Homemade paneer is a light cheese, great to eat by itself or to add to Indian recipes. If you’ve ever wanted to try making homemade cheese, this easy recipe for Homemade Paneer is a perfect place to start!
I have wanted to learn to make my own cheese for years. If I were to have predicted, ricotta or mozzarella probably would have been my first endeavor but instead it turned out to be Homemade Paneer. Go figure.
I think my interest in cheese making stemmed from my original locavore experiment, when I was trying to source all my protein and produce from a 100-mile radius over a Colorado winter. That lent itself to dabbling in a number of homesteading practices like root cellaring and canning.
I find it very gratifying to create food that I’d normally buy. I love learning new things and often find exploring making ingredients from scratch if often easier than one would guess.
The results are usually something better tasting than what can be purchased too. In this case I love cheese, so checking out making it myself was a natural pursuit.
What is Paneer?
For those unfamiliar, paneer is fresh cheese made by curdling cow’s milk with something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar.
It is popular in South Asian recipes as well as eating by itself.
Paneer is formed into a block which can be sliced or cubed and used in cooked dishes without it melting.
Before making Homemade Paneer, I’d done some research and realized it is an easy process.
Much like other recipes for ingredients normally purchased, after making it I was energized to try making other varieties of cheese.
How to Make Homemade Paneer
Whole milk is heated and lemon juice is added.
While stirring, the milk separates into curds and whey just as referenced in the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme.
As the curds form (they look like cottage cheese curds) the liquid or whey has a green tinge, so it’s obvious when it’s forming.
Once the curds have formed they are compressed in cheesecloth, rinsed and allowed to drain.
Finally, the compressed curds and refrigerated with a weight to form a round block of fresh cheese.
What Does Paneer Taste Like?
It has a light flavor and dense texture.
Paneer is great for salads, in cooked dishes and crumbled with nuts and honey.
Paneer Tikka Masala is a delicious recipe to use paneer too.
Homemade Paneer
Ingredients
- 8 cups Whole Milk not ultra-pasturized
- 4-6 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- Cheesecloth
Instructions
- Line a colander with a double thickness of cheesecloth, allowing a few inches to drape on either side of the colander. Set aside.
- In a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the milk over medium heat, stirring often as it warms.
- When small bubbles appear on the surface of the milk, add 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low.
- Continue stirring gently as the milk curds appear.
- If after a few minutes the milk curds (small whitish solids) have not fully formed separating from the whey (light greenish liquid), add another 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice until the curdling is obvious.
- Continue to stir gently to allow curds to form (and not break apart).
- Remove the pot from the stovetop and pour contents into the prepared colander. Allow the liquids to drain and rinse lightly with cool water.
- Fold the shorter sides of the cheesecloth inward over the curds and tie the long ends once to make a small packet. Squeeze gentle to release more liquid and tie to the kitchen faucet; allow to drain into the sink for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the faucet and turn the cheesecloth packet of curds on its side with the tied area on the side as well.
- Press on the cheese bundle to form a round shape.
- Place the packet in a round cake pan (or other similar flat bottomed pan). Place a flat saucepan on top of the cheese and something heavy inside to compress the cheese (I put a brick in the saucepan).
- Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit 1-2 hours until the cheese is fully formed. Note: it can sit longer.
- Unwrap the cheesecloth to slice and eat the paneer.
Jennifer Henry-Novich says
Paneer is something that I have never heard of before but it looks amazing. Definitely marking this down as something to learn in my cooking experiences.
Toni Dash says
It’s very light in flavor. I’ve seen suggestions to eat it plain with honey and walnuts as well as use it in recipes. I’ll be sharing a recipe using it next week!
Robin Ruehrwein says
I absolutely love Indian Food! This is a great place for me to start to be able to make some of my favorite dishes now at home.
Sarah Bailey says
I have never attempted to make something like this but you make it look so easy. I must give it a try!
Kiwi says
So no more churning butter…wait is that even how you make cheese? Well I am always looking into making stuff from scratch so this is cool!
Joyce Brewer (@MommyTalkShow) says
I’ve got to share this with my husband. He loves to make things from scratch!
Karlaroundtheworld | Karla says
Thanks for making the time to prove that this one’s easy for us all. It doesn’t even involve a lot of ingredients which is a plus for me.
Louise Bishop says
Even though I am a cheese lover, I have never made my own and have to admit, I have never heard of paneer. With all the concerns over additives and such in our food, I have entertained the thought of making a lot of my own foods. This could be a great place to start.
Susan says
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I’ve wanted to try paneer, but haven’t found any place locally to buy it. I have a question about the process: is the whey from this cheese-making process useable? When I make yogurt I always save the whey and it is good for using in smoothies and I freeze some as ice cubes for when I don’t have fresh, or for when I’m soaking grains. Thanks.
Toni Dash says
I don’t see why it wouldn’t be usable Susan! Since I was focused on making the paneer I did not consider retaining the whey and using it myself; but that was merely since I did not need it in the moment.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I have never made my own cheese before. I will have to pick up the ingredients so i can try this recipe. It looks delicious and easy to make.