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There is no
western equivalent of Paneer. It is called "cottage
cheese" in India. Paneer is an extraordinary source of
protein in a vegetarian diet. It is what meat is to
non-vegetarians. It is one of the easiest cheeses to make at
home. Make
this a day ahead. You will need
8
cups of whole milk, 6
tablespoons of plain yogurt, 4
tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
Whisk the
yogurt and lime juice together. Bring the milk to a boil over
high heat in a large heavy saucepan. Stir frequently. As soon as
the foam begins to rise, remove the pan from the heat and
thoroughly but gently stir in the yogurt and limejuice. The milk
will start to separate into the cheese and the whey. Boil till
you can see that all the milk has finished curdling.
Set a fine
cheese cloth over a colander in a clean sink. Strain the curdled
milk through cheesecloth, allowing the whey to drain out. Let
the cheese drain undisturbed until the cloth is cool enough to
handle. Then wrap the cloth tightly around the cheese and wring
it to squeeze out all the excess liquid. Place a weight on top
for 2 to 3 hours. It is now ready to be cut into cubes for use.
Shelf
life : 48 hours in the refrigerator. This cheese can be made a day
ahead. This way the cheese has a day to settle. If it crumbles
when you cut, then you have not removed enough whey from it. So
the next time let it drain for a little longer.
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