Paneer Indian Cottage Cheese Food

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.

MUTTER PANEER (PEAS AND COTTAGE CHEESE

Steps:

• Grind onions into a fine paste in a food processor. Keep aside.
• Next grind tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.
• Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a pan and gently stir-fry the cubes of paneer till golden.
• Remove onto a paper towel and keep aside.
• In the same vessel heat 2-3 tbsps of oil and add the onion paste. Fry till it turns light brown.
• Add tomato paste, ginger and garlic paste and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders, green chillies and fry, stirring continuously till the oil begins to separate from the masala (spice mixture).
• Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Then add the paneer, water and salt, reduce flame to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.
• When the gravy is as thick as you would like, turn off the flame and stir in the cream.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

COTTAGE CHEESE IN SPINACH GRAVY(PALAK PANEER)

Steps:

• Remove the stems from the spinach,blanch them in hot water and grind them into a fine paste.
• Add butter in a heavy bottomed vessel and add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add finely onions and green chili saute them till light brown. Don't burn them.Mean while shallow fry cottage cheese cubes in 1 tbsp of oil slightly brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry further for 3 minutes. Add red chili powder and coriander powder and combine well.
• Blend the tomatoes,add the tomato paste and let it cook for 5-6 min on medium heat. Add the spinach paste and let it cook further for another 4-5 minute.
• Add the fried cottage cheese(paneer) cubes and combine. Cook covered on low heat for 3 minute Add the spinach water and salt and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minute.
• Add heavy cream, garam masala powder and chopped cilantro and mix well.
• Reduce flame, cover and cook for 2 mts.
• Serve hot with flat breads or white rice.

PANEER ( INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE)

Steps:

• Bring the milk to the boil. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, and wait until the solids shift from the whey. If this does not happen after a minute or so, add some more juice or vinegar.
• Now put a clean cloth in a sieve and poor the fluid through the sieve.
• After one hour, the cheese will be like cottage cheese, especially if you add some salt and a few tablespoons cream.
• If you wait longer and put a weight on top, it will be firm white cheese.

MALAI METHI PANEER(DELICIOUS INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE CURRY)

Steps:

• Take a microwaveable glass bowl and toss in the onion, ginger and garlic in it.
• Microwave it on HIGH power level for 2 minutes.
• Add the coarsely ground cumin, whole red chilli, corriander seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and kasoori methi.
• Microwave it on HIGH power level for 1 minute.
• Stir in the tomato puree, capsicum and 1/4 cup of water.
• Microwave on HIGH power level for 2 minutes.
• Add the cottage cheese cubes, cream, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup of water.
• Mix it very gently so as to not let the cottage cheese cubes break.
• Microwave on HIGH power level for 1 minute.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rotis (chappatis) or naan or white Basmati rice.
• Enjoy!

EASY BUTTER PANNER (INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE)

Steps:

• Cut the paneer into small cubes and set aside.
• Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, tumeric powder, white pepper powder, chopped tomatoes and salt (to taste) together. Feel free to adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your own taste/preference.
• Add the cubes of paneer (or meat of your choice) to the yogurt mix and leave aside to marinade. (I needed only about 20mins for the paneer.).
• Mix the chili powder and the meat curry powder together just enough water for the mixture to come together into a ball. Again, feel free to vary the amounts to your taste.
• Heat the oil till smoking.
• Fry the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise till fragrant.
• Hint: You may prefer to split open the cardamom and use just the seeds. Grind and fry the seeds (omitting the skins) if there are family members who are very picky and hate cardamon.
• Reduce the head to medium flame, then add the onion and fry till golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
• Add the chilli-meat curry powder paste and fry till fragrant.
• Now add the paneer together with the marinade.
• Add the evapourate milk and salt to taste.
• Stir well and let it simmer till the paneer is cooked.
• Remove from heat, drizzle with the melted butter and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
• This dish goes well with bread, rotis or even plain white rice.