Home made Paneer

It was really an experience making Paneer at home. I'd made it once long time back & hadn't turned out that great. So had given up the idea of trying again. After searching to find a paneer equivalent in German & Turkish shops, thought of trying it again. The cheese which I used for paneer butter masala was not that good. I would be making something for deepavali with Paneer for the festival on Saturday or probably next week.

As I was researching online to find a good method to start with, I was getting disappointed as I din't have the right type of cheese cloth at home to prepare paneer. I asked our neighbor, who is a grandma as to how was the cheese prepared in olden days. She got me a cloth that some how resembled bandage cloth. She then told me it's called "babywindeln" in German.

Ingredients: -

2 lt 3.8% milk (more fat content in the milk, the better Paneer can be made)

3-4 tbsp fresh lime juice

Cheese cloth

Something heavy to keep on the cheese cloth with paneer.

Method: -

1. In a heavy bottom pan, pour milk & bring it to boil.

2. The milk has to be constantly stirred in order to prevent cream formation & to ensure the bottom of the pan is not getting burnt.

3. When the milk begins to boil, add fresh lime juice.
4. The milk solidifies & one can see it getting separated from water. This doesn't happen immediately though.

5. Strain the cheese-water mixture through the cheese cloth as shown below.

6. Squeeze as much water as possible by hanging the cheese cloth & placing a vessel below it to collect water.

7. Then tie a knot & place the cheese cloth bundle in a box without closing it.

8. Place something heavy like a pile of books or a brick on the box in a way that the weight is directly on the cheese cloth. This will press down the cheese.
9. Let this be for 2-3 hours.

10. Then remove the cheese from the cloth & cut it into small cubes or desired shape.

11. Store it in the refrigerator. Hopefully it should stay for a week at least.