How to make Paneer? | Homemade Paneer Cheese

5 from 15 votes

Make fresh, soft, and delicious paneer cheese at home with simple, easy steps and basic ingredients.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Resting Time1

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Kushi

Add milk to the heavy-bottomed pan. Bring it to a boil on medium flame.
2 liters Whole Milk
You can stir it to prevent it from sticking at the bottom.
Once the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame.

Slowly add lemon juice or vinegar in increments. You will see that the milk curdles and whey separate.
3 tablespoon Lemon juice or white vinegar
At this point, stop adding lemon juice or vinegar.
Let this sit for 5 minutes so that the milk curdles completely.

Place a cheesecloth or muslin cloth in a colander and strain the paneer whey mixture through the cloth.
Rinse the paneer with cold water to remove any flavor of vinegar or lemon juice.
Bring the end of the cloth together and squeeze to remove excess water.
Tie the cheesecloth with a knot and then hang it to your kitchen faucet for about 15 minutes to let all the whey drain through it. (optional but gives good results)

Open the knot and season it with salt as needed. Knead the mixture so it becomes soft and smooth. It should not be crumbly. Paneer bhurji is made from using paneer at this stage.
Salt to taste

Now, flatten the paneer wrapped inside the cheesecloth to desired thickness and place it on a plate.
Place a heavy object on top of it to set. (Eg For the weight, I used a large pot filled with water. You can keep a plate with heavy pumpkin or a plate with mortar and pestle).
Leave this undisturbed for 2 hours minimum. I keep it refrigerator overnight.
Slice them into desired shape and size and use them in any curry of your choice.

The exact amount of lemon juice or any acidic ingredient you may have to add to a liter of milk will vary every single time. Fresh raw unpasteurized milk will curdle faster than commercial packaged milk. So start with the minimum and add till the milk curdles. Then rinse it nicely to remove the maximum flavor.
Add acidic ingredients only after the milk comes to a boil, and you switch off the flame.
Do not use any skim milk or low-fat milk. You will end up making hard panir.
You may also add a tablespoon of corn flour and knead it to get a much firmer paneer.
If your paneer is unsuitable for dishes or breaks apart, you can prepare sweets like kheer, pudding, rasmalai, or paneer bhurji.
If the milk never curdles after adding acid, turn on the flame and add tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and see if it curdles now. Turn it off as soon as it starts t curdle and rest it for 5 minutes once the milk curdles; never keep the flame on as it will result in hard paneer.
Use homemade paneer to make some of the best and most popular paneer curries like paneer butter masala, palak paneer, matar paneer masala, instant jalebi, rasmalai, etc.

You can substitute it with tofu for a vegan version or with strained cottage cheese, queso panela, halloumi cheese, or ricotta cheese.

You can use them immediately once they are set or store the homemade paneer in the refrigerator in an airtight conatiner and use it for four days.
You can also freeze the homemade paneer for up to 2 months. Just make sure you thaw at room temperature or place it in a bowl with warm water.