth and starts to gather into a soft and pliable dough (just before it forms a ball). Divide the dough equally into 8 portions and shape each portion into 1 1/2-inch patties that are free from cracks. This should be done between the palms of your clean hands, applying gentle pressure as you shape them. Cover and set aside.2. Place the water, sugar, cardamom pods, and cardamom seeds in a pressure cooker and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and add the cheese patties. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker, place it over high heat, and cook until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid of the pressure cooker, transfer about 1 cup of the syrup to a saucepan, and simmer until it is reduced by about half. Reserve. Mix 1 cup boiling water into the contents of the pressure cooker and set it aside to cool.3. Meanwhile, heat the half-and-half (or more). Mix in the reduced sugar syrup. Taste and add more sugar, if needed.4. When the patties are cool enough to handle, lightly squeeze them to remove most of the liquid, and add the patties to the thickened milk sauce. Mix in the saffron-infused milk and the saffron, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer another minute. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the silver leaves (if using), sprinkle the dessert masala on top, cover, and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.