Homemade Cottage Cheese (paneer)

“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
― Anthony Bourdain, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

A slice of homemade cottage cheese over homemade bread…what can be better than that ! Not only it reminds me of “little Miss Muffet ” eating her curds and whey
, also it gives me immense pleasure when I have a deliciously fresh , clean block of paneer to put on the breakfast table for my family. It has so many uses besides sitting on the breakfast table; toast it in a little olive oil and mix with spinach to make palak paneer, add it to mixed vegetable gravy for a delicious vegetarian main , roll it into tortillas or roti bread with salsa to make amazing lunch or simply spread it on a wheat cracker for a low calorie snack. Enjoy !

Homemade Cottage Cheese (paneer) :

1+1/2 litres or 7+1/2 cups whole milk
5-6 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon any dry or fresh herb of your choice (optional)

This Is What You Do :

All the utensils that you use in the process should be really clean. Heat milk over low heat till its very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, add vinegar, stir for 2 minutes till whey and curds separate. Cover with a clean cloth, leave for 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve or cheese cloth, press down with a spoon to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Let it drain for 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, add salt and herbs ( I used dried parsley in mine). Quick and simple cottage cheese is ready to be eaten. If you want to make a cheese block, press the cheese with a spoon in bowl, smooth out the surface, put a piece of cheese cloth or clean kitchen towel on top. Put some weight on top of cheese to compress it. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Yields 1 – 1+1/4 cup cheese