Homemade Paneer
Authentic Indian Cheese Without the Jet Lag
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that kids love cheese. Well, most kids love cheese. But do most kids love most types of cheese? I’m not venturing th...
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 12 ounces of cheese
- 8 cups whole organic milk
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional as needed
Preparation
SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED:
Cheesecloth or nut milk bag
TO PREPARE
Place a large double layer of cheesecloth or nut milk bag into a colander.
Pour milk into a wide soup pot. Bring up to a slow boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the milk. This can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient.
When it is just boiling, add the ¼ cup lemon juice and turn the heat to low, stirring gently. You should see the curds (white milk solids) separate from the whey (greenish clear liquid). If they don’t, add more lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time. Once they separate, remove the pot from the heat and gently stir the mixture in 1 direction, so that the curds come together rather than separating.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully scoop the curds into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Very gently rinse the cheese with cool water (this will remove most of the lemon flavor).
Gather the edges of the cheesecloth and twist the cheese into a tight ball, squeezing out the excess whey. Hook the ends of the cheesecloth packet over a large wooden spoon and let drain over a bowl or sink for about 10 minutes.
Keeping the drained cheese in the cheesecloth, place it onto a rimmed plate, placing another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans or a heavy pot to flatten the cheese. Chill for at least 20 minutes.
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