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Fresh Indian Cheese

  • Active Time

    10 min

  • Total Time

    1 1/2 hr

Paneer

Ingredients

Makes about 3/4 pound

10 cups whole milk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Special Equipment

cheesecloth
  1. Step 1

    Bring milk to a full boil in a 6-quart heavy pot, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in lemon juice. Cook until milk begins to separate, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let milk stand 10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Pour mixture into a colander lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Rinse cheese curds under gently running lukewarm water. Gather up edges of cheesecloth, twisting gently to squeeze out as much water as possible, and transfer cheese in cheesecloth to a bowl, flattening into a disk. Weight cheese with a bowl filled with water or a large can. Letpaneerstand at room temperature 1 hour, or until firm, and pour off any liquid that has accumulated in bowl.

Cooks' note:

·Paneerkeeps, wrapped well in plastic wrap and chilled, 3 days.

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Reviews (10)

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  • I had a blast making this with my 9 yr old niece. Seemed a crumbly mess but held up beautifully when fried for a mutter paneer dish. Easy, pretty, authentic!

    • pghgrl

    • brooklyn, ny

    • 6/10/2012

  • This was so easy and yummy. Mine appeared slightly crumbly around the edges, but it stayed together when fried and browned for palak paneer.

    • Anonymous

    • ny, ny

    • 1/4/2010

  • This was incredibly easy. Only part of my brick was firm and the edges crumbled. I don't know if I should have applied more weight or squeezed out more liquid first. It tasted amazing.

    • amerikanerin

    • Detroit, MI

    • 11/4/2009

  • I always imagined making cheese would be difficult, but I decided to give this recipe a try. It was incredibly easy to make.

    • Patrick O'Conner

    • Savannah, GA

    • 3/3/2004

  • You'll find a much more detailed and informative description about paneer at the link below http://www.spicevice.com/recipes/paneer.php

    • Anonymous

    • 1/20/2004

  • I made this last night for palak paneer, and it was very easy and delicious. The palak paneer recipe I used, by the way, was from foodtv.com (one of Sara Moulton's) and not the recipe from this web site. Try that recipe with the fresh cheese - it was seriously nummy.

    • Anonymous

    • Missouri

    • 1/26/2003

  • Works well with 1% Milk instead of Whole. Super in palak paneer recipe!

    • Anonymous

    • Minnesota!

    • 2/6/2002

  • Great, simple recipe. Try it with Indian spinach dishes! Delicious! Quick, but adds a lot to a meal.

    • sherry

    • New York

    • 2/3/2002

  • Once the cheese is made, lightly fry them on a greased pan. They hold shape in dishes like Palak paneer (Spincah and Paneer). This simple prep of cheese beats buying off the shelf !

    • Manoj

    • Charlotte, NC

    • 12/30/2000

  • Once the cheese is made, lightly fry them on a greased pan. They hold shape in dishes like Palak paneer (Spincah and Paneer). This simple prep of cheese beats buying off the shelf !

    • Manoj

    • Charlotte, NC

    • 12/30/2000

  • I've made paneer for several indian dishes and it's wonderful! You can used firm tofu instead of paneer to make a vegan version, but fresh cheese just can't be beat. Plus, you get wonderful bragging rights when you're friends come over to share this meal and you can say you made cheese! they'll be quite impressed and there's no reason for them to know how simple it is!

    • Anonymous

    • San Francisco

    • 2/15/2000