How to make paneer cheese

After reading Christine's post on making ricotta cheese (Thinly Spread), I thought I'd have a go at making my own paneer. A friend of mine told me that she always makes her own paneer and that it's really simple, so I bought myself some muslin cloths (from the baby section in ASDA) and got cheese-making. Although a little time consuming, it really is pretty straight forward and would be a great activity to do with the kids.

This recipe makes around 200g/8oz of cheese, but you could easily double the recipe and freeze any left over cheese. Making in bulk will also save you money.

• 1 litre/2 pt full-fat organic cow's milk (preferable un-homogenised)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pour the milk into a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil (on a medium heat), stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat (reduce the heat to low) and stir in the lemon juice.

Return to the heat and stir gently until the curds to separate.

If this works, you will see the watery whey separate from the white solid curds (see top right hand photo). If they don't separate initially, add some more lemon juice.

Remove from the heat.

Line a colander with a muslin cloth.

Pour the curds and whey into the cloth and allow to drain for a few minutes.

Then tie the muslin so that it is hanging from the kitchen tap and allow to drain for an hour.

After an hour, twist the cloth gently and squeeze out a little more whey (see bottom right hand photo).

Open the cloth carefully. Without moving the curds, gently place them on a plate and cover with the muslin (so they are sandwiched between the cloth).
Top with another plate and weigh down with a pan full of water. Press for a further two hours, draining off the whey if necessary.
Remove the pan and plate and unwrap the cheese. Finally, cut into cubes.

Refrigerate and use within two days, or freeze until needed.

Recipe adapted from Anjum Anand's Indian Food Made Easy.