Homemade Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese

It happens to every body! We buy milk bottles or milk cans that do not get used up and sit in our fridges for days. What do you do with milk that is close to or past its expiration date? Do you throw it or continue to use it and pretend that the expiration date does not exist? What ever you do, I am not judging. But I do have a suggestion for something you could do to not let that milk go to waste. Make Paneer with it!

Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese is used in a variety of dishes and even a number of sweets like this one. And while we love it in all these delicious curries, we could make more of it with just two ingredients at home.

Paneer is easy to make at home. My parents would often make homemade Paneer when there was a lot of milk left in the fridge. Even now, to finish all the milk in the fridge before a vacation, I make paneer and freeze it. That homemade paneer is the best paneer for Paneer Bhurji since it crumbles easily as compared to store bought paneer.

Store bought paneer is made on a bigger scale where it is pressed under a weight and compressed to make blocks that appear more homogeneous and solid. While that Paneer might be best for dishes like Kadhai Paneer, Matar Paneer and the like, the homemade variety lends the best texture to Paneer Bhurji, Paneer Parathas or even Koftas.

It is often the best thing you could do to milk that is close to its expiration date. All you need is the milk and some acidic curdling substance like lime juice, white vinegar or yogurt. While my mother uses a combination of lime juice and yogurt, I often resort to using white vinegar. I find it quicker and a more sure shot way of ensuring that all the milk is curdled.

Please note that milk that is past the printed date isn’t necessarily bad. The expiration/best by date does not tell you that the food will spoil after or on that date. You may find that old milk turns sour that smells unpleasant but this sour milk still has a number of uses. Some people use it to marinate meats for recipes while some others use it for baking. Having said that, please do what is best for you and please do not drink sour milk directly as it may make you sick!

Don’t waste old milk! Make Paneer with it. Here’s how:

Yields a cup of Paneer but this varies according to the quality of milk used.

Ingredients

• Milk, low fat or full fat, 1 litre
• Juice of 1 lime/ 1 tablespoon Yogurt/ 2 teaspoons White Vinegar

Method

Start by pouring the milk in a clean saucepan that has a heavy bottom. Milk often sticks to the bottom of pans when heated up so that is why I recommend a heavy bottom pan. If you don’t have one, some people recommend rubbing an ice cube on the bottom of the pan to avoid scalding. It doesn’t always work for me.

First, we will prepare for the last step of this process – straining the Paneer curds. In a clean sink, place a colander or a metal sieve. Line the sieve with a cheese cloth with a little extra hanging over the sides. You may skip using the cheese cloth and use just the sieve. The colander on its own will not work though.

Heat the milk on medium low heat till you see it steaming and scalding. Making this particular variety of cheese isn’t an exact science and I do not use a thermometer. Just look out for bubbles on the sides of the pan.

While the milk heats up, gather the curdling substance you will be using – yogurt, lime juice or white vinegar.

Let’s do this thing!

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Once the milk is scalding hot and is about to boil, pour the lime juice/white vinegar/ yogurt. Turn the heat up and stir well. Continue to monitor the milk so that it does not boil over.

You will soon see the curds separating from the whey. You may need to add more curdling agent to curdle the milk. For half a litre of milk, I used around 1 and a half teaspoons of white vinegar. But like I said before, this isn’t an exact science and this amount may vary for you depending on your ingredients.

Once the Paneer curds come to the top and the whey starts looking greenish or non-milky, take the pan off heat.

Strain to separate and collect

The next step is to strain the Paneer curds. Pour the Paneer curds and whey over the lined colander or sieve to separate them. If using only the sieve, use a spatula to gather the paneer into one mass and press to drain off the whey. If you are using the cheese cloth, gather the ends and press to drain off the whey.

Let the whey trickle off and let the paneer drain for the next 10-15 minutes.

If you want to use this Paneer for curries like Kadhai Paneer and this Paneer ki Sabzi, you can press the paneer between two plates and chill for a few hours. The resultant Paneer can be cut to use in curries.

If you are using this Paneer for a Paneer Bhurji or paratha, you can crumble the drained Paneer.

Enjoy Homemade Paneer in curries, paneer bhurjis, paneer parathas or even salads!