Paneer (Farmer’s Cheese)
I have grown to love all types of Indian food. For better or worse, the creamy sauces, heavy-handed seasonings, and wealth of vegetarian options have made their mark on my taste buds! I will unabashedly admit to consuming some type of Indian dish three or four times a week. Really- this should be no big deal. I know plenty of people who live solely off of regionally-based diets.
However, it matters because I have yet to actually learn how to cook any of it. This means that I eat out a whole lot and spend tons of money on delicious food, instead of taking my own culinary ventures in this direction.
To be fair, this entire world of spices and cooking techniques is 100% unfamiliar territory. I am very comfortable cooking cajun, Italian, French, and southern cuisines. My pantry is stocked and prepared for any of those dishes. When I look at a recipe for lasagna or collards, I am comfortable enough with those staples that I feel I can mess around with the ratios a bit and tailor it to my tastes.
When it comes to Indian food, however, I sometimes can’t even pronounce all of the ingredients! Honestly, I have been quite afraid to branch out into Indian food for this very reason. To me, the upfront cost of attempting even a single recipe has always seemed quite high, and honestly- it is (but it’s so worth it)!
Homemade paneer is a really great place to start for anyone who is interested in Indian cuisine. It requires no special ingredients, and it is pretty simple. Also, even though it’s a staple in Indian cooking specifically, it can function much like tofu in any dish! On its own, paneer is not very flavorful (it’s an un-aged and unsalted cheese). Typically, it is served in some sort of sauce or curry, functioning as the main protein in a vegetarian dish.
You can simply make the cheese, and then use it in any of your favorite dishes to replace a protein. As an added bonus, the process of cooking paneer is so so cool! For anyone who loves the chemistry behind cooking, or just the feeling of being more connected to foods through their ingredients and the natural processes used in their creation- this is a fun thing to make!
Paneer, Farmer’s Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 2 lemons
- cheese cloth (at least 2 yards) or a clean dish towel
Instructions
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Juice both lemons and set the juice aside. You should have roughly 1/2 cup of juice.
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Pour the milk into a large, heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan frequently until the milk begins to foam and come to a boil.
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When milk is foamy and bubbling lightly, turn the heat down to low and set a timer for 5 minutes. Continue stirring to prevent the milk from boiling over.
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When five minutes are up, pour in the lemon juice and stir. The curds should begin separating from the whey. Continue stirring and turn off heat.
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Place the cheese cloth into a large colander and pour the curds/whey into it.
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Gather the ends of the cheese cloth to drain the whey from the curds.
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Hang from the sink faucet and let them continue to drain for 20-30 minutes.
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When the whey has drained, move the curds and cheese cloth to a cutting board. Keep the curds wrapped and slowly press them into a solid disc.
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Fill up a pot with water and place it on top of the disc for about 2 hours. This will help solidify the paneer.
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When this is done, the cheese is ready to be used however you like!
