How to Make Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)

Paneer is a type of cheese indigenous to the Indian subcontinent that is called for in many Indian recipes. It is easy to make and since it does not require the use of rennet, it's completely vegetarian. To make it yourself, all you need is milk, an acid (like lemon or lime juice) and these instructions.


Steps:

1.Bring the milk to a temperature just below the boil then turn off the heat.

2. Add lemon juice, 5 ml (one teaspoon) at a time and keep stirring the milk after each addition, until the milk separates; the solid curds will separate from the green watery whey.

3. Allow the curds and whey to cool for a half hour (or until still warm, but at a temperature you can handle), then strain through cheese cloth in a strainer. You may wish to save some or all of the whey; it can be used to make your next batch of paneer, producing a slightly more tender cheese than lemon juice. Rinse the curds with fresh water.

4. Wrap the cheese cloth on itself in order to squeeze out moisture from the curds. The more you squeeze, the firmer the resulting paneer.

5. Shape the paneer, still in the cheese cloth, into a block, wrapping it tightly with the cloth. By putting a cutting board or something heavy and flat on top of the paneer, you can force out more moisture, and make it into a firmer block, suitable for slicing and frying. To get a more rectangular shape, tie a knot and place the cheese cloth bundle in a box without closing it. Place something heavy like a pile of books or a brick on the cheese cloth to press down and give the cheese the box's shape. The longer you press the cheese, the firmer it gets. Not all Indian dishes requires cheese to be made into solid blocks. Stuffed Paneer Naans for example require cheese to be loose.

6.Soak the block of Chees in chilled water for 2-3 hours This is optional, as the intention is to improve appearance and texture.

7. Use as directed in your recipe.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paneer-(Indian-Cheese)