Has anyone made paneer?!
I tried to make it today but the milk did not curdle!. I used about 6 cups of milk and about a 1/4 cup of lemon juice!. I waited until the milk was boiling then I slowly added the lemon juice and nothing!. Did I do something wrong!? Any advice!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
The 2% milk wouldn't have been a problem!. I've made paneer with 2% before!. The texture isn't as good and it has a smaller yield, but it works!. My guess is there was something wrong with your lemon juice!. Through personal experience I always choose vinegar!. It breaks the milk more easily and doesn't leave an obnoxious lemon taste in the finished product!.
Here is my method:
1) Heat 2L of milk (anything but skim but whole milk preferred)
2) When milk comes to a boil and looks like it might overflow the pot take it off the heat and let it cool for 60 seconds
3) Begin gently stirring the milk with a wooden spoon in one hand while pouring a thin stream of vinegar with the other hand
4) Stop the stirring and vinegar when the milk breaks (you see big white chunks and ugly yellow/green water)!. Sometimes it takes a lot of acid to break the milk, sometimes very little, depends on the milk I think
5) Let the curds sit for two minutes or so to make sure they are all formed
6) Strain through cheesecloth, rinse with a little water to remove excess acid, then press or throw directly into your recipe as required!.
I've been making paneer for many years with this method and never screwed up, even the first time!. It is easy but time consuming so I often just buy paneer at an Indian store or buy halloumi at the supermarket to use in curries (Halloumi is a lot saltier and I like my sodium, so its a good replacement)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Here is my method:
1) Heat 2L of milk (anything but skim but whole milk preferred)
2) When milk comes to a boil and looks like it might overflow the pot take it off the heat and let it cool for 60 seconds
3) Begin gently stirring the milk with a wooden spoon in one hand while pouring a thin stream of vinegar with the other hand
4) Stop the stirring and vinegar when the milk breaks (you see big white chunks and ugly yellow/green water)!. Sometimes it takes a lot of acid to break the milk, sometimes very little, depends on the milk I think
5) Let the curds sit for two minutes or so to make sure they are all formed
6) Strain through cheesecloth, rinse with a little water to remove excess acid, then press or throw directly into your recipe as required!.
I've been making paneer for many years with this method and never screwed up, even the first time!. It is easy but time consuming so I often just buy paneer at an Indian store or buy halloumi at the supermarket to use in curries (Halloumi is a lot saltier and I like my sodium, so its a good replacement)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Hmm!.!.!.theres two big reasons why it might not have worked!. One is that you might not have used enough lemon, secondly that the milk may not have been hot enough!. As I'm from the UK, i don't know what 2% is, I'm guessing its a lower fat milk!? If thats the case, that is the reason it didnt work!. You need to use whole milk (whatever is the fattiest milk, but not cream) to make paneer!. Or at least a grade of milk with more fat content!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
To make Paneer you need milk with high milk solids!. Unfortunately, the lower fat milk also lack the milk solids!.
If you want to use low fat milk, just add dry milk to it to make up for milk solids!. I prefer to use use regular milk with added whipping cream!.
Use of white vinegar versus lime/lemon juice is just a personal choice!. I prefer white distilled vinegar!. The Paneer is produced as a result of coagulating milk by heat and acids!. Both lime juice and vinegar have approximately 5% acid!. You could even use Yogurt for coagulation, it has lactic acid, or tamarind that has mallic acid!.
Type of acid determines the amount and texture of resulting Paneer!. You need about 9 Tablespoons of 5% acid to properly coagulate one gallon of milk
Click on the following link for a recipe to make Paneer!.
http://www!.indiacurry!.com/dairy/d003pane!.!.!.
The above site also has recipes to make fat free Paneer!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
If you want to use low fat milk, just add dry milk to it to make up for milk solids!. I prefer to use use regular milk with added whipping cream!.
Use of white vinegar versus lime/lemon juice is just a personal choice!. I prefer white distilled vinegar!. The Paneer is produced as a result of coagulating milk by heat and acids!. Both lime juice and vinegar have approximately 5% acid!. You could even use Yogurt for coagulation, it has lactic acid, or tamarind that has mallic acid!.
Type of acid determines the amount and texture of resulting Paneer!. You need about 9 Tablespoons of 5% acid to properly coagulate one gallon of milk
Click on the following link for a recipe to make Paneer!.
http://www!.indiacurry!.com/dairy/d003pane!.!.!.
The above site also has recipes to make fat free Paneer!.Www@FoodAQ@Com