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Paneer is an Indian cheese which is used in many recipes for appetizers, main courses and desserts. It does not melt when heated. Paneer is very easy to make at home. Try this easy to follow recipe.
Ingredients:
Whole Milk – 8 cups (1/2 gallon)
Lemon Juice – 1/4 cup
Method:
1. In a medium pot, bring Milk to a boil.
2. Slowly add Lemon Juice to the milk while continuously stirring.
3. Within 10-15 seconds, Milk should start to separate from the whey.
4. The milk is completely separated when the whey is a light greenish color.
5. Switch off the stove and let the pot sit for a few minutes.
6. Line a colander with cheese cloth or thin cotton cloth and place it over a large bowl.
7. Pour milk solids and whey into the colander.
8. Take opposite ends of the cloth and tie together lifting the cloth out of the colander.
9. Using a large spoon placed across the top of a jug, hang the cloth with the paneer from the spoon handle. The paneer bundle should be hanging inside the jug.
10. After approx 30 minutes, remove the bundle from the jug and open it. Untie the knot and fold the cloth over smoothly across the paneer.
11. Place a heavy weight on top of the paneer for approx 30 min.
12. Open the cloth and cut paneer to desired size cubes.
Tips:
1. Vinegar can be used in place of Lemon Juice to separate the milk from whey.
2. Save the whey as it can be used to knead chapatti dough or as a stock for soups and curries. If you won’t be using it immediately, freeze it for later use.
3. For making tikkas or a firmer paneer, add 1/2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour to the paneer after hanging it and knead it like a dough. Flatten the paneer out onto a baking dish, keep it in the fridge for about an hour and then cut it into cubes.
4. Salt can be added to the paneer after the hanging process. Knead it as mentioned above in step 3.
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46 Responses to “Homemade Paneer – Indian Cheese”
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March 17th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Can non fat milk be used? basically, paneer is a great source or protein, but also fat — so just wondering if there is a way to take out the fat from it. Thanks!
[Reply]
March 19th, 2008 at 12:02 am
HI SW,
Yes, paneer is a great source of protein and also fat. Unfortunately, there is not a non-fat or low-fat version available. Using milk with a lower fat content will not make the paneer low-fat but it will reduce the quantity of paneer produced.
[Reply]
March 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pm
hi didi,
first ofall ur all recepies r so easy,vry testy,yammy it’s really great & u also seen all video so after we saw any receipe on video so it’s vry easy to make.
i had made a panner & made vry vry soft. so, thanx vry mutch seen this recepi.
thank u
[Reply]
April 1st, 2008 at 7:40 am
Hi hetal,
Can you tell us how much paneer can be made using this recipe?
Thnx.
[Reply]
April 1st, 2008 at 11:44 am
Hi Vikas,
Eight cups of milk will make enough paneer to serve 8 people (if you are making for example, palak panner)- approx 14 oz or little less.
[Reply]
April 1st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Hello hetal,
i tried your few recipes they were so yummy and easy to make,,great job,as u explain everything so well..i’ve question that if i want to save your recipe video in my pc what could i’ve to do as i wanted to make this paneer..so i’m thinking to make a file on my desktop then it’s soo easy to start at any time as it takes time in loading..thankyou so much,,plz replyme,i really appreciate that.
Thanks again.Samreen.
[Reply]
April 14th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I love paneer, and tried to make some but where am I going wrong here – the milk always seems to burn and the cheese tastes nasty.
Any tips greatly appreciated
G-nome
[Reply]
April 16th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
G-nome,
You can bring the milk to a boil using either high or medium heat. If you do use the high heat option, stir the milk very frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom. Either way, make sure you keep stirring.
For some reason if the milk does burn, pour it into another pan (without scraping the bottom) and continue boiling.
G’Luck!
[Reply]
May 13th, 2008 at 12:34 am
wow i had no idea paneer was so easy to make!
i love your site and videos, keep up the great work.
looking forward to trying this recipe.
thanks!
[Reply]
July 15th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Hi,
I can’t seem to find an e-mail address to get in touch with you. Love your site and would like to have a chat with you regarding it and my site http://www.foodari.com.
Perhaps you would be good enough to drop me contact details to the enclosed e-mail address.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Jonathan
[Reply]
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Love your website…Can you please post more recipes using paneer.
Thanks
[Reply]
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Can you make Paneer with reconstituted whole milk powder? Also, I love your web/youtube site. My husband is from SriLanka and I get very excited when I can make him food that is similar to what is eaten back home.
Thanks again
PearTree
[Reply]
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Hi PearTree,
Honestly, we have never tried it. It seems kind of strange and we can’t imagine how it will turn out. We’d stick to whole milk if we were you.
[Reply]
September 7th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Hi,
You both are great. Keep it up
For hanging paneer you can also use the water tap of your kitchen wash basin.
[Reply]
September 13th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Now I know why the woman at the Indian market looked at me as if I were a lunatic for wanting to buy paneer — who in their right mind would buy it when it’s so easy to make?
I can’t wait to cook with it. You mentioned in your video that the whey could be used in naan, but I was unable to find a recipe in your database. Is there one you recommend?
[Reply]
October 15th, 2008 at 12:42 am
hello ladies
thank you for the recipies, i love indian food and my children love beryani rice. would you please post the biryani rice with lamb thank you very much. and also recipies for paneer .
[Reply]
October 16th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Hi there, wonderful site. I have a problem with the paneer. It always seems to be really crumbly when I make it myself. Do you have an idea what to do to make it a little smoother? Thank you!
[Reply]
October 16th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hi Karen,
To make paneer that doesn’t crumble, you have to knead it like dough. You can do this very easily in a food processor or by hand (but it takes a lot longer). One other trick is to sprinkle a little all-purpose flour (maida) on the paneer before kneading. It will act as a binding agent. You can use about 1 Tbsp per 1 gallon of milk.
[Reply]
January 17th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Hi!
I tried your recipe and the cheese was very crumbly.. it didn’t come together well. Granted I made it on the other side of the world, in Slovakia, and I’m wondering if different quality of milk can be the problem. Do you have any advice? Thanks!
[Reply]
January 17th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Aha, just saw your answer to Karen. Love your website!
[Reply]
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 am
Hi! I love your website!
I have a question about the paneer:
After you add the salt and knead it, do you still need to press it for 30 min? It says to put it in a baking dish for an hour before cutting into cubes but it doesn’t say anything about pressing it.
Thank you!
[Reply]
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:40 am
Hi Kat,
Once the paneer separates from the whey, you place it in the cheese cloth and let all of the water go out (press it). Once all of the water is gone, you add the salt and knead it. When the paneer is smooth, you can press it into a baking sheet and keep it in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up. Then, you can cut it into cubes.
[Reply]
March 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Hello. You ladies are so beautiful and the paneer is delicious. I am trying to learn more about Indian cuisine. Thank you so much!
[Reply]
March 25th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Hey Ladies!
I’ve been making paneer for years and enjoyed watching your video. My question is about making paneer tikkas/firmer paneer. I didn’t read the instructions properly and waited a day with the paneer in the fridge before kneeding in the flour and pressing it into a pan. It’s really crumbly. I’ll probably end up making dry paneer subji out it.
Exactly when do I add the flour and will it really be like a dough? Will it adhere to the paneer because of the wetness?
[Reply]
March 25th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Hi Rubinder,
You can add all-purpose (maida) flour to the paneer as soon as all of the water or whey has drained out while hanging, usually about 30 mins to an hour. You add very little flour, just about 1 heaped tablespoon per gallon of milk used for the paneer. Sprinkle it on the paneer and start kneading it like dough. It will take a little effort by hand so we suggest using a food processor if you have one. It does indeed knead like dough. You will hardly notice the flour but the binding effect is very good for firmer paneer. Good luck!
[Reply]
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
How long will paneer keep?
[Reply]
April 3rd, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Hi Magpie,
You can store paneer in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for about a week. Any longer, just put it in a freezer ziploc bag. It is easier to use later if you cube it first before freezing.
[Reply]
April 4th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Can paneer be used on sandwiches like cheddar or made to taste like it?
[Reply]
April 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Hi Simon,
Paneer on it’s own is pretty mild in flavor. It really needs other spices to enhance the flavor. Unless you crumble it, it may be hard to use it in a sandwich.
[Reply]
May 1st, 2009 at 12:08 am
I made paneer according to your instructions. It turned out perfect…however, I made them into big slices and freezed them. I was just reading in one of the comments above, I should have cubed them before freezing…..NEED HELP!!! what should I do now?
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
May 1st, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Hi Seema,
Don’t worry! When you are ready to use the paneer, defrost them as needed and cut them to desired size and shape and use.
I, infact freeze part of the paneer in cubes and part in slices, just incase I need bigger peices for something:) So you are a step ahead…
[Reply]
seema Reply:
May 1st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
How would you defrost the paneer….just thaw in the freezer? How long?? Thank you for the reply for my previous question!!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Hi Seema,
You can transfer the paneer from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before or in a bind, just put the bag in a bowl of hot water.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:24 pm
To the folks who had questions around crumbly paneer, one thing you need to be sure about doing is that you drain out the water from the paneer when it is still hot. If you wait till it is cool, it will already form the crumbles which will never quite stick firmly together again. Something I learned the hard way
[Reply]
May 12th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
that’s beautiful,once i made paneer,but it didn’t come out properly but then when i tried ur recipe.it came out good.thank you.you guys are doing very good job
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May 16th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hi Ladies-
You run a fantastic website, as I have learned so much about indian cooking. Thank you! My question is, when making paneer, is it possible to substitute sheep or goat’s milk? I have allergies to cow milk & products. Thank you very much!!
Susan
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Hi Susan,
Sure, you can make paneer with goat’s milk. The process would be the same.
[Reply]
June 7th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Hello ladies
Thanku so much for wonderful site..learned so much from ur site… i always tried to make paneer at home bt never got success. Actualy my paneer got scramble when i try to make either shahi paneer or try to grill..bt now i got the idea to add flour.. tell me can i use corn flour for binding it? thnx in advance
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Hi Rajni,
We’ve heard of people using corn flour, but have never tried it ourselves so cannot give you an appropriate opinion about it. If you try it, we’d love for you to share your feedback.
[Reply]
October 21st, 2009 at 1:38 am
Hi,
This is a wonderful thing to learn. Thank you for sharing it with us. I was wondering if this will melt like regular cheese or no?
Thank You
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 2:31 am
Hi Eyveneena,
Unlike other cheese, Paneer does not melt and that is the beauty of it! It will hold it’s shape (unless you mash it) even after cooking!
[Reply]
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Greetings ,
I tried this ages ago and after the water was drained from hanging I added a level tsp of garlic salt , mixed it well and then pressed it . The result was a really nice creamy garlic cheese which was great on crackers or toast .
Using goats milk resulted in a less firm cheese though for some reason .
Great site .
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Hi Jed,
Wow, great idea for cracker cheese…will surely try it next time.
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October 28th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Hi…Can i use this paneer to make Pistachio Sandesh? I bought ricotta cheese from the supermarket b4 realising tht it is not the same as paneer!
Susanna,
Perth, Australia
[Reply]
November 20th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Hi there,
I just made the paneer this way, but it doesn’t taste like store-bought… I wonder if it will taste the same
(as restaurant like) if I actually cook with it and let it sit the gravy… It tastes milky…thats all.
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Hi Aarthi,
Paneer does have a milky taste (after all, it is milk fat). Sometimes, restaurants mix maida (all-purpose flour) while kneading the paneer. It can alter the taste a bit but it helps to hold the shape.
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