Paneer Round-Up!

We came, we curdled, we strained, we pressed and we conquered!
Conquered the cheese known as paneer that is.
This month three brave souls learned that there is nothing to fear in making this simple cheese at home, in fact - we might even do it again.

Andreas of Delta Kitchen joined us this month with his picture perfect paneer.
"This seemed to be a logical step to take the fun of bread making to the next level. The Cheese Challenge for February was to make Paneer from scratch, which was very easy and straightforward. I put the paneer into a soup plate to prevent flooding the fridge during the overnight rest, but the paneer just firmed up without rendering a drop of whey.
The finished paneer will hold it's shape through the fry and simmer to make a spicy kashmiri dish which goes well with some basmati rice."
Check out his cheesy adventure here.

Simmered Kashmiri Paneer at Delta Kitchen

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My friend Foodycat from across the pond knows a thing or two about Indian food
"I followed the recipe from Mirch Masala, reposted on Forging Fromage, but I also watched this fantastic YouTube tutorial from Show Me The Curry. It was all ridiculously straightforward, but from the ladies at Show Me The Curry I took the idea of suspending the curds in a jug, to let the weight of the curds themselves help drain them, and the jug catches the whey, Nifty, huh?"
"My paneer held together well as I coated the slices well in cornflour, and submitted patiently to being turned in the frying pan. Despite the slightly custardier texture when it was finished, it still had a bit of the chewiness and bite that commercial paneer has."
Check out Foodycat's cheesy adventures here.

Foodycat's Chili Paneer
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And over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made the Cumin Paneer and gave my paneer an extra day to firm up in the fridge.
"I am much too absent-minded to watch over a pot of milk. I use my slow cooker on high, lidded, with a probe thermometer in it - alarm set for 190f. It takes longer but you don't have to think about it."
"I let mine sit 2 days, and then pressed it even further between two cutting boards for a few moments, with me sitting on top!"
Check out my cheesy adventures here.

Natashya's Palak Paneer
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There you have it! Three adventurous souls and three delicious dishes. Tomorrow we'll be posting March's challenge and Heather should be back from vacation in a couple of weeks.
Thanks so much for joining us, in the kitchen or in spirit.
May all your dreams be cheesy ones.

C'mon Here and Make Paneer!

February's Cheesy Challenge is to make Paneer!

This is another simple cheese, requiring no specialty ingredients, and made characteristically firm by pressing overnight. The firmness of the cheese makes it a good candidate for frying and it is a feature in many Indian dishes.

Use any recipe you like to make Paneer - this recipe from Mirch Marsala our lovely guest cheese-poster, or one of the ones below, or any you might have at home.

Paneer
200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes

4 quarts whole milk
4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

1. Sterilize all equipment. In a large stainless-steel pot over low heat, slowly bring milk to a boil, stirring gently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

2. Add lemon juice. Stir for 5 minutes or until milk begins to curdle and the solids rise to the top. If it does not curdle, add another 2 tbsp lemon juice and continue stirring.

3. Pour contents of pot into a cloth-lined colander. Let curds drain. Rinse curds with cold running water, then twist them in the cloth to remove as much of the water as possible.

4 Twist the cloth tightly around the cheese and place on a plate. Cover with another plate and place a 2-lb. (1 kg) weight on top. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Unwrap cheese and place in a small bowl. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Variation:

Cumin Paneer

4 quarts whole milk
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

1. Sterilize all equipment. In a large stainless-steel pot over low heat, combine milk, cumin seeds and salt. Slowly bring to a boil; boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently the whole time to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

2. Add lemon juice. Continue to stir milk until milk curdles and the solids rise to the top. If it does not curdle, add another 2 tbsp lemon juice and continue stirring.

3. Pour contents of pot into a cloth-lined colander. Twist curds in the cloth to remove as much of the moisture as possible.

4. Twist the cloth tightly around the cheese and place on a plate. Cover with another plate and place a 2-lb. weight on top. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Unwrap cheese and place in a small bowl. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Both recipes deliver about a 10% yield. You will notice that the cumin variation has a longer fridge life - that is because of the salt.
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Well, what are you waiting for? Get into the kitchen and make some Paneer! Use whatever recipe you like and try creating a fabulous dish like Saag Paneer or Palak Paneer with the cheese.

*Email your cheese-filled adventures by the last day of the month to forgingfromage at live dot com.

Happy Cheesing!!

Featured Forger: Mirch Masala makes Paneer

Yesterday I came across a fabulous home cheese making post over at Mirch Masala...and the incredibly talented Superchef was kind enough to allow me to share it here at Forging Fromage!
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Paneer / Cottage Cheese, the most versatile ingredient in Indian, especially vegetarian cooking is easily available in all Indian grocery stores. So, why bother making it at home??! Well, there are a couple of good reasons, at least for me. First of all, the ones that you get in stores has this rubbery texture to it. Even though you can live with it, the homemade paneer has a different fresh texture and taste and absorbs the flavour better than the store bought ones. Now especially with paneer, which doesn't have any particular taste to it, this is a very important factor. Second is the cost factor – you will easily spend 6-7 bucks for a block of paneer where as a similar quantity can be made at home with about a gallon of milk which is anywhere between 2-3 $. I know, I know its not a HUGE difference. But don't you feel good when you get better quality and better tasting product for lesser price and the best thing is the satisfaction of making paneer at home! Hope at least some of you agree with me :)You will need:
1/2 gallon 2% milk – whole milk will be better
2 oz (1/4 cup) distilled white vinegar ( you can use equal amount lime/lemon juice also)

A heavy bottomed pan
a colander
cheese cloth, to strain
heavy pans/canned food/other heavy things as weightsHeat the milk in a heavy bottomed pan/cast iron pan on medium heat. Keep stirring so that the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Just when the milk starts steaming and just before it comes to a boil, add the vinegar to it. The milk will curdle and you will see something like whats shown in the photo below.Now strain this on a cheese cloth spread over a colander. If you want you can collect the whey (the liquid part) for later use. Wait for sometime till the water drains out completely and then take out the cheese cloth. Place a plate or a chopping board in the sink, place the cheesecloth folded on top it. Place another plate and put some cans of food or a heavy pan on top of it as weights. After about an hour – hour and a half, remove the plates and weights and take out the block of paneer. Chop into small pieces and store or store as it is in the refrigerator for later use. Here are some recipes using paneer :

Paneer Makhani / Paneer Butter Masala – An Easier Version
Paneer Butter Masala on a Pizza
Palak Paneer
Paneer Pulao
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Um, yeah...awesome, right!? Thanks so much for sharing your Paneer making method with us, Manju! And believe me, if you don't visit Mirch Masala already...you will get lost in this fabulous world of spices n' more!!