I told Gale we would be posting a new No-Excuses Cheesemaking lesson today and she was surprised that I had store-bought milk in the house AGAIN after the stink-eye she gave me last time. It took me 11 animal crackers and half a banana to get back in her good graces! But once again I convinced her that it was for the good of all our friends who want to make cheese at home and don’t have sweet goats in their back yard to give them yummy fresh milk, and she is finally coming around to my way of thinking. Oh, that silly girl!
Today we’ll be making a non-melting Indian cheese called paneer. Sometimes you’ll see it spelled “panir”. In India, this is a cheese that’s made on the day it’s needed and eaten fresh. Paneer is designed to pick up flavors from the dishes it’s used in, so be bold in your seasonings when you cook with it and don’t be afraid to experiment, either. You’ll want to Google the recipes for Saag Paneer (paneer with spinach), Matar Paneer (paneer with peas) and paneer curry recipes too, as the paneer will absorb the glorious umami flavors of the curry spices. Of course, if you want to try out some paneer dishes but don’t know yet if you’ll like Indian foods – you will, though, because Indian food is amazing! – there are plenty of convenient options like this ready-to-eat variety pack of Paneer dishes
These are the things you’ll need to gather up. As you can see, you don’t need much and you probably already have it on hand. Go get a lidded pot, a colander and a bowl for it to sit in, a clean cheapie white handkerchief or several layers of cheesecloth, a half gallon of milk, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, a big spoon, and two plates and some canned food to help press out the whey. The thermometer is optional. You won’t actually need it but I’m a habitual temperature-taker so I keep mine handy.
I should point out here that I had company the day I made my paneer to show you, and I wanted to have extra paneer for supper that night, so I doubled my recipe. My amount will look large to you because I’m going to give you the recipe for one single batch, and you’ll be making about 3/4 of a pound of paneer, give or take. That is more than plenty for most recipes. Just be aware that your yield will look like less than mine because I’m making more here. Okay, now that that’s out of the way…..
Put a half gallon (8 cups) of milk in your pot and bring it just to a gentle boil. Take your time so you don’t scorch the milk and stir it frequently. Once you reach the boil, reduce the heat to low, and stir in your 1/4 cup of lemon juice. You’ll see the curds separate out from the whey almost immediately, like they did in Lesson 1: Lemon Cheese. Now turn the heat completely off.
Put the lid on the pot and let it sit for about two minutes while you line your colander with the hankie or cheesecloth and set the colander in the large bowl in your sink to catch the whey. Gently pour the curds and whey into the colander, or spoon the curds into it. (Save the whey for making bread or feed it to your chickens or add it to your compost pile.)
Then gather up the corners of the cloth and twist the curds into a ball. Rinse the curd ball under cool running water to rinse out the lemon juice.
(You can now squeeze out a little more of the water by hand, mix in some ground nuts and honey and eat it as it is, similar to a ricotta. If you want a savory cheese, though, don’t add the nuts or honey and follow the rest of the instructions.)
Since we want our paneer to be dinner’s main course, we’ll tie the corners of the cloth around the kitchen faucet and allow the curds to drain for about 5 more minutes. Then take the curd bundle, squish it into a flattened shape with the cloth knot off to one side (which keeps your cheese smooth and pretty!) and set it between two plates. Place a couple of canned goods on the top plate to help press out more of the whey. The whole thing can now sit on the countertop or in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to a half hour.
Unwrap your pretty cheese and cut it into slices or cubes for use in your recipes. And I would like to point out here that you’ve just gotten your first experience with pressing cheese! Pat yo’ bad selves on the back for trying out a new skill!
My favorite way to eat paneer is to season it, dip it in beaten egg and bread crumbs, and fry it in a shallow pan as an appetizer. I used chili powder, salt, pepper and seasoned bread crumbs. Paneer doesn’t melt, so it will keep its shape when you cook it. You can use whatever you like to season it; just be sure to use enough to really give your cheese a lot of flavor.
Please notice that there is NO salt added to the curds of this cheese, which is a different method than most cheeses. Usually salt is added after draining and before pressing or eating fresh, but not this time. Because of this, paneer does not last long in the fridge and should be eaten within about three days.
To remind you of our “No Excuses” points:
- Think you don’t have enough time? Start to finish, this took me about two hours, maybe two and a half.
- Think you need expensive ingredients or tools? I paid Alaska prices, so you are likely to make your cheese for even less money than I did. The milk was $3.38 for the whole gallon on 2/3/2018, I used about a dollar’s worth of lemon juice, call it fifty cents’ worth of various seasonings, an egg, let’s call it a dollar’s worth of seasoned bread crumbs, and a forty-cent white handkerchief. I buy 13-packs of hankies at WalMart which cost $5/pack at the time of this writing. That was for a double recipe, and I made enough fried paneer slices for three people to eat at dinner and for me to eat for breakfast the next morning.
- Think you need a goat? Or a cow? Or access to raw milk? Nope, I bought the least-expensive gallon of milk I could buy at the grocery store. And it worked. The only type of milk you can’t use is nut milk or UHT (ultra-high temperature pasteurized) milk. The better quality milk you buy, the better your cheese will be, but I want to prove that even budget milk will still make cheese.
- Think it’s too easy to mess up the recipe? No, not at all. Especially if you started with the Lemon Cheese lesson, this will be a familiar process to you, and even if this is the first recipe you try, there’s really nothing to mess up.
- Think you’ll only be able to make this one kind of cheese at home, and you’ll get bored with it? Not with me to help you learn! Next we’ll be making whole-milk ricotta for lasagna or desserts. So stay tuned! And be sure to let me know how you like your paneer!
This post contains affiliate links which, if you make a purchase through them, might result in a small commission for me. It won’t affect your purchase price in any way, but will help me afford Gale’s animal crackers.