• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Flavor Bells
  • Recipes
  • Bread
  • Sourdough
  • Drinks
  • Air Fryer
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Bread
  • Sourdough
  • Drinks
  • Air Fryer
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Bread
    • Sourdough
    • Drinks
    • Air Fryer
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here Home » Resources

    How to make Paneer at home

    July 18, 2020 by Meenakshi Leave a Comment

    Please Share!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    This is a quick DIY ingredient post. Here I talk about how to make perfectly shaped, firm yet moist paneer at home without any fancy cheese press.

    Paneer is the most widely used version of cottage cheese used in Indian cuisines. It can be simply made by curdling milk with the help of some acid. Acid separates the milk curdles and the hay. Then the hay is discarded and milk curdles are collected. The key here is to press it well to release most of the water and obtain a firm yet moist paneer.

    making paneer at home

    Coagulant or curdling agent

    A coagulant is a chemical agent that causes the milk to curdle and separate its protein and fat globules. There are numerous chemicals that are used to coagulate milk in different ways and to different levels. From Rennet ( enzymatic coagulant) to sheer lime juice ( acidic coagulant) there is a wide array of coagulants used.

    In case of paneer acid and heat, coagulation is used.

    Commonly used coagulants for paneer making are:

    • Lime juice
    • Vinegar ( Acetic Acid)
    • Commercial Citric acid Granules ( naturally found in citrus fruits)

    I like to use vinegar for making paneer. The quantity of vinegar or any other acid required will depend on the type of milk. Raw milk curdles much easily than homogenized milk. This recipe is specifically for homogenized milk. For Raw and Pasteurized milk refer to the recipe notes.

    paneer making set-up
    paneer set-up
    chena collecting

    Pressing the curdles/ Chena

    If you have a cheese press or tofu press, you probably are not reading this blog. You are already a pro. So, for those of you who are here, let me tell you don’t need any of these fancy equipment.

    DIY your own set up for paneer. Or you can simply place the cloth with cheese in a colander and press with some heavy pans or books etc..

    My Setup to make paneer at home

    I have retained two empty tofu trays. They are my cheese press. I have made small holes in the base of one tray in which I place the cloth. Milk curdles are gathered in this tray and the cloth is wrapped and folded. Over this, I place another tray. It gives me a uniform plane to put weights. Sometimes I fill it with marbles, put a heavy book, or place my heavy pestle and mortar inside it. This setup yields me a perfectly rectangular shaped and evenly thick paneer. ( Refer to the images)

    making paneer
    paneer set-up
    Paneer at home2
    my paneer making set-up

    Ingredients

     Whole milk- 1 liter (Homogenized)

    Vinegar- 3 tbsp

    Instructions to make paneer at home

    1. Add milk to a heavy bottom pan.
    2. Bring the milk to a boil and reduce the flame to low. Stir regularly to prevent the milk cream from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
    3. Dilute the vinegar with an equal volume of water and add to the boiled milk. Stir well and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Stir again. Milk will curdle leaving behind the hay.
    4. Turn off the flame when the milk has curdled completely.
    5. Place a cheesecloth or a similar lint-free cloth on a colander.
    6. Strain the curdled milk through the cheesecloth.
    7. Squeeze the curdled milk well by twisting the cloth. Place it in the mold and put weights on it. Let it press and become firm for at least 3-4 hours before unmolding.
    8. Take out the paneer from the cloth into a container and fill with water to submerge the Paneer. Let it rest for a minute and then drain the water. This step is essential to get rid of any kind of acidic flavor from the Paneer.
    9. Again fill the container with water till paneer is submerged.
    10. Place it in a refrigerator till ready to use.
    home made paneer

    Recipe Notes

    Raw milk will curdle at a comparatively lower temperature. As the milk boils, turn off the heat and wait for a minute or 2 before adding the coagulant.

    More Resources

    • brown sugar syrup dripping into a glass vessel
      Brown Sugar Syrup for Boba: Homemade thick Syrup!
    • a dog eating sourdough bread
      Can dogs eat sourdough bread? A discussion
    • images showing the difference in the structure of the dough
      What is Autolyse? How does it automate bread making?
    • image showing crumb structure of a dense under proofed bread
      Why is your sourdough bread too dense? Ways for making bread less dense.

    Please Share!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, Welcome!

    We are a vegetarian and egg-free blog where you will find easy vegetarian recipes for all occasions. People are loving our sourdough and bread recipes.

    More about me →

    Popular Bread Recipes

    • sourdough chocolate bread texture
      Sourdough chocolate bread recipe: Easy and delicious !
    • Japanese milk bread with sourdough
      How to make Sourdough Hokkaido Milk Bread
    • wheat pita bread
      A complete guide for wheat pita bread: sourdough/ Yeast
    • hot dog buns made up of sourdough starter
      How to make sourdough hot dog buns from scratch?

    SUBSCRIBE

    Signup for the new recipes!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    Popular Air-Fryer Recipes

    • a stack of Frozen spring rolls made in air fryer
      Frozen spring rolls in air fryer: Quick, easy, and crispy!
    • 7 air fried biscuits
      A Guide to Make Biscuits in Air Fryer
    • 10 frozen potstickers made in air fryer served in a plate with sauces
      Frozen potstickers in air fryer: The best way to make frozen dumplings
    • cumin spiced air fryer frozen broccoli
      Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli Spiced to Perfection!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 theflavorbells.com