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Written by Adiraja d 'Conch'
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Thursday, 01 December 2005 |
10 cups (2.3 l) whole milk
5 tbs lemon juice, or 2 tsp citric acid, or 1 1/4 cups (300ml) yoghurt, or 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) sour whey
Heat the milk over medium heat in a pot large enough to allow the milk to rise without overflowing. While waiting for the milk to boil, prepare the curdling agent and get a strainer ready by lining it with two layers of cheesecloth and propping it above a receptacle to collect the whey.
When the milk begins to rise, stir in the curdling agent. Almost immediately, the sponge like paneer will separate from the clear, yellow-green whey, with a kind of magical suddenness. If the whey is not clear, add a little more curdling agent and stir again.
After the curds and the whey have separated completely, remove the pot from the heat. Collect the curds in the cheesecloth. Rinse them under cold water for half a minute to make them firmer and to remove any excess curdling agent, which would alter the taste. Then press out the rest of the liquid in one of the following ways:
- firm paneer for cheese cubes—bind the paneer in the cheesecloth and press it with a weight for some time. Longer = firmer
- soft cheese—simply tighten cheesecloth around the paneer and squeeze out the water.
Paneer can be used in many ways—in savory or sweet dishes.
Every vegetarian meal saves an animal from suffering.
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