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    How to make Paneer

    June 30, 2014

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    How to make PaneerPaneer a good source of protein is commonly used in Indian cuisine. Paneer also referred as cottage cheese is a non – aged cheese and is being made in India for generations. How to make Paneer.

    Unlike other cheeses which uses rennet for coagulation- preparation of paneer includes – heat coagulation of milk by adding any one of these food acids- critic acid, vinegar, lemon juice or curd. Curdling of milk results in light greenish white tinge of whey -use it to knead dough which results in softer puris and rotis.

    MY INTAKE ON SOFTER PANEER – Since my home science days I have made paneer with all of the above mentioned food acids.

    • Paneer made with citric acid has a very clean milky flavor.
    • Paneer made with vinegar results in a much thicker curdling of milk, but use the exact measurements.
    • Paneer prepared using lemon juice has a mild sour touch.
    • Lastly paneer made with curd makes softer paneer. How to make Paneer

    Making paneer can be a daunting task for some but if followed the right method its a breeze and it tastes good. ALWAYS use full cream milk to make paneer. How to make Paneer

    RULE OF THUMB TO GOOD PANEER IS – BOIL – STIR- STRAIN.

    BOIL- Make sure the milk is fully boiled before stirring in the food acids.

    STIR- Once boiled immediately stir in food acids.When adding the food acids, stir milk gently as it may break the forming curds.

    STRAIN – As soon as it curdles take it off the gas and strain. Paneer will loose its softness and texture if boiled past its coagulation.

    INGREDIENTS –

    4 cups OR 1 Litre of Full cream milk

    1/8 cup OR 2 Tablespoon of vinegar

    Muslin cloth to strain the curds

    METHOD –

    Always use whole milk or full cream milk to make paneer. Reason- Whole milk is much richer in taste and texture. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan.How to make Paneer

    When the milk becomes frothy and bubbles start to form on top that’s the time to add vinegar/lemon juice.

    How to make Paneer

    Pour in vinegar/lemon juice. How to make Paneer

    How to make Paneer

    Slowly mix vinegar/lemon juice in the milk and milk will curdle. Take it off the flame and keep stirring and you can see the whey getting separated. 

    How to make Paneer

    When the whey/liquid in curdle milk turns to pale green in color, take the pan off the flame.

    How to make Paneer

    Meanwhile line a strainer with muslin cloth.

    How to make Paneer

    Strain paneer into that muslin cloth. How to make Paneer

    How to make Paneer

    Wash paneer under cold water to get rid of vinegar/lemon juice taste.

    How to make Paneer

    Squeeze paneer and allow the water to drain.

    How to make Paneer

    You can also hang paneer/chenna for 20- 30 minutes until the water stops dripping.

    How to make Paneer

    Remove paneer from cloth. Paneer should feel crumbly but moist. How to make Paneer

    How to make Paneer

    Time to press – With the help of a spoon give it a smooth round shape, fold the muslin cloth around it and weigh it down by placing a heavy weight over it. In my case I am using a puri maker. Allow it to set for about an hour. Once firm like a block, paneer is ready- cut it in cubes or triangles and store it in fridge or freeze it for future use.

    How to make Paneer at home

    FACTS ABOUT PANEER

    1. There are many types of cheese that are made in India on a small scale, but paneer is the only cheese which can be compared to Western cheese in terms of texture. Good paneer can be made from milk which contains 5 % more fat than normal milk. Therefore, buffalo milk is more suitable for preparing paneer.

    2. Paneer is the most popular form of cheese that is prepared in Indian homes and used generously in cooking and confectioneries like rasgullas and sandesh.

    3. If you want to cut paneer into a particular shape then place the paneer in a rectangular tray and it will take that shape while setting. In this way it will be easier to cut into squares, triangles, etc.

    4. Grated paneer can be used to decorate a simple dish and make it look quite tempting. Even a paneer burji can make your breakfast more lively.

    5. Homemade paneer not only looks delicious, but it tastes delicious, too. No wonder it has carved a niche for itself in the vegetarian world and the soft color of paneer heightens the colors of other ingredients.How to make Paneer

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    Comments

    1. Jyothi Chandani says

      April 10, 2018 at 11:54 pm

      Hi 🙂 so everytime I make paneer I get very very less yield 🙁 it’s heartbreaking hahaha. Any tips ? Is it because I add lemon juice little by little… Or maybe I need to add more…

      Reply
      • Ruchi says

        April 11, 2018 at 6:30 pm

        Yes, that’s the possible reason.
        Make sure the milk is well boiled. Then pour in the mentioned quantity of lemon juice – all in one go.
        This will give you great results.

        Reply
        • Jyothi says

          April 12, 2018 at 1:33 am

          Right, okay 🙂 will do that next time onwards. Thank you !!!!😃

          Reply
          • Ruchi says

            April 12, 2018 at 8:34 am

            My pleasure. 🙂

            Reply
    2. Bee says

      July 1, 2016 at 10:38 am

      Thanks for this great recipe and also the pictures! I really thought that making paneer is very difficult but it was actually quite simple. I only have one problem though: when I make paneer it turns out to be very crumbly. It tastes great and it’s also super soft but when I want to cook it in gravy or even when I just want to cut it in cubes it starts to crumble. On the last picture above, the paneer looks really smooth and not crumbly at all. Do you have an idea what I might have done wrong? I’m using lemon juice to curdle the milk and I’m also only using full fat milk!

      Reply
      • Ruchi says

        July 2, 2016 at 9:33 am

        Thanks for sharing your experience with me Bee. You have followed the recipe to the T. Paneer needs to be pressed under a solid weight to obtain a firm block.

        Paneer in the last pic is pressed under a solid weight for an hour, chilled and then cut into cubes. 🙂

        Reply
        • Bee says

          July 3, 2016 at 11:15 am

          Thank you, Ruchi! I used to press it but I think I didn’t do it for an hour. I will try that next time along with a heavier weight! Thank you so much! 🙂

          Reply
          • Ruchi says

            July 3, 2016 at 5:40 pm

            You are welcome, Bee. 🙂

            Reply
    3. avantika says

      January 15, 2016 at 11:36 am

      how much curd/lemon to use for curdling the milk?
      Also do we need to boil the Homogenised milk as well for making curd or paneer?

      Reply
      • RK says

        January 15, 2016 at 7:22 pm

        Thanks for stopping by Avantika!! To make paneer and curd, milk needs to be boiled. Use 2 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to curdle milk.

        Reply
    4. A regular visitor says

      July 20, 2015 at 10:11 am

      Another successful recipe from your site. Now I am all in for homemade paneer. Can you freeze this panner for future use? I have prepared a huge batch. Some bright and clear pictures will be really helpful Ruchi! Thanks for all your wonderful collection.

      Reply
      • RK says

        July 20, 2015 at 9:54 pm

        Thanks for trying out the recipe. Glad you liked it! Yes, you can freeze paneer. Store it in an airtight container or plastic zip lock bags and freeze it.

        Reply
    5. Renu says

      June 19, 2015 at 8:25 am

      This was so easy to make, and the texture was amazing. I used vinegar as you stated and strained and it through a strainer. Result white grainy Paneer. Thanks!

      Reply
      • RK says

        June 20, 2015 at 9:39 am

        Thanks Renu!

        Reply
    6. Rupali says

      June 13, 2015 at 6:31 am

      Really a wonderful paneer recipe. Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe with step by step process of making homemade paneer. Pictures um sorry to say not too good but explanation is very very informative! I just tried it in my home today. So firm and so tasty. Thanks a lot.

      Reply
      • RK says

        June 13, 2015 at 6:15 pm

        You are welcome Rupali. Glad to hear that and will surely try to update the pictures 🙂

        Reply
    7. Sudha says

      April 28, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Have tried many ways of making paneer but none sucessful. Tried your way n got super duper paneer. Thank u. You are the best.
      Sudha

      Reply
      • RK says

        April 28, 2015 at 5:31 pm

        You are welcome Sudha! Happy to know that you got a perfect paneer 🙂

        Reply
    8. Priya khanna says

      April 2, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      My mom referred me your website and I am liking it. My first ever homemade paneer came out perfect. Thanks Ruchi

      Reply
      • RK says

        April 2, 2015 at 11:12 pm

        You are very welcome Priya!!

        Reply
    9. Prachi says

      April 1, 2015 at 10:41 pm

      Great way of explaining. Thanks Ruchi and my paneer was superb!

      Reply
      • RK says

        April 1, 2015 at 10:52 pm

        You are welcome Prachi. Nothing can beat a homemade Paneer 🙂

        Reply
    10. sandhya says

      March 29, 2015 at 8:46 pm

      Paneer was a success, thanks Ruchi great tutorial.

      Reply
      • RK says

        March 29, 2015 at 9:37 pm

        Thanks Sandhya!!

        Reply

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