Paneer is fresh cheese common in South Asia, especially in Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisines. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids. Paneer is a versatile ingredient. It is soft and moist. You can actually plan a 3 or 4-course meal with paneer. This recipe is a strict teacher. You follow it well and it will give you the best of results.
Homemade Paneer can be used for making any paneer preparation. I use it for various paneer preparations. You may like our collection of Paneer Gravies Recipes.
1. Boil 1-litre milk.
2. Once the milk boils, give it a very light stir so that the steam escapes. Let the milk cool for 5 minutes. If any layer of fat (malai) forms on it, remove it.
3. Mix 2 tbsp white vinegar in 1 cup water.
4. Add the water-vinegar mix to the boiled milk.
5. Give a very gentle stir while mixing it. DO NOT STIR RIGOROUSLY. The paneer will start to curdle. Remember big lumps of paneer will give you softer paneer, whereas if you stir rigorously you’ll get smaller lumps resulting in hard paneer. Now let this sit till it cools down to the room temperature.
6. Once it cools separate the greenish water from the paneer. For that line, a strainer with a muslin cloth and put it on a big bowl. Pour the mixture into this.
7. Take the four ends of the cloth, tie them together and hang at an appropriate place. DO NOT SQUEEZE IT. Leave it for an hour.
8. After an hour take it out on a dry kitchen towel. Give this mix a gentle massage with the heel of your palm for half a minute.
9. Add 1 tbsp corn flour. This is optional. I have made paneer without cornflour too and it stayed intact in the gravies.
10. Mix the paneer and corn flour.
11. Again give this mix a gentle massage with the heel of your palm till the paneer smoothens.
12. Bring the paneer together. Fold the kitchen towel into a square so that you get a big square of paneer and can get nice cubes thereafter.
13. Place some weight over this and leave it for 5 minutes.
14. Refrigerate the paneer for half an hour.
15. After half an hour cut it into cubes.
16. Paneer is ready for use.
PREP TIME 10 minutes + 2 hours rest time
COOK TIME 10 Minutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes + 2 hours passive time
• 1-litre full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp corn flour (optional)
1. Boil 1-litre milk.
2. Once the milk boils, give it a very light stir so that the steam escapes. Let the milk cool for 5 minutes. If any layer of fat (malai) forms on it, remove it.
3. Mix 2 tbsp white vinegar in 1 cup water.
4. Add the water-vinegar mix to the boiled milk.
5. Give a very gentle stir while mixing it. DO NOT STIR RIGOROUSLY. The paneer will start to curdle. Remember big lumps of paneer will give you softer paneer, whereas if you stir rigorously you’ll get smaller lumps resulting in hard paneer. Now let this sit till it cools down to the room temperature.
6. Once it cools separate the greenish water from the paneer. For that line, a strainer with a muslin cloth and put it on a big bowl. Pour the mixture into this.
7. Take the four ends of the cloth, tie them together and hang at an appropriate place. DO NOT SQUEEZE IT. Leave it for an hour.
8. After an hour take it out on a dry kitchen towel. Give this mix a gentle massage with the heel of your palm for half a minute.
9. Add 1 tbsp corn flour. This is optional. I have made paneer without cornflour too and it stayed intact in the gravies.
10. Mix the paneer and corn flour.
11. Again give this mix a gentle massage with the heel of your palm till the paneer smoothens.
12. Bring the paneer together. Fold the kitchen towel into a square so that you get a big square of paneer and can get nice cubes thereafter.
13. Place some weight over this and leave it for 5 minutes.
14. Refrigerate the paneer for half an hour.
15. After half an hour cut it into cubes.
16. Paneer is ready for use.
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Preparing paneer today. Have kept it for resting. Hoping for the best 🙂
It will be the best… you bet 🙂
thanx