I grew up watching my mother make paneer. We never bought it from a shop, that was simply unacceptable. And then you grow up, get a job, get busy… and just toss the colorful packet of paneer into the trolley every time you visit the supermarket. Until that fateful day when you make your own paneer.

Then, you’re back to your roots, because, there is simply no comparison.

And it’s not even like it’s hard to make! When you’re having guests over and want to impress, it is even more of an incentive to make your own paneer. Here it is, step by step.

To make 150gm of paneer, bring a litre of milk to a boil. I like to use full fat milk for this, because the paneer is a lot creamier. Low fat milk will result in slightly more rubbery paneer.

And once it boils, turn off the heat and add lemon juice.

Give it a stir.

And let it sit for a few minutes.

Once it starts looking like above, i.e. once the cheese separates out from the water, and the water looks translucent, pour into a muslin cloth, and drain out the water.

Squeeze, and place under a weight, allowing space to let any excess water drain out. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

And that’s it. Remove from cloth, cut into pieces and use, or eat just like that, because it’s that awesome!

Time Taken: 30 min
Makes 300 gm paneer

Ingredients

2 liters milk (preferably full fat)
¼ cup lemon juice

Method

1. Bring the milk to a boil.
2. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat and pour the lemon juice. Stir.
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until the paneer separates out.
4. Line a colander with muslin cloth, and pour the split milk into it.
5. Drain out the water and twist the cloth to hold the paneer in.
   Place a heavy object on it, leaving space for any extra water to drain out.
6. Let it sit 15-30 min, peel off the cloth and use as required.
7. If you want your paneer melt-in-your-mouth soft, drop the pieces into boiling water for a few minutes before adding to curries.

Note: The water that you drain out can be poured to plants if you have any.