Paneer Panir 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.