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  • 2 litres whole milk
    (see recipe tips below)
  • 1 lemon
    juiced
  • 1 tsp fine salt

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal328
  • fat25g
  • saturates15g
  • carbs1g
  • sugars1g
  • fibre0g
  • protein26g
  • salt0.1g
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Method

  • step 1

    Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally. This should take about 30 mins.

  • step 2

    Once it begins to bubble and rise up the sides of the pan, add 2 tbsp lemon juice and the salt – the milk will quickly separate. Add another 1 tbsp lemon juice, or enough to turn the milk into curds and liquid whey. Simmer for 1 min before turning off the heat. The amount of lemon juice needed will depend on the milk’s freshness.

  • step 3

    Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin and set over a bowl. Pour the cheese mixture into the sieve and leave for about 10 mins to allow the whey to drain through the cloth. Draw the muslin around the paneer and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.

  • step 4

    Transfer the cloth-wrapped cheese to a tray and pat it out into a 2cm-thick rectangle. Cover it with a tray and a couple of heavy tins and transfer to the fridge for at least 2-3 hrs. Unwrap the paneer – if you're not using it straight away, submerge it in cold water and keep it in the fridge. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

RECIPE TIPS

AVOID FRESH MILK

It's easier to make paneer with milk that isn't fresh – try and use milk with a high fat content that's reached its use-by date (but hasn't gone off). The fresher the milk, the more lemon juice you will need.

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Comments, questions and tips (6)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.5 ratings

helena.hewson47429

Oh dear, this didn't work for me sadly. It was week old full fat milk but wouldn't separate. I just ended up with lemony milk! I think stirring was where I went wrong. If so, should put 'don't stir' in the description 😕

el_bereth avatar

el_bereth

Just made it. It's absolutely delicious, and truly very easy to make. Had to add juice from 2 lemons to curdle it, as my milk was rather fresh. Not going back to shop-bought ever again, not when you can make it so easy and relatively quickly at home.

suzanneward70

Really easy to make. I use a tofu press to make it a stronger cheese. Breaks up less when cooking. However if you’fry’ it in an air fryer then it keeps its shape better too

grabem

No mention of what to do with the way! I've read recipes that suggest it can be used in soups, etc to add body, nutrition and flavour, ut I've not yet tried this.

Also suggestions for flavouring the cheese would be useful - adding herbs and spices at some point in the making for a more complex…

susan cuthbert

You can use whey as stock in soups and stews and even make bread with it. I never throw it out. And you can make whey cheese - gjetost - if you have a lot!

fgsrussell6rBYDu5R

tip

Surprised that there is no mention of rinsing the curds to eliminate vestiges of lemon juice (or vinegar) and whey. The mesh bags sold for 50p or so in supermarkets as an alternative to plastic bags for vegetables, are perfect for draining the paneer.

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