Saturday, January 8, 2011

Making cheese on my own?!

My homemade Paneer!

Thanks to A Canadian Foodie (and Bal Arneson of The Spice Goddess on The Food Network), I made paneer cheese on my day off this past Monday and she was right. It was so easy! My cheese, however low fat, was a little too low in fat. I used 1% milk, but next time I make it I'll use homo milk or perhaps even cream instead, though I imagine it'll burn faster than milk given the much higher milk fat content. I boiled my 2 litres of milk at medium-low, and even though keeping a firm eye on it, still managed to slightly burn the bottom of the pot (I got a good workout from scrubbing the pan). If you are interested in making your own paneer,  Chef Michael Smith also has a recipe for paneer (from the Wilted Spinach with Indian Paneer cheese recipe):


Wilted Spinach with Indian Paneer Cheese
Yield: 4


Ingredients


Wilted Spinach with Indian Paneer Cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 onion peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds baby spinach, washed
Salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 disc paneer cheese


Indian Paneer Cheese

8 cups milk, full fat
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed


Directions


Wilted Spinach with Indian Paneer Cheese


1.Melt butter and add the cumin seed. Toast for a minute or two then add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the spinach, season with salt and stir until wilted.
2.Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and add paneer. Fry on one side until golden, about 2-3 minutes and then flip and brown the other side. Toss with the wilted spinach until the paneer breaks into bite-sized pieces.


Indian Paneer Cheese


1.Bring the milk and salt to a gentle simmer, just as it boils turn off the heat and stir in the lemon. Rest for 15 minutes or so. Fashion a cloth bag with multiple layers of cheesecloth, line a strainer with it and pour the mixture into the cloth. Tie it off and suspend it over a bowl to drain for several hours.
2.Untie the bag but keep the cheese loosely covered. Place it on a plate and cover with another plate. Place in your refrigerator and weigh down with a jar or two of something relatively heavy. Press for several hours or overnight.
3.Remove from the press and the bag and enjoy your own homemade cheese!

(courtesy of www.foodnetwork.ca)

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