Okay, so yesterday I was craving some good ol’ Indian food, and paneer was definitely on my mind. I thought, “Hey, why not try making it myself?” I’ve seen “paneer recipes easy and quick” plastered all over the internet, so I figured it couldn’t be THAT hard. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t! Here’s how my adventure went down.
First things first: Milk! I grabbed a gallon of whole milk from the store. Seriously, don’t skimp and get skim or 2%. Whole milk is the way to go for that creamy paneer texture.
Next up: The Boil. I poured the whole gallon into my biggest pot – and I mean BIG. I didn’t want any boil-over messes! I cranked the heat to medium and just kept stirring. This is important, folks! You don’t want the milk to scorch at the bottom. I stirred pretty much non-stop until it came to a gentle boil. Took a while, maybe 15-20 minutes? I wasn’t timing it, just patiently stirring away.
Curdling Time! Once it was boiling, I killed the heat. This is where the magic happens. I grabbed a lemon (yeah, just one, it was a juicy one) and squeezed the juice right into the hot milk. You could use vinegar too, but I prefer the taste of lemon. I stirred it gently, and almost instantly, the milk started to separate – curds forming and the whey looking all watery. It’s kinda gross but also kinda cool.
Straining the Goodness. I lined a colander with cheesecloth (you can find this at most grocery stores). Then, I carefully poured the curds and whey into the cheesecloth-lined colander. The whey drained away, leaving the paneer curds behind. I rinsed the curds with cold water – this helps stop the cooking process and removes some of the lemon-y taste.
Pressing for Perfection. Now, this is the key to getting that firm paneer block. I gathered the cheesecloth around the curds, twisting it tightly to form a ball. I then placed the ball between two plates and put something heavy on top – I used a couple of cans of beans. You need to press the paneer for at least 30 minutes to an hour to get rid of excess moisture. The longer you press, the firmer it gets. I actually let mine press for a couple of hours because I wanted it pretty firm.
The Final Reveal! After pressing, I unwrapped the paneer. It was a beautiful, firm block! I sliced it into cubes and, honestly, just ate a few right then and there. It tasted so fresh and milky!
Cooking it Up! Now, for the “quick and easy” recipe part. I decided to make a simple paneer stir-fry. I heated up some oil in a pan, tossed in the paneer cubes, and fried them until they were golden brown on all sides. This only takes a few minutes, so keep a close eye on them! I then added some chopped onions, peppers, and spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, a pinch of chili powder). Stir-fried it all together for a few more minutes, and boom! Dinner was served.
My Takeaways? Making paneer is WAY easier than I thought. It’s also super satisfying! It tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff. Plus, you know exactly what’s in it. I’m definitely adding this to my regular cooking rotation. Seriously, give it a try! You won’t regret it.