Paneer (Indian Cheese)
Submitted by hotstuff
Homemade paneer from just milk and lemon juice. Curdle, strain, press overnight, and cut into cubes for frying. The simplest fresh cheese you can make at home.
YIELD
1 piecePREP
5 minCOOK
15 minREADY
12 hrsTwo ingredients. That’s all paneer takes: whole milk brought to a boil and curdled with lemon juice. The curds get strained, hung overnight to drain, then pressed under a heavy weight for hours until you have a firm, sliceable block of fresh Indian cheese.
The science is simple but the timing matters. Pour the lemon juice into the milk the moment it starts to bubble, stir once, and take it off the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes undisturbed. The acid separates the milk into white curds and pale yellow whey. If the whey is still milky, add a splash more lemon juice.
Hanging the cheesecloth bundle overnight drains moisture slowly, giving you a more even, less crumbly texture than quick draining. The 4-5 hour pressing step afterward compacts the curds into a solid block. Without enough pressing time, the paneer crumbles when you try to cut and fry it.
Don’t throw out the whey. It’s packed with protein and mild tangy flavor. Use it in place of water for cooking rice, kneading bread dough, or as a base for soups.
Chef Tips
- Use whole milk only. Lower fat milk produces dry, grainy curds that won’t press into a cohesive block. The fat is what gives paneer its smooth, creamy texture.
- Use enough weight when pressing. A heavy pot filled with water works. Light pressure means spongy paneer that falls apart when fried.
- Fry the cubes before adding to curries. Raw paneer is crumbly, but a quick fry in hot oil gives it a golden skin that holds its shape in sauces.
- Store in water in the fridge for up to 3 days. It dries out quickly without liquid.
Variations
- Herbed paneer: Mix finely chopped cilantro, mint, and green chili into the curds before pressing for a seasoned version.
- Vinegar paneer: Replace lemon juice with white vinegar for a more neutral-flavored cheese.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring the milk to a boil.
As soon as it begins to bubble, pour in the lemon juice, stir once, and take the pot off the heat.
Leave it for 15 minutes.
The milk will curdle and the curds will separate from the whey.
Strain the curds through three layers of cheesecloth.
Squeeze out as much whey as you can easily.
(Do not discard this whey. Refrigerate it and use it in cooking instead of water.)
Tie up the curds in the cheesecloth, and hang the bundle to drip overnight.
Next morning, remove the hanging bundle and untie it.
Gently flatten it out to make a 4-inch patty, keeping the cheese loosely wrapped in the cheesecloth.
Put the patty on a sturdy plate and place a flat, heavy object, such as a heavy pot filled with water, on top of it.
Leave the weight on the cheese for 4 to 5 hours.
After the cheese has been pressed, it should be ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and, with a sharp knife, cut into cubes, diamonds, or rectangles.
The paneer will be quite crumbly until fried.
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