Paneer Recipe

Paneer (Soft Asian Un-aged Cheese) by- Katie Irani

Ingredients:
1 quart whole milk (softer and tastier than skimmed)
*2-1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice, seeds removed

Directions:
Bring milk to boil, stirring to prevent skin from forming. As soon as it begins to bubble, add lemon juice. Stir once and remove from heat. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Strain the curds through 3 layers of cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much whey as you easily can. Tie up the curds in the cheesecloth and place in a rectangular dish. Place a heavy weight on the curds for a couple of hours.  (Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes), results in a softer, fluffier cheese.)

After it's pressed, it should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick.  Dip in chilled water for 2-3 hours to give it a good texture and appearance.  Cut into cubes.

And that's it! It's really pretty easy.

**White vinegar may be substituted, but lemon juice is preferred method.  Additionally, 1 cup yogurt may be used if no lemon juice or vinegar is available.

History:
Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine  It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid.
Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of Paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and providing a source of protein for vegetarians.

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