Cottage cheese or paneer is a staple item in every Indian household, veg and nonveg alike. People procure their paneer from various available locations, from halwai shops to departmental stores; this common food item is available in almost every grocery shop. But have you ever wondered how paneer is made? Well, here's a recipe that not only tells you how paneer is made, but also teaches you on making it at your own home without any fuss.
Paneer is an Indian Cottage Cheese, which is made by separating the milk solid fats from the whey with the help of an acid. Therefore, it's also categorised as an acid-set cheese. Acid-set cheeses were first made in Bengal under the Portuguese influence, hence the first acid-set cheese invented there was called as bandel. It isn't an aged cheese like parmesan, nor does it melt like other cheeses, paneer is achieved after pressing the separated fat into a block. The cheese before this stage is called chenna, which is used in many Indian barfis. Cottage cheese has a moist, soft and springy texture from inside. Quick and Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese
Paneer is something that any typical household or any Indian get togethers can’t go without. It is the single most popular food item that is used in different delicacies and savoured with great delight. Most of the time people use it as a replacement for chicken in their gravies and marinades, but paneer is something that can work its magic really well on its own. Making paneer fresh at your home and that too with just two ingredients, by yourself would take your food flavour to a whole new level. Other than this, making your cheese at home for your dish gives you a sense of pride and achievement, and it truly upholds the meaning of making everything from scratch.
1) Pour your milk in a Meyer Saucepan and start heating it at medium low heat, till it almost reaches a boil..
2) Once the milk starts bubbling from the sides slightly, add vinegar to it.
3) Once the vinegar is added, turn off the heat, and mix in the vinegar completely into the milk. Keep stirring the mixture until you start to see the milk curds separating.
4) Once the milk curds have seperated, the water that is left will be translucent white in colour. After this step, strain your milk curds over a muslin or a cheese cloth, over a strainer.
5) Twist the cloth to seal the cheese and wring the cloth to remove as much moisture as you can at that point. Tie a knot and hang the cheese to strain for 30 minutes.
5) After 30 minutes, keep the cheese tied on a chopping board or any flat surface, and press it with a heavy object like a cast iron skillet, leave it like that for 2 hrs. This is done to give the paneer its shape.
6) After two hours, open the cheese cloth and remove the paneer from it. Use it any way you like, in any curry or gravy or store submerged in a bowl of water in the fridge.
Expert Tips
1) Make sure the milk is hot enough before you add the vinegar.
2) If the milk curds are not separating, put it back on the heat and stir.
3) If reheating doesn't work, add a touch more of vinegar to the milk to separate the curds.
Cottage cheese or paneer is a staple item in every Indian household, veg and nonveg alike. People procure their paneer from various available locations, from halwai shops to departmental stores; this common food item is available in almost every grocery shop. But have you ever wondered how paneer is made? Well, here's a recipe that not only tells you how paneer is made, but also teaches you on making it at your own home without any fuss.
Pour your milk in a saucepan and start heating it at medium low heat, till it almost reaches a boil.
Once the milk starts bubbling from the sides slightly, it's the perfect stage to add your vinegar to it.
Once the vinegar is added, turn off the heat, and mix in the vinegar completely into the milk. keep stirring the mixture until you start to see the milk curds separating.
Once the milk curds have seperated and the water left is translucent white in colour. After this step, strain your milk curds over a muslin or a cheese cloth, over a strainer.
Twist the cloth to seal the cheese and wring the cloth to remove as much moisture as you can at that point. Tie a knot and hang the cheese to strain for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, keep the cheese tied on a chopping board or any flat surface, and press it with a heavy object like a cast iron skillet, leave it like that for 2 hrs. This is done to give the paneer its shape.
After two hours, open the cheese cloth and remove the paneer from it. use it any way you like, in any curry or gravy or store submerged in a bowl of water in the fridge.
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