Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

Homemade paneer, with its mild milky flavour and firm but creamy texture is the easiest cheese you can make with just 3 ingredients.

This lovely tasting non-melting cheese is a great source of vegetarian protein and is good either on its own or as an ingredient in vegetarian recipes.

Homemade paneer is pretty easy to make but there are certain things that need to be kept in mind if you want to make a really good one as opposed to just the okay-ish kind.

I have been making it myself for many years now and hope that the following tips will help you make excellent paneer at home.

Tips For Making The Best Homemade Paneer:

• Raw, unpasteurised whole milk is a must for good quality and decent yield.
• UHT treated milk can be used but both the quality and quantity of your final product will be significantly lower.
• Fresh lemon juice can be used instead of white vinegar in the recipe, though I find paneer made with lemon juice tends to have a very pale yellow tint compared to the bright white shade that paneer made with white vinegar has.
• A clean muslin cloth (that you use exclusively for cheese making) placed over a sieve is excellent for draining the whey from the curds.
• The handy dandy paneer press that I use and was sent to me by my maternal aunt from Karachi. It measures nearly 4” in diameter and is around 2 1/4” high.
  She purchased it from Bohri Bazaar but in case you wish to order one online, a couple of sellers on Daraz.pk are stocking stainless steel ones.
• 1 litre of quality unpasteurised milk usually yields around 170 grams or so of cheese.
• For a rich and creamy paneer, store it  submerged in drinking water in an airtight container in the fridge.
  The yield will increase to around 200+ grams within 24 hours.
• It will not dry out should you grill or fry it, which seems to be a common issue with paneer.
• Stored airtight, submerged in drinking water in the fridge, the paneer stays fresh up to 3-4 days as long as you change the water once daily.

Delicious Recipes Made With Homemade Paneer:

Paneer is a pretty versatile ingredient. Check out my recipe for Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons for the ultimate crispy, cheesy starter.
For a satisfying Hyderabadi style main course, have a look at my super delicious Tamatar Paneer.

Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

 

Recipe Type: Homemade Cheese

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 litre raw unpasteurised whole milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

 

METHOD

1. Add 1/4 cup water to a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Pour in the milk and bring to the boil over medium heat.
3. When milk reaches the boil, lower the heat and let boil for 5 minutes.
4. Stir the white vinegar into the remaining 1/4 cup of water.
5. Lower the heat under the milk and slowly stir in the vinegar solution.
6. The curds will begin to separate from the whey (which will have a greenish tinge, ideally).
7. Turn off the heat, let sit a minute or so.
8. Line a sieve suspended over a bowl with a clean muslin cloth.
9. Transfer the separated curds onto the muslin cloth with a slotted spoon.
10. Alternatively, the curds can be transferred directly into a paneer press if using one.
11. Let drain 2 minutes then cover with the cloth sides and place a weight on top.
12. If using a paneer press, place the lid down firmly and place a weight on top (I usually use my small steel mortar).
13. After an hour or so, remove the disc of paneer from the muslin or press and place in a container with a lid.
14. The paneer is ready to be used though I find the texture vastly improves in creaminess once it is submerged in drinking water and stored airtight in the fridge for a day.
15. Store 3-4 days in the fridge, changing the water once daily.
16. This recipe makes a 3.5” – 4” paneer disc with a 3/4” thickness.