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Homemade Paneer

Aarti Sequeira
We always thought that cheese would be impossible to make at home, but with this recipe, we discovered that it couldn't be easier! With Indian cuisine a staple in our household, we found that a homemade paneer couldn't be beat!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Draining and Pressing Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Protein
Cuisine Indian
Servings 12 oz of Paneer

Equipment

  • Cheesecloth
  • Colander
  • Stovetop
  • Large Pot
  • 2 Plates
  • Heavy Pots or Cans
  • Refrigerator

Ingredients
  

  • 8 C Whole Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • ¼ C Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed, Plus More as Needed

Instructions
 

  • Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
  • In a large wide pot, bring the milk and salt to a medium boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while, so be patient!
  • Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
  • Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-line colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
  • Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes (Allowing the cheese to drain for longer will yield better results. We typically allow it to drain for 15-20 minutes).
  • Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit at least 20 minutes (The longer the cheese presses, the better it will hold together. We've let it set for an hour or two with better results).
  • Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese! You did it! You can now use this in any number of traditional Indian dishes, like saag paneer.

Notes

If the milk doesn't separate, juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.
To prepare the paneer for any sort of Indian dish, cut it into cubes, toss with olive oil, garam masala, turmeric, kashmiri chili powder, and pan fry until golden. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!