Paneer

[Susan38]

I started to reply to TravisNTexas' Introduction post but it looked like it got pulled due to some spam intervention.  I too have a daughter that loves paneer...the closest I have come to making it is queso blanco.  I was wondering if anyone has made the kneaded version called chenna and how it differs in texture/taste from the regular paneer.  And I see on the internet lots of recipes where chunks of the cheese are kind of floating in spicy vegetable sauces, such as spinach/pepper, tomato, etc.  I'd like to make some paneer the next time the daughter comes to visit, and was wondering if there were any favorite similar recipes anyone would recommend?  I see in this section where it can be fried, too, but was looking for more veggie-type dishes.  Susan 

[TravisNTexas]

Paneer is dead simple to make.  I use citric acid (but have used lemon juice too) and just about any milk that is not ultra pasteurized.  After I hang it to drain, I press it between two dinner plates with something heavy on top in the fridge until time to use it, normally 4-6 hours later for a firmer cheese.  It's pretty bland by itself, as should be expected, but it is amazing in Indian recipes

The NEC recipe works great https://cheesemaking.com/products/paneer-cheese-making-recipe

I had never heard of Chenna, but having looked at a few recipes now I too am curious.  It's the same ingredients but a different process.

Palak Paneer is a favorite side dish of ours.  A good version of it is located at https://www.cookwithmanali.com/palak-paneer/.  Best thing that ever happened to cooked spinach.
Chicken Tikka Masala is hugely popular, but you can swap the chicken for Paneer with great results as in this recipe https://www.wellplated.com/paneer-tikka-masala/
I came across an "Indo Chinese" recipe with paneer a few weeks ago but have not tried it yet.  It just looks amazing though!  https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/paneer-manchurian-recipe/

Good luck and post pictures!

[Susan38]

Travis,

Thanks so much for finding this post!  Your recommendations look perfect.  I think I will try the paneer this weekend and try one of the recipes too as I think I have everything on hand. 

Looking at the internet for paneer recipes seemed overwhelming so I was looking to you and others with your experience with paneer to provide favorite recipes.

Will report back as things progress....

Susan38

[TravisNTexas]

Yes, please report back, with pictures!

[Susan38]

OK...I finally made paneer on Sunday.  I was surprised how much I like it.  My previous experience has been with several makes of queso blanco, which I have decided is not my favorite cheese.  The paneer cheese and recipe are similar, but the paneer recipe calls for holding the milk at the hot temperature for 20 to 30 minutes prior to adding the acid, which differs from the queso blanco recipe I have used where you put the acid in as soon as the required temperature is reached.  I'm not sure if that is the cause, but the result was in some nice fluffy curds instead of the harder rubbery-like curds of the queso blanco.

And then I made the palak paneer, what a great recipe.  I thought all Indian food was super spicy but this dish is not (but I guess you could spice it up to your liking).  I used half the paneer in it, and put the other half in the freezer (because I read somewhere I think in this forum that it freezes well?) for another recipe at another time.

Travis, thanks for the links and recommendations, they were a hit here on our homefront!  Pics below (and ac4u).  --Susan

[TravisNTexas]

You are certainly welcome!  Pulak Paneer look fantastic!  I have a Mushroom Matar recipe that does not use paneer but is an awesome Indian side dish I will send you when I think about it.

[Susan38]

Well I have yet to try the other paneer recipes posted here, but am trying a previously-frozen paneer in an Asian stir-fry tonight.  I have high hopes it will be great.

Meanwhile, I had a gallon of milk and not much time on my hand today, so decided to make another paneer.  I am always looking for different flavors (having made one too many bland cheeses) and thus was intrigued by the suggestion in the paneer recipe posted here on this forum...of adding cumin, mint, and pepper to the milk prior to making the cheese, so that is what I did.  (Not that adding these items sounded particularly good to me, but I have learned to trust various curry and similar spice blends that always turn out delicious).

So the cheese is in the press as I write this, but in sampling the drained curd, I think this cheese is going to be a big hit!  Instead of it tasting bland, it has a subtle, yet great flavor!  You don't taste the individual spices, but the mint just adds a brightness or freshness, and the cumin a bit of tartness and the pepper, well just more complexity of flavor.  A brilliant combination thus far.  I will post back the final results in a few days after the cheese has had time to do it's thing in the frig.

Notes to self:

1.  Did adding the spices change the pH of the milk?  It took more acid than usual to curdle the milk, and in the end I still didn't add enough (whey was too milky).
2.  Start checking pH's even with paneer so I know why surprises happen in different makes.
3.  Don't be in a hurry when making cheese!

[TravisNTexas]

Interesting!  I'll have to give the cumin, mint, and pepper additives soon (assuming you are still happy with it after it's done!).  Might drop the mint in favor of dried green chili though   Anxious to see your stir fry with the paneer!

[Susan38]

Oops...paneer stir fry got eaten without pictures taken beforehand.  It was a rare spring garden treat...snow peas, carrot, onion, pak choi, spinach, garlic, ginger, teriyaki-type sauce.  Sprinkled sesame oil over the cubed paneer for awhile and it fried up a nice golden brown amidst the veggies with that nice sesame flavor...served over brown basmati rice.

So for the latest paneer made with milk infused with a bit of cumin/mint/black pepper...now on day 2 and 3 the flavor is a bit more muted than when I ate some freshly drained curd.  On a blandness scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the most bland, I'd rank it a 2.  The question is how much more to add of what before it becomes too much.  On this batch I used 1/8 teaspoon each of cumin and black pepper and 1/16 teaspoon of mint (because minty cheese does not sound very appealing to me, either).  On future batches I would not add more mint, but this amount really does not taste minty at all, just "bright" (another taste tester who hates mint did not report that it tasted minty at all).

Infusing the milk with dried peppers such as anaheim or jalapeno sounds intriguing as well.  I guess the take-home message for me is that it is possible to infuse the milk with some kind of flavor before making the cheese.  In the past I have tried adding herbs and peppers to the drained curds of queso blanco and the resulting cheese tasted, well, like bland curds with separate flavors kind of mixed in.  I much prefer the results from flavor infused milk.  But I wonder if too much of anything will affect the chemistry of the milk that will also affect curd formation and texture.

Anyway, I had kind of given up on fresh bland cheeses but this infused flavor idea, new to me, makes me want to experiment around with them some more.  Travis if you give it a try with peppers or whatever, I hope you will post your results here.

Paneer picture below (no I did not drop the cheese in the dirt; the dark specks are bits of ground pepper and mint flakes).  And instead of the traditional pressing method I pressed it clothless in a basket mold just to do something different.

[awakephd]

Susan, I have no first-hand experience with adding herbs or other flavorings (well, except for rubbing the outside of a cheese with olive oil and smoked paprika, which is really good). But whenever I've read about adding peppers or herbs, it has always involved steeping the herbs / peppers / etc. in boiling water, letting it cool, then adding both the water and the herbs / peppers / etc. to the milk. This has been in the context of aged cheeses, so I have no idea how or if it might work with paneer, but might be worth an experiment.

[Susan38]

Andy--I guess I need to add to my cheesemaking library, I've never read about the flavor infusion method you are talking about...only about adding the herbs and other things to the drained curds.  Thanks for the info!  And I'm guessing that it won't affect curd formation if you are seeing this technique described in recipes for aged cheeses.  Interesting.  I do think it is worth a try for the paneer/queso blanco type cheeses.  Maybe you wouldn't need to boil the herbs in water first (you could just add them straight to the milk), since you are bringing the milk to an almost-boiling temperature and in some recipes holding it there for 20 minutes or so before adding the acid.
--Susan

[awakephd]

Yes, if the milk is being heated that high, I'd think you could infuse directly to the milk. As for the extra water affecting the curd formation, I'm sure if you got too much water-to-milk it would have an effect. But a little bit of water is no problem - it just adds a bit of volume to the whey.

[Susan38]

Just reporting back that I made another paneer, this time infusing the milk with dried jalapeno pepper bits (both flesh and seeds) and cumin, and added salt to the draining curds.  I know this is not traditional, but the flavor is great!  Next time I will drop the cumin, as the jalapeno/salt flavor together is amazing. 

For 1 gallon milk, I added 1 teaspoon of the dried jalapeno, and 0.5 teaspoon cumin.  When draining the curds, I gently mixed in 1.5 teaspoons of salt.  Pressed for about 2 hours.  Tastes best after a few days in the frig.  I can't handle a lot of spicy heat, and this was just the right amount of "kick" for me.  I imagine you could double the amount of jalapeno, but I'm not sure, if increasing more than that, when it would be "too much".

I thought most of the jalapeno bits would stay in the whey, but most of it stayed in the curd.  I do prefer the flavor of the jalapeno-infused milk as compared with the method of adding the pepper to the drained curd.

I put half of the cheese in the freezer, and plan to crumble some over home-grown succotash soon, thinking it will be a great addition!

[TravisNTexas]

I love cheeses with chilies!

[awakephd]

Well done - AC4U!