Perfect Paneer Cheese at Home

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I've had "make my own cheese" as a personal goal for several years and 2015 was finally the year I got brave enough to take the plunge and just do it.

I started out with this insanely easy cheese that I made in my crock pot.  

Then I felt brave enough to try some variations, like this paneer.

What I liked about these similar cheeses is that they all used ingredients I already had around the house.

The one I'm about to share with you just uses vinegar, milk, and a little salt - which is good, because we really like our cheese around here.

So, if you're feeling adventurous and want to bring a little bit of the spicy subcontinent into your kitchen today, whip up a batch of this easy cheese!



What You Need



1 gallon milk

1/2 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, but any works)

1/2 teaspoon salt

stainless steel pot and utensils

thermometer

chinois or cheesecloth

microwave-safe glass dish

What You Do


1.  Pour the milk into a large stockpot and heat until it reaches 200 degrees (stir it occasionally, especially when it gets past 100).

2.  Add the vinegar, stir it around a bit, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.


After you add the vinegar, you'll notice the curds starting to separate from the whey

3.  Pour everything into a chinois like I do, or just strain out the curds from the whey using a cheesecloth.


The whey just runs out through the chinois, leaving you with a nice little blob of curds

4.  Mix in your salt thoroughly, then press the cheese into a glass dish.


Sometimes I mix a little curry in along with the salt (doesn't it look like scrambled eggs?)

5.  Let the cheese cool, then cube it all up to use in a recipe (like my favorite, saag paneer), or just to eat for a snack.

Make your paneer plain, or do like I did and add a little curry (figure 1-2 teaspoons per batch). 

Even if you're not a fan of Indian food like I am, this is a delicious cheese!

Do you like Indian food?  What's your favorite dish?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.


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