Learn how to make paneer at home with this easy to follow instructions and pictures.
Who can resist the soft, chewy texture of paneer? I can't. I love paneer as much as chicken and meat dishes. In fact, whenever I visit an Indian restaurant, I always order a paneer dish. So much love for this Indian cheese.
I used to buy frozen paneer for years. I never thought making paneer at home is so easy. But one day, I made this beautifully luscious cottage cheese from scratch successfully at my very first attempt. Since then, I make paneer regularly. No more frozen stuff.
Making paneer at home is not a big deal. Even a beginner in the kitchen can do this successfully. And I'm going to show you how to do it with my no-fail recipe.
Let's start with the basics. First, use full fat cow milk. Low fat and skim milk just won't work. Second, the curdling ingredient. This can be lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt. Third, you must squeeze out as much water as possible from the curdled milk. Otherwise, paneer will not hold its shape, and you won't be able to cut it into desired shapes. In short, you'll end up with crumbled paneer.
As we head to the recipe, keep these three important things in mind, and you will get perfect paneer each and every time.
How to Make Paneer
Ingredients
- 2 L whole full cream milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Pour milk into a large pot. Place it over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir continuously to avoid skin forming on the milk.
- When milk has boiled, add the curdling ingredient lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt (I used ¼ cup lemon juice) into the milk. Milk will curdle immediately. Continue to stir. If the milk hasn’t curdled, add more curdling ingredient.
- When milk has curdled completely, pour it into a muslin or cotton cloth placed in a sieve set over a large bowl. Gather the sides of the cloth, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This liquid is called whey. You can use whey in curries, soups, or in roti dough instead of water.
- Transfer the curdled milk to a plate, and cover with the cloth. Place a heavy object over the cheese. Leave it for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove cheese from the cloth. You will get a block of curdled milk. This is called paneer. Cut paneer into desired shapes.
- You can refrigerate paneer for up to 2-3 days.
Video
Nutrition
Traditionallymodernfood says
Looks perfect..homemade is always best
Sharvari (Mumbai to Melbourne) says
Paneer Is my all time favorite as well! Very well explained I only make paneer at home when I am making bengali sweets
CHCooks says
Love homemade paneer 🙂
Ritu Ahuja says
Love homemade paneer. It looks fresh and delicious. 🙂
Will Newton says
Always been nervous of making paneer but going to give it a go. Can paneer be flavoured by the addition of spices such as fenugreek?
Rose Mary George says
Yes, you can add spices or even herbs