How to Make Paneer at Home (and How to Cook It)

paneer is the star of North Indian vegetarian cooking: a fresh, mild cheese that holds its shape in hot curry instead of melting. It’s sold in South Asian shops worldwide, but homemade paneer is softer, creamier and very easy. All you need is milk, lemon juice and a cloth.

Homemade paneer

You’ll need: 2 litres full-fat milk, 4 tbsp lemon juice (or white vinegar) mixed with 4 tbsp water, a muslin cloth or thin clean tea towel, and a heavy weight.

1. Boil the milk in a heavy pan, stirring so it doesn’t catch.
2. Turn off the heat and wait one minute.
3. Add the lemon water a spoon at a time, stirring gently. Within a minute the milk splits into white curds and clear, greenish whey. Stop adding lemon once the whey is clear.
4. Strain through the cloth set in a colander. Rinse the curds with cold water to wash away the lemon taste.
5. Squeeze out the excess whey, shape the bundle into a flat square, and press under a heavy pan or a few cans for 1–2 hours.
6. Chill for 30 minutes, then cut into cubes.

Two litres of milk gives about 300 g of paneer, enough for one curry.

Paneer or chhena?

If you don’t press the curds and instead knead them until smooth, you have chhena, the base of Bengali sweets like rasgulla. Same milk, same method, different finish.

Keeping paneer soft

Shop-bought paneer can be firm and rubbery. Two fixes:

• Soak cubes in hot salted water for 10 minutes before adding them to curry.
• Don’t overcook. Add paneer at the end and simmer for only 2–3 minutes.

Lightly frying paneer before adding it gives a golden crust; many restaurants do this, but it isn’t necessary.

Five paneer dishes to try

• Paneer butter masala: mild, creamy tomato and butter gravy. A favourite with children.
• Palak paneer: paneer in bright green, garlicky spinach.
• Kadai paneer: spicy, semi-dry, with crunchy peppers and crushed coriander seeds.
• Shahi paneer: a pale, rich Mughlai gravy of cashews and cream.
• Malai kofta: paneer and potato dumplings in a creamy sauce.

Other ways to use paneer

• Crumble it into scrambled eggs, or make paneer bhurji by cooking it with onion, tomato and spices.
• Grill marinated cubes on skewers as paneer tikka.
• Stuff it into parathas with chilli and coriander.

Using the whey

Don’t throw away the whey. It’s full of protein and can be used to knead roti or paratha dough, cook rice or dal, or added to soups. Many South Asian cooks use it to curdle the next batch of milk instead of lemon.

Paneer is a great way to make vegetarian meals more filling, and once you’ve made it at home, you’ll find it hard to go back. Start with paneer butter masala.