You can do so much with this. It’s lightly spicy and adds a nice twist to regular boring old Paneer. No prizes for guessing whats for dinner tonight!
UPDATE – I’m putting up the recipe here since some of you asked me to. It isn’t difficult at all, just takes patience and time. The cheese has to set over night, so plan to make it in the evening and it will be ready the next morning. This includes making, hanging and moulding time.
Green Chilli and Cilantro Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
Paneer flavored with green chillies and cilantro for a spicy kick! Apart from the ingredients listed below, you will need
- 1 Large Cheesecloth OR Muslin Cloth OR thin cotton cloth
- Colander
- Large bowl to place the colander in
Ingredients:
- milk - 1/2 gallon, full fat or 2% works just fine
- lime juice - 3/4 cup OR white vinegar - 2 tbsp (approx measurement - always better to have more ready than less)
- green chilli - 4, sliced VERY fine
- cilantro - 3/4 cup, chopped fine
- salt - 1 tsp
Instructions:
Lets set up the contraption first. Wash the cotton cloth well with water and wring it out. Line the colander with the damp cloth and place this set up inside a large bowl. The basic idea is to pour the 'broken' milk into the cloth, lift it out of the colander and 'hang' it to dry.
- Boil the milk till it starts bubbling lightly. Make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Turn down heat to low and pour in the lemon juice (or vinegar). Pour slowly and stir with a spoon in one direction. Turn off heat.
- You will start to see the milk and whey separate and form lumps. The whey water is slightly green. Keep adding the lemon juice (or vinegar) until the cheese and the whey separate properly. If you still see white milkiness, add some more juice. Let it stand for about 10 minutes.
- Once its fully done (you'll know when you see), add the salt, chopped green chillies and chopped cilantro. Stir with a spoon.
- BE CAREFUL at this step!! The pot is hot at this point. Pour everything into the lined colander. Lift the sides so the whey drains, tie it up and hang it to dry. Let it hang for about 2-3 hours. All the whey has to drain from the cheese and it should be firm enough to shape. Untie the cheese, fold the cloth over it and shape it into a square or a circle. The idea is that the sides have to be firmly encased in the cloth to prevent it from breaking and crumbling. Place it on a surface where it can drain - near a sink is good. A weight has to be placed on it so that the remaining water drains out. I usually place my wooden cutting board on it, and a huge pot of water on top. Anything really heavy. Let it rest overnight. Unwrap it the next morning, and cut it into cubes. You can use it fresh or freeze it.
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Neha, Need the recipe for this one please…… Green Chilli and Cilantro Cottage Cheese (Paneer). Will it come out as spicy as we normally would like it to be or would we need to add some more chillies?
I’ll post the recipe here. Well, you’re going to end up making it in a gravy or a dry curry, and I added some more spice and red chilli poweder. Not too much though.
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