How To Make Paneer At Home
If you think Paneer from the market is good, just wait until you make it from scratch. This creamy and soft homemade paneer tastes so much better than store bought. If you love paneer than Learn How to make Paneer at home with this fail-proof step-by-step recipe (with video). This is the ultimate guide to homemade paneer.
When it comes to guessing the most humble and versatile ingredient in Indian cooking, without a doubt, we can all agree that it is paneer! In our India, paneer surely comes in handy whenever thinking of making something quick, delicious and easy. Although most of us buy paneer from the local dairy shops right outside our houses, you can also make it easily at your home with simple steps.
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Homemade paneer is so much easier to make than you may have thought and way better than anything you’re going to get from the market. Once you try this easy to make homemade paneer recipe from scratch, you will never buy it from the store again.
If you are making paneer at home for the first time, then don’t worry, it may sound like a challenging task, but it is actually a simple procedure. All you need is very few ingredients and your 30 minutes. My recipe for making paneer at home is definitely the easiest, chipper and simple.
What is Paneer?
Paneer is a very humble Indian cooking ingredient, which is the preferred protein-rich food of the health freaks due to its high protein quality and low-calorie count. It is a non-melting desi cheese that we usually make using cow’s milk set with acid.
Paneer is very versatile ingredient. You can cut, mash, crumble or even knead it into dough. Paneer can add flavour and texture to almost any dish, from curries to kebabs and can even be added to junk foods like pizzas or sweets and more.
Ingredients Required to make Paneer at home
Believe it or not, if you want to make soft and creamier paneer at home then all you need is four ingredients. Some milk, fresh cream, vinegar and chilled water will give you the smoothest, most delicious tasting and the freshest paneer ever!
Milk
I recommend using full fat milk and not low fat or skim milk. So if you choose to replace full fat milk with low fat milk or skim milk, the consistency of the paneer will be effected and the end result might not be as smooth and creamy.
Cream
I wanted to make sure that each and every one of you could recreate this recipe at home and that is why I have used the most commonly available ingredients. Fresh cream is something that we all can find near our homes. If you’re using full fat milk then fresh cream should go perfectly well with it.
Vinegar / Lemon Juice
I prefer vinegar for curdling the milk. If you don’t have vinegar at home, then you can definitely use some lemon juice as well.
Chilled Water
How to Make Paneer at Home:
The process for making paneer at home is incredibly simple. The part that takes the longest is boiling the milk! All you need is full-fat milk, fresh cream (optional), some water and vinegar or fresh lemon juice. You need to bring the milk to a boil in a deep-bottomed pan and then mix the water with vinegar or lemon juice and add it to the milk.
The milk solids will start separating after some time and once it’s cooled down, you can strain and wash the cheese and squeeze all the water out. Finally, cover the paneer in the cloth and weigh it down with something heavy object. They whey left behind is very nutritious and can be used for gravies, rice, lentils.
When paneer is done and ready, Cube it, fry it, crumble it and enjoy in the dishes of your choice.
How to curdle milk for Homemade Paneer
My preference is to use vinegar to curdle the milk. You can also use lemon juice, citric acid, yoghurt or even leftover whey from a previous batch of paneer to curdle the milk. For 1.5L milk you’ll need 2 spoon of vinegar.
After the milk boils, add 1 glass chilled water and stir well. After that pour in some vinegar or lemon juice. Give everything a stir, and the milk should start curdling immediately. The liquid will turn into a yellow/light-green color, especially if you use vinegar, but that’s completely normal. I usually let the curds sit in the vessel like this for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Next, you want to strain the curds through a cloth and rinse the curds with cold water. This really helps to cool the cheese and it helps wash away the lemon juice or vinegar.
How to make soft paneer?
This is a super common question of many of my friends. The answer is simple: Use fresh milk with sufficient fat content and add fresh cream while boiling. Adding fresh cream into milk gives richness and creamy texture to the paneer.
Don’t add vinegar or lemon juice immediately into boiling milk to curdle the milk. Always turn off the flame first after boiling the milk and then add chilled water before adding vinegar or lemon juice. Curdle the milk slowly you don’t shock the curds into separating quickly.
How much paneer does this recipe make?
1.5 litre milk gives 250 gm paneer.
The Best Homemade Paneer: Troubleshooting
What kind of milk do I need for making paneer?
Fresh and full-fat milk produces good quality paneer. If you will use fat-free or low-fat milk, it will not curdle or may only produce a small amount of curds.
What is the best curdling agent for curdling process?
I prefer using vinegar to curdle the milk as I feel it results in a more solid block of paneer. You can also use lemon juice, citric acid, yoghurt or even leftover whey from a previous batch of paneer to curdle the milk.
What if I use low-fat milk to make paneer?
The yield will be much less depending on fat content and it may also be quite firm to eat.
Can I use cream to make paneer for softer paneer?
If you want creamier paneer then you can add cream to the milk while boiling it. I would advise adding fresh cream into milk.
Can I make paneer from spoiled milk?
Yes. Simply bring it to the boil in a large, heavy-based pan and the sourness of the milk will cause a natural separation to occur. Strain the milk as directed in my recipe below.
What if my milk won’t curdle?
Add more curdling agent. Start by adding only 1 teaspoon of the curdling agent. Add 1 more teaspoon only if the milk doesn’t curdle and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon only if it still doesn’t curdle.
If the milk still doesn’t separate, your milk may be too processed/filtered to make paneer. Don’t worry, you can still use it as buttermilk for baking.
What can I do with leftover whey?
Don’t throw the whey after draining the curd. You can use the whey for making dough for roti, jowar roti, bajra roti, thepla, bhatura or aloo Paratha. You can use it in making kadhi or dal or rice also. Use it in cake or bread baking. You can add it to your morning smoothies for a low-fat protein boost. Leftover whey can even be used to separate more milk for making paneer again. The possibilities are endless!
Why my paneer become too hard?
Don’t add vinegar or lemon juice immediately into boiling milk to curdle the milk. Always turn off the flame first after boiling the milk and then add chilled water before adding vinegar or lemon juice.
Can I freeze paneer?
Definitely! Wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months, defrost at room temperature and eat within 48 hours.
How long can I keep fresh paneer in the fridge?
This perfect homemade paneer will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Soak it in water, cover it well to ensure it doesn’t dry out.
Secret Tips For Soft Paneer At Home
- For creamier paneer, add fresh cream to the milk while boiling it.
- I prefer using vinegar to curdle the milk as I feel it results in a more solid block of paneer.
- Do not overcook the paneer after curdling, or it may turn hard.
- Do not use stale or expired milk for making panner, because it is unhealthy and also it won’t taste good.
- The amount of curdling agent also depends on the quality of milk, so there is no standard amount. The key is to always add the small amount of curdling agent first and then add more, if the milk is not curdled fully.
- Use just the right amount of curdling agents to curdle the milk. Using too much of acidic ingredient makes the chenna or paneer grainy and rubbery. So, add them in batches only as needed.
Be sure to follow me on facebook, Instagram , youtube and if you’ve had a chance to make this Soft Homemade Paneer Recipe then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
If you think Paneer from the market is good, just wait until you make it from scratch. This creamy and soft homemade paneer tastes so much better than store bought. If you love paneer than Learn How to make Paneer at home with this fail-proof step-by-step recipe (with video). This is the ultimate guide to homemade paneer.
[cooked-sharing]
Pour the milk and cream into the vessel and heat over a low flame.
Stir often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Don't stir the milk too much as we don't want to create too much froth.
Don't leave the milk unattended, it can boil over quite quickly.
Once the milk comes to a boil, switch the heat off.
After turning off the flame add 1 glass chilled water and give it a nice stir.
Now slowly add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice into it. Give everything a stir, and you should see the milk curdle immediately.
If you don’t, you can add 1 more tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Let the contents of the vessel cool for another 5 minutes.
You'll know the paneer is ready when the curds look like little white clouds floating the a yellow/green-ish water (this is the whey).
Line a colander or sieve with a clean muslin cloth. Place the colander over a large bowl to catch the drained whey.
Pour the mixture into the colander and allow the whey to drain out.
The curds now need to be washed to remove any excess acidic flavor. Pour plenty of cold water over the curds and wash away the sourness. I use around 2 glass water for this process.
Wrap the muslin over the top of the curds, as flat as you can get it. Press gently with your hands to drain off excess water.
Place a flat plate over the top and weigh the curds down with something heavy object to drain off remaining water and lightly set the paneer.
The heavier the weight you apply, the firmer set your paneer will be.
After 15-20 minutes, the paneer is ready to use.
Remove fresh paneer from muslin cloth, Cut into desired pieces before use.
Your creamy and soft Paneer is ready to use.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour the milk and cream into the vessel and heat over a low flame.
Stir often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Don't stir the milk too much as we don't want to create too much froth.
Don't leave the milk unattended, it can boil over quite quickly.
Once the milk comes to a boil, switch the heat off.
After turning off the flame add 1 glass chilled water and give it a nice stir.
Now slowly add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice into it. Give everything a stir, and you should see the milk curdle immediately.
If you don’t, you can add 1 more tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Let the contents of the vessel cool for another 5 minutes.
You'll know the paneer is ready when the curds look like little white clouds floating the a yellow/green-ish water (this is the whey).
Line a colander or sieve with a clean muslin cloth. Place the colander over a large bowl to catch the drained whey.
Pour the mixture into the colander and allow the whey to drain out.
The curds now need to be washed to remove any excess acidic flavor. Pour plenty of cold water over the curds and wash away the sourness. I use around 2 glass water for this process.
Wrap the muslin over the top of the curds, as flat as you can get it. Press gently with your hands to drain off excess water.
Place a flat plate over the top and weigh the curds down with something heavy object to drain off remaining water and lightly set the paneer.
The heavier the weight you apply, the firmer set your paneer will be.
After 15-20 minutes, the paneer is ready to use.
Remove fresh paneer from muslin cloth, Cut into desired pieces before use.
Your creamy and soft Paneer is ready to use.
Notes
If you make this Homemade Paneer Recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram and Facebook!
Hashtag them #StoryOfSpices
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