Introduction
Homemade paneer is fresh, soft, and incredibly easy to prepare with just a few simple ingredients. Using 1 litre of full cream milk yields approximately 200 grams of paneer. This homemade version is perfect for curries, snacks, salads, and many Indian dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 litre full cream milk
- A generous pinch of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup water
- 200 ml cold water
- Water for rinsing the paneer
- Muslin cloth
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a deep pot and bring it to a boil.
- Allow the milk to boil for a few minutes.
- Add the salt.
- Mix the lemon juice with ½ cup of water.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
- Gradually add the diluted lemon juice while stirring gently.
- You may add the lemon water in two batches.
- If the milk doesn’t curdle completely, add a little more lemon juice.
- Once the milk solids separate, remove the pot from the heat.
- Add 200 ml of cold water.
- Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth.
Helpful Tip
- Reserve the whey (liquid) for kneading chapati dough or use it in soups, curries, or while cooking rice.
- Rinse the paneer (still wrapped in the muslin cloth) several times in clean water to remove the lemon flavor.
- Twist the muslin cloth to squeeze out excess water.
- Tie a knot and shape the paneer into a block.
- Place it under a heavy object.
- Leave it to set for 1–2 hours.
- Open the muslin cloth and cut the paneer into the desired shape.
Storage Tips
- Store the paneer in an airtight container submerged in water inside the refrigerator.
- Use within 3–4 days.
- You can lightly fry the cubes and freeze them for future use.
