#making paneer

From Smita:

Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is one of my favorite sources of vegetarian protein due to its versatility. It absorbs just about any spice you add to it and can be cubed, fried or crumbled. It's super easy to make too, take a look!

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole milk

Juice of 2 lemons

Cheesecloth

Preparation:

Heat the milk on medium heat until hot but not boiling. Add the lemon juice and continue to heat, stirring occasionally.

When the milk reaches boiling point, it will break due to the lemon juice. Continue to heat until all of the cream separates, then strain through a cheesecloth (you can buy cheesecloth in any supermarket or at a craft store). Tie off the cheesecloth when most of the liquid has drained, and put something heavy on top to squeeze out the remaining liquid. I like to use a pot for this purpose; I fill it with water to make it heavy. The paneer should be ready in about 30 minutes.

You may use the paneer fresh or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze if you want to keep it longer.