Paneer

This is super duper easy!

(1/2 gallon of milk will make approx 4 cups chopped paneer)
(Prep time 10 mins + 2 hours draining)

Paneer is so easy to make at home, and the flavor and texture is so much better than store bought. Another advantage of making your own paneer is that you can flavor it anyway you want.
Following is a simple method for making plain paneer.  Paneer freezes well for 3 months.

Ingredients

This recipe can easily be halved.

Whole milk 1/2 gallon (use full fat)
Heavy cream 2 Tbs/cup of milk (use 36%)
(1/2 gallon is 8 cups so you will use 16 Tbs or 1 cup of heavy cream)
Some sort of acid, your options are:

1. Lemon/Lime juice you will need 3-5 Tbs
2. Vinegar 3-5 Tbs
3. Citric acid powder 1-2 tsp
4. Yogurt diluted with water
   You will need a cup and a half of plain full fat yogurt mixed with a of cup water.
   Mix these together and make sure there aren't any lumps of yogurt.

Note:

If you don't have citric acid powder, use yogurt if you can. I find that it works better because it leaves no vinegary or lemony smell and taste in the paneer. This is specially important if you plan to make dessert out of the paneer.

The cheese press

When I first started making paneer at home I made a makeshift cheese press.
Poke some holes at the bottom and all four sides of an aluminum mini loaf with a needle.
Line it with cheesecloth and and fill it about 2" with the curds.
Stack another mini loaf inside it, place a plate over it and then put a 5lbs weight on top (like a pot filled with water or a dumbell)
The whole thing sits on a wire rack so the water can easily drain.

However I have realised now that you can do perfectly well without the press.
Line a colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth, leave an extra 4" of cheesecloth hanging over the colander.
Pour the whey and curds through it and let the curds rest for 3 mins.
Grab all four sides of the cheese cloth and carry the curds onto a flat surface.
Bring the flaps of the cheese cloth over (think gift wrapping) and form a rough, tight square shape with your hands, no more than 2" thick.
Place the cheese on a wire rack.
Put a 5lbs weight on it (a cooking pot filled with water works fine).
I hope these pics help and give you a better idea.

Method

Combine the cream and the milk in a large heavy base pot.
Set your temp to med high and bring this to a soft boil.
Stir often, you don't want the milk to burn.
After the milk has begun to boil, turn the heat down to low.
Now is the time to add your acid.
Stir gently while adding the acid.

• If you are using citric powder you can sprinkle it directly into the pot.
• If you are using vinegar, lemon or lime juice. Add that 1 Tbs at a time.
• Pour the yogurt mixture continulay into the boiling milk in a thin uniform stream.

No rules just keep adding the acid until things begin to curdle.
The milk will begin to curdle very soon.
The whey should become kind of grayish.
Strain through a cheesecloth.
You can either use a cheese press or free form the cheese.
Let it drain for 2 hours.
Unwrap, cut, fry, eat!
I sprinkled some coarse black pepper on the the paneer while frying.
:-)

P.S. The whey is great to make rotis and naan with.