Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called Chhena. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer's cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acids.
Paneer is used in curries like palak paneer also known as saag paneer, shahi paneer and mutter paneer. In these dishes, paneer is used along with a variety of vegetables. Paneer is also used to make sweets and desserts! Sweets such as rasgolla, sandesh are made with fresh paneer.
We start off our paneer by boiling about 2 litres of full cream milk.
Remember to stir it constantly to ensure that the milk at the bottom of the pot does not burn.
Next we prepare our lemon juice.
Use about 2 tablespoons worth of lemon juice mixed with 1/4 cup of water.
Just before the milk hits the boiling point, stir in the lemon mixture slowly and watch the milk curdle.
Leave if for about a couple of minutes, if the milk has not curdled completely, stir in another tablespoon of lemon juice. Take note that too much lemon juice will cause the paneer to be crumbly.
You might want to place a pot underneath the muslin or cheese cloth to collect the whey.
Whey is a great source of protein and can be used as a base for soups or for cooking rice.
Rinse the curds under cold water to remove the excess whey which might cause your paneer to be slightly sour.
Remove the access liquids in the curds by twisting the cloth.
Knead the curds into a square and place between two flat boards. A slight weight could be use for pressure. You could throw in a couple of teaspoons of starch during the kneading process if you would like a slightly more chewy texture.
After an hr your paneer should have taken shape. Keep it in the fridge wrapped for about another hr and it will be ready for cooking!
I personally feel paneer is best when seared before throwing it into any of your favourite dishes.
Do feel free to experiment with spices when making your paneer to give it that little kick you might desire.
Thank you for joining me on this episode of Cooking with Cain.
Remember if Cain can make it, so can you! Arrivederci!
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