Paneer, Hindi Ricotta cheese.

[Blub2k]

Ok this one is pretty easy but patience is essential for a good result.

Ingredients:
2 litres Fresh milk (The better the milk quality the better the end product)
A curdling agent, suitable substances are acetic acid, citric acid, lemon juice or sour milk, amounts are flexible depending on milk quantity, but a rough guide is
1 tsp acetic or citric acid (these are preferable)
or
4 tbsps sour milk
or
2tbsps lemon juice


A cheese cloth or a boiled pair of tights or linen.



Acetic or citric acid may seem like strange ingredients but you will get them in Asian markets especially for this purpose.
Method:
Put your milk on to boil on a low heat, I cannot stress enough how patience is very important here. If the milk burns on the bottom of the pot then the cheese will taste burned and have bits in it so the key here is to put it on so low that it takes nearly an hour to boil.
You know that it is ready once the milked has foamed and boiled up as if it is about to boil over, remove it from the heat before it boils over. Once removed then add some curdling agent and stir it in, dont use too much, watch the milk for the curds and whey to seperate, curds are white and whey is a yellowy-green liquid, start with a half tsp if you are using powder and add a little more, with the liquid agents start with a tbsp and add as needed. Eventually you will see white lumps floating in a greeny-yellow liquid so at this point you will strain the lot through a collander lined with the cheesecloth in the sink. You can collect the whey if you wish as this can also be used for recipes. Once you have seperated out the curds then rinse the acid out of it with cold water, this doesn't take long. Depending on the hardness of paneer you want then you either just squeeze out the cloth a little and twist it and press a little or for a little harder cheese you press it then twist the neck of the cloth and put the empty pot on top of it in the sink then fill the pot with cold water and leave it to press on the cheese for up to twenty minutes.
Once the cheese has reached its desired consistency then you cut it into approx 2cm*2cm cubes and fry it or if you need it not fried then leave it as it is.
Et Voila, your own fresh Paneer .

[Clingy]

This weekend I'll be having a go at this one. We use lots of bought paneer. I'll let you know how I get on.

Do they ever flavour the milk/cheese?

[Blub2k]

You can add in a bit of turmeric and salt but do it normally first then try variations if you want to.

[Clingy]

Seemed to work out ok. I have a cheese the size and consistency of a mozzerella. Probably cook with it later in the week. Only confusion for me was identifying the split. Rather than lumps forming, it was more like specs. So I left it for 5 mins and there were lots more specs.

[Blub2k]

sounds like you maybe didn't add enough acid, you should add more acid as the split is extremely obvious and you will get a green clear liquid as the left over.

[Clingy]

Thanks Blub. Next time I'll use proper acid instead of the Lemon Juice. Cheese looks ok though, I'll let you kknow when I have cooked with it.

[Blub2k]

More lemon juice would do it too, I have the powdered acid and always use it and the 2tbsps is a very rough guide.