How to Make Paneer Recipe

Ingredients

Paneer

• 1 gallon organic whole milk (do not use skim milk, 2%, or ultra-pasteurized milk)
• 6 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• generous pinch sea salt

Instructions

Making the Curds

1. Heat milk in a large nonstick pot (or dutch oven) over medium heat, until it just begins to simmer, about 20 minutes (roughly 200°F), stirring occasionally. If you feel a layer forming at the bottom don't disrupt it, or try to mix it in. Turn the heat down, and stir without scraping it up.
2. Mix 6 tablespoons vinegar with 2 cups water and set aside.
3. Once the milk comes to a simmer, where you see active bubbles and is just about to boil, turn heat off and let stand 10 minutes.
4. Skim the froth or skin and discard.
5. Add the vinegar water a little at a time, stirring very slowly and gently, until curds start separating. You want nice big curds, so excess stirring or vigorous stirring will break them apart and make them smaller.
6. Let this cool to room temperature before straining, giving only an occasional stir. As it cools the whey will change from cloudy to clear with a slightly greenish hue. This is perfect. If for some reason the curds and whey are not separating, stir in more vinegar a teaspoon at a time till you see a separation.

Straining and Pressing

1. Place a large double layer of cheesecloth (roughly 2 feet by 2 feet) over a large colander. You could place the colander over a large bowl to save the whey for other uses if you like, or just drain into the sink.
2. Once the curds and whey have cooled and whey is clear-ish, pour carefully and slowly into the colander. Let it sit and drain until most of the whey has drained. Rinse gently with a little lukewarm tap water to remove the vinegar. Do not squeeze any water out as this will result in hard paneer. Just let it drain naturally.
3. Gather up the four corners of the cheesecloth and tie them together, either hanging from a wooden spoon positioned over a deep bowl or hang on the kitchen faucet to drain in the sink. Drain for one hour.
4. Gently unwrap paneer and place it on a thin tea towel or kitchen towel. With the heel of your palm, massage it away from you, gently pressing down into the towel, breaking up the curds while allowing the towel to absorb more water. Sprinkle with salt and massage it in.
5. Gather up the paneer into a ball in the center of the towel. Fold the towel over the paneer into a neat and tidy square, roughly 8x8 inches or an inch thick.
6. Place a plate (with a smooth bottom) over the paneer and press it down firmly and evenly until paneer fills out the square. Add a little weight to the top of the plate and place this in the fridge on top of another towel to catch any remaining liquid. After 15 minutes, paneer is ready. Or continue to refrigerate but remove the plate.

Cutting and Cooking

1. Carefully unwrap and cut with a sharp knife.
2. To pan-sear paneer, heat oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat, seasoning the oil with salt and pepper. Place the paneer carefully in the oil and let it form a golden crust. If it is sticking (in cast iron), it means it is not quite ready to flip over. As the golden crust forms, it will release itself from the pan. Key is moderate heat.
3. Enjoy! Use as you would crispy tofu!

Notes

• Do not use skim milk, 2% milk, or ultra-pasteurized milk as they will not produce proper curds.
• The whey can be saved and used in bread making, smoothies, or other recipes.
• Store paneer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• For softer paneer, reduce the pressing time. For firmer paneer, press longer with more weight.