Some advice concerning the making of paneer

Some people refer to fresh curds as chenna, and pressed chenna as paneer. For the purposes of this book, however, the term paneer will mean fresh curds, and pressed paneer will mean pressed curds. Remember also that the terms cheese, Indian cheese, curds, and paneer all refer to the same thing, paneer. To know approximately how much milk you will need to make specific amounts of yaneer (drained for a few minutes) or pressed paneer (pressed under a weight for ten minutes), see the following table.

Quantity of milk curdledYield of paneerYield of pressed paneer

cupslitersozgozg

2 1/2600 ml4100375

71.792507200

1231440012350

The following are a few of the most commonly used curdling agents and their characteristics.

• Lemon juice. This gives a light, sour taste to cheese. About 1 tablespoon of lemon juice will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk.

• Citric acid (sour salt). These crystals, obtainable in any pharmacy and most supermarkets, are practical to use and store. For nice, firm curds, bring the milk to a full boil. Begin to add the citric acid, a little at a time, stirring constantly until the milk curdles completely. Then stop and remove the pan from the heat. Too much citric acid will result in mushy curds. About 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk.

• Yogurt. Some cooks prefer yogurt because it produces a thick, soft cheese. Before adding the yogurt to the boiling milk, dilute it in a small quantity of warm milk. Generally, 4 or 5 tablespoons of yogurt will curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk.

• Whey. Whey left over from curdled milk can be used as a curdling agent the next day. Whey becomes sour, and therefore more effective, if kept at room temperature for 2 days or more. Like lemon juice, it imparts a faintly sour taste to the cheese. At least 2/3 cup (150 ml) of sour whey is required to curdle 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk.