BASIC PANEER RECIPE (Cottage Cheese)

Paneer is a popular Indian cheese and can be easily prepared at home. It is a very important ingredient in a lot of yummy vegetarian dishes. Paneer to a vegetarian is like chicken to others. Since it is made from milk and is like cottage cheese, like all other cheeses this too is high in calcium and protein and is a part of innumerable Indian dishes and desserts. There are a few different ways of preparing this at home but I choose to make it the way my mom taught me. It is very simple but requires a bit of time and nursing. The prepared paneer can be frozen for a few days if you do not need to use it immediately -Mona

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of whole milk
4 1/2 tsp of lime juice

Directions:

Put the milk to boil on high heat in a large colander, stirring slowly as the milk does have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

Keep the lime juice ready and when the milk starts to boil over turn off the flame and add the lime juice slowly, stirring continuously.

Continue to stir and mix well until the milk curdles and starts thickening.

Once the water separates from the cheese strain it through a fine strainer or muslin cloth.

The paneer is ready and can be kneaded with your hands until it is smooth. 

This can be patted flat on a plate or a cutting board and you can cut pieces of your desired thicknesss and size or form round balls whichever your dish requires.

Links to recipes using Paneer :

 http://www.curryintermix.com/1/post/2011/10/stuffed-paneer-kofta-curry-as-adapted-from-meena-sharmas-kitchen.html