Homemade Paneer is a quick and easy to make Indian cheese recipe. It takes very less effort and only two ingredients, Milk and Lemon Juice or Vinegar to prepare Paneer. To prepare Paneer at home you require only Milk and Lemon Juice or Vinegar. You can use this Homemade Paneer to prepare different types of Paneer Recipes.
I have been making Paneer Recipes since long time using market bought Paneer which contains preservatives. But now I make Paneer at home only. It is hygienic, healthy and free from preservatives. In my hometown, my mom and sisters prepare Paneer at home. Since long time I kept on thinking that it would be very tough to prepare the paneer at home. But last week I thought to give it a try. And guess what happened. I prepared it and it came out very good. Then I thought to share this recipe with my readers. So, please try this recipe at home and do give your valuable feedback in our comment section.
To prepare Paneer, heat the milk in thick bottomed pan or kadai or pot. When it comes to boil, lower the flame and add Lemon Juice. Stir it continuously so that there is no formation of cream layer at the surface and the milk does not burn. The milk starts to curdle with the formation of green whey. If necessary you can add more lemon juice to it. Stir the milk till it completely curdles and green water and chenna separates from each other. Strain the chenna with the help of muslin cloth or handkerchief. Squeeze the excess water and flatten the chenna. Place a heavy weight over the muslin cloth for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the paneer from the muslin cloth. Homemade Paneer is ready to use in your favourite Recipes.
Homemade Paneer can be used to prepare various types of Paneer Recipes. You can try recipes such as
So let’s start preparing fresh and healthy Homemade Paneer,
Paneer/Homemade Paneer/How to make Paneer at home
Equipments:
- Muslin Cloth or Handkerchief
- Strainer
Ingredients:
- 1 litre Full Cream Milk (or 4 cups)
- 3-4 tablespoon Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 2 cups Cold Water
Instructions:
- Pour the milk in a large thick bottom pot and boil it over medium heat.
- As the milk is heating, stir it at regular intervals so that cream layer is not formed at the surface of the milk.
- When the milk starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and add the Lemon Juice or Vinegar to it.
- Stir the milk with the help of spoon continuously. After sometime you will see that the milk starts curdling.
- As the milk is curdling keep stirring it till the milk gets completely curdled. The curdled milk should not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- After sometime the whole milk gets curdled and green watery whey is formed. If there is no formation of green coloured whey, add more lemon juice to it and stir it again.
- The quantity of lemon juice required for curdling depends upon the quality of the milk. So even if the milk does not curdle with 3-4 tablespoon of lemon juice, you can add extra lemon juice.
- When the greenish coloured whey is formed and the chenna gets separated from the water, switch off the stove.
- Now take a large bowl and place strainer over it.
- Place the muslin cloth or clean handkerchief over the strainer.
- Pour the curdled milk into the strainer to separate the chenna from the whey.
- Next add cold water to the strained chenna and wash it to remove the sourness and acidic taste of the lemon juice.
- Now collect the edges of the muslin cloth and squeeze it to drain out the excess water from the chenna.
- Take the squeezed chenna in a plate and flatten it by pressing with your hand.
- Place a heavy weight on top of the muslin cloth for about 30 minutes. If whey comes out from the chenna, then separate it.
- After 30 minutes, the chenna will set to form Paneer.
- Remove the Paneer from the muslin cloth and cut it into small cubes or any shapes.
- Homemade Paneer is ready to be used to prepare different types of Paneer Recipes.
Notes:
- While boiling milk, keep stirring it continuously so that it does not burn at the bottom of the pot and also no cream layer is formed over the milk.
- The quantity of Lemon Juice or Vinegar required for curdling milk depends on the quality of the milk. Initially add 3-4 tablespoon and stir. If the milk does not curdle completely then add extra lemon juice. Keep stirring it till greenish coloured whey is not formed.
- The milk whey left behind after curdling the milk is very nutritious and is used to prepare atta dough or in dal and curries.
- While squeezing the chenna to remove the excess water, do not over squeeze or else the moisture will be lost.
