In this recipe, the cheese was squeezed of moisture (step 5) very easily (in less than a minute). I think this is because I used fat-free milk. I suspect whole milk would have caused the cheese to retain more moisture. I have seen recipies (all using whole milk) where the cheese holds its shape, and additional efforts are needed to remove the moisture. In mine, it was crumbly, making it best suited as a topping. This recipe yielded a little over 2 1/2 ounces of cheese.
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Passive Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
grams
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Ingredients
- 4 cups skim milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice or lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry dill weed
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Line a large colander or sieve with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
- In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot is ideal for this). If you cover the pot (as I did for parts of the warmup), be prepared for the milk to suddenly foam up.
- Add the vinegar and remove from the heat. Stirring gently, you should soon see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate.
- Carefully spoon the large chunks of curds into the cheesecloth-lined colander or sieve. Pour the remaining liquids into the sieve so you get it all.
- Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. If necessary, place a dinner plate on top of the cheeseball and add a cast iron pan or other heavy object to press down on it. After 15 minutes, open the cheesecloth and remove your cheese.
- Kneed in the salt and dill weed, ensuring an even distribution. Use as a topping or stir into soups for added character.
2 comments
Thanks for sharing. I made paneer once when my youngest son now going on 20 was up for an experiment. I had forgotten all about it but am delighted to find your post, as I just restarted weightwatchers and am missing my favorite food: cheese. I can’t wait to try your recipe for fat free paneer.
Hi, Melanie. I’m glad you found this recipe to be helpful. Have fun with it! I decided to use dill, but I have other ideas of herbs that would also go well. Since you’ve made paneer before, you know that it doesn’t have the same consistency as, say, a deli cheeses. But, it is cheese, and that’s pretty cool.