Paneer Cheese Making Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon of Milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
- 1 tsp Citric Acid
- Salt (optional)
Equipment
- Good Thermometer
- Measuring Cup & Spoons
- Spoon or ladle to Stir Curds
- Large Colander
- Butter Muslin
- Instructions
- Paneer Info
- Reviews
- Q & A
-
Heat Milk
Buffalo milk was most traditionally used for this with its butterfat content of about 6%, but whole milk in the 3 - 4.5% range is commonly used today and much more readily available.
A low fat version using skim milk has been produced but has developed a reputation for being chewy and rubbery.
The milk used should be as fresh as possible; even cold stored milk has enzymes working at the cold temperatures to break down the proteins and compromise the milks flavor and ability to form a good cheese.
Begin by heating 1 gallon of fresh milk to 185-194F (85-90C). You can best do this by placing the pot with milk into a sink of very warm water. If you do this in a pot on the stove make sure you heat the milk slowly and stir it well as it heats.
Once the milk has reached the correct temperature, continue to hold the milk at this temperature for about 20-30 minutes. This will prepare the milk proteins to respond well to the acid addition in the next step.
-
Add Citric Acid
Add 1tsp of citric acid to 16oz of 170F water. This is a very diluted acid of about 2%. This will be about the same temperature that we will be cooling the milk to.
Before adding the diluted citric acid, allow the milk to cool to 170F. This is a more protein friendly temperature and allows the acid to easily mix into the milk before the proteins begin to coagulate. The result will be a more even curd development.
Once cooled to 170F, slowly add the diluted citric acid to the milk while gently stiring. This will begin separating the milk solids from liquid. Continue the slow stir until you see a separation of white curd and a yellow green whey, milk with a high fat content may have a cloudy whey.When you see a nice separation, shown in the above photo, stop stirring. The pot can now sit quiet for 20 minutes.
While waiting, line a steralized colander with butter muslin in preparation for drainign the curds.
Note: You can place the colander inside a large bowl to collect the whey for other uses, even if it's just for the garden or compost pile. -
Drain Curds
The curds can now be transferred to the colander lined with butter muslin. Begin by ladling the whey from the surface into the lined colander. Once the whey has been partially removed, the remaining curd can be poured into the drain cloth.
The curd should be allowed to drain for 30 minutes, a gentle stir half way through will help the to whey drain.
-
Press Curds
Once the curd has drained for 30 minutes, the cloth can be pulled up and tied into a ball. Make sure the cloth is pulled tightly around the curd mass. Then place a plate or lid over the curd. Place about 1-2 gallons of warm water into a pot and set it ontop of the plate, as shown above, this is a quick and easy "cheese press." Press the curd for 10 to 15 minutes. The amount of weight and time for pressing will depend on how dry and compact you want your final Paneer to be.
If you saved the whey, it contains a lot of flavor and nutrients and is great to use in stocks and soups, some folks have found it to be very tasty when cooled for just drinking. Taste it and see. If nothing else take it to the garden or compost pile.
-
Finished Cheese
Fresh Paneer won't last long in the fridge and should be used within a few days. Many people think that because the milk has been heated to such a high temperature, that it's stable for long term storage, this is not true.
The problems with storing this cheese are two fold:
- It contains a high level of lactose that will fuel any bacteria that it is exposed to during the post process.
- Tests have found that the ambient bacteria that it is exposed to (not traditional dairy bacteria, so not good) will multiply several thousand times within a week.
It can be stored at fridge temperature for 4-7 days with no salting and for 10 days to 2 weeks if lightly salted (2%) and packed in an air tight container.
When pressed the cheese will be firm and compact and once chilled it can be easily cut and cooked or fried. Traditionally, Paneer is made fresh and used within a day.
In making your own Paneer, you have control over how you want to use the cheese. The curd can be drained for a soft, crumbly cheese or lightly pressed for a firm slicing and grilling cheese.
By changing the cream content of the milk, the type of acid and the draining method, you can make a wide variety of cheeses.
Fresh Paneer that hasn't been pressed very long tends to be more crumbly and is best for sauces.
Firm Paneer can be sautéed, seared, or grilled, and still retain both it's shape and texture.
What is Paneer?
Paneer is an easy cheese to make, so much so that it is usually made fresh daily in India. It's also the most common cheese used in south Asian cooking and can appear in several forms, from crumbly and open textured, to a firm, well consolidated cheese for cutting.
Paneer is a perfect cheese for vegetarians to use in cooking because it has no rennet used in the production. It's clean, fresh, and versatile flavor, lends itself well to an assortment of recipes.
The flavor lies somewhere between a mild Feta and Halloumi. It's a little softer than Halloumi and a less crumbly than most Feta.
In every sense, it's the perfect cheese to be made quickly in the home kitchen and is great to cook with because it does not melt.
How is Paneer Made?
Paneer is a soft cheese that changes a gallon of milk into a great cheese for frying or using in a spicy sauce. It is made by simply heating milk to just below boiling, holding for a few minutes while the proteins change,and then adding a small amount of acid to help the proteins and milk sugars to flocculate and settle.
The high heat and acid condition will make a cheese that can be easily sliced for frying, or cubed for spicy sauces, and yet does not melt with the heat.
The History of Paneer
The history of Paneer goes back in time perhaps before written history. The first recorded mention of this cheese was about 6000BC, but it was probably being made long before this. It is believed to have been introduced into India by the invaders from Iran and Afghanistan.
The original process was to heat the milk to a temperature just below boiling and then soured milk was added for acid. Over many years, more palate friendly acids have come into favor; lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid or yogurt have made for a much more flavorful cheese.
Because Paneer cheese is made by using acid and heat (rather than culture and rennet) it is safe for vegetarians to consume and, in fact, Paneer is a cornerstone of Indian vegetarian cuisine.
Paneer is soft and it is most often eaten fresh, within a day of the date that it is made. Depending on how the Paneer is processed, it can be firm enough to cut into cubes and fry, or it may be softer and more crumbly.
A common characteristic of the cheese is it's mild character and it is most often made with no salt. The fact that no culture is used in making Paneer presents another important and wonderful characteristic.. the sweet character of the lactose is left unchanged, but in heating the cheese, some caramel flavors do enhance the cheese. The mild, unsalted, and sweet character of this cheese makes it ideal for pairing with the star ingredients of Indian cuisine... the Spices!
India is known for the incredible mix of spices that go into curries, fried dishes, etc. The amazing color, aromatics and flavors of India's spices.
Today Paneer has even made a huge move into the fast food world of India and other countries. In India, McSpicy Paneer Burger and Big Spicy Paneer Wrap present vegetarian customers exciting new protein options. An unbelievable 120-odd tons are required by the fast food chain every month.
In the United Kingdom, Subway has started serving a Saag Paneer patty and Taco Bell India serves the Paneer and Potato burrito; Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa Johns all have pizzas with Paneer toppings.
The Essentials of Making Paneer
The process for this cheese is quite simple and easily done in the kitchen:
- the milk is heated to make important changes to the milk proteins
- citric acid is added once the milk has been heated
- the milk is then held quiet while the coagulation of curd develops
- the resulting curd is then separated from the whey
- this curd is then lightly pressed for the final cheese
- Reviews
- Questions
- saag paneer
- milk
- recipe
We made this with 145 F vat pasteurized homogenized milk and it worked fine. The recipe is easy and quick to make. It made delicious saag paneer!