Paneer

Eigenvector said:

Has anyone experience making Paneer cheese? I've recently been introduced
to Indian/Pakastani cooking and have really found it to be wonderful.

Quoted message said:

So after reading about how paneer is made, it doesn't seem all that hard to
do at home.

Yes, it's very easy. Follow any recipe. You will need some
cheesecloth, and a little patience (overnight is good) and that's
about it. It is not a true, fermented cheese, it is a cottage cheese.

Steve

(Steve Pope) said:

Eigenvector said:

Has anyone experience making Paneer cheese? I've recently been introduced
to Indian/Pakastani cooking and have really found it to be wonderful.
So after reading about how paneer is made, it doesn't seem all that hard to
do at home.

Yes, it's very easy. Follow any recipe. You will need some
cheesecloth, and a little patience (overnight is good) and that's
about it. It is not a true, fermented cheese, it is a cottage cheese.

Steve

When I first started making paneer, I would pour the curds into a very
large colander, using cheesecloth, then I started using a kitchen
towel for straining; now I use nothing at all. This is how I do it.

Using a slotted spoon take out curds and put them in a bowl, let sit
for a few minutes, then drain the whey out of these bowls. The smaller
pieces I use for frying fresh with any kind of Indian spices that
suits me at that moment.

(Pour out the whey into the largest pyrex bowl to save for Peas Paneer
and making bread.)

I cut the largest pieces into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl to
use for my recipe. Usually I have one or two large pieces.

Naturally, they are not cut in nice, neat little rectangular pieces;
they look more like a hard cottage cheese; the taste is no different.

Dee

Dee Dee said:

On Apr 29, 5:06 pm, [email hidden] (Steve Pope) wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yes, it's very easy. Follow any recipe. You will need some
cheesecloth, and a little patience (overnight is good) and that's
about it. It is not a true, fermented cheese, it is a cottage cheese.

Quoted message said:

When I first started making paneer, I would pour the curds into a very
large colander, using cheesecloth, then I started using a kitchen
towel for straining; now I use nothing at all. This is how I do it.

Using a slotted spoon take out curds and put them in a bowl, let sit
for a few minutes, then drain the whey out of these bowls. The smaller
pieces I use for frying fresh with any kind of Indian spices that
suits me at that moment.

(Pour out the whey into the largest pyrex bowl to save for Peas Paneer
and making bread.)

I cut the largest pieces into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl to
use for my recipe. Usually I have one or two large pieces.

Naturally, they are not cut in nice, neat little rectangular pieces;
they look more like a hard cottage cheese; the taste is no different.

Thanks! One thing I've noticed when following the recipes using
cheesecloth is the paneer is sometime too dense and dry. Probably
you avoid this outcome with your method.

Steve

(Steve Pope) said:

Dee Dee said:

(Steve Pope) said:

Yes, it's very easy. Follow any recipe. You will need some
cheesecloth, and a little patience (overnight is good) and that's
about it. It is not a true, fermented cheese, it is a cottage cheese.

When I first started making paneer, I would pour the curds into a very
large colander, using cheesecloth, then I started using a kitchen
towel for straining; now I use nothing at all. This is how I do it.

Quoted message said:

Using a slotted spoon take out curds and put them in a bowl, let sit
for a few minutes, then drain the whey out of these bowls. The smaller
pieces I use for frying fresh with any kind of Indian spices that
suits me at that moment.

Quoted message said:

(Pour out the whey into the largest pyrex bowl to save for Peas Paneer
and making bread.)

Quoted message said:

I cut the largest pieces into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl to
use for my recipe. Usually I have one or two large pieces.

Quoted message said:

Naturally, they are not cut in nice, neat little rectangular pieces;
they look more like a hard cottage cheese; the taste is no different.

Thanks! One thing I've noticed when following the recipes using
cheesecloth is the paneer is sometime too dense and dry. Probably
you avoid this outcome with your method.

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But I don't want to disappoint you, I find that mine is still dense
and dry. Sometimes too much for my liking. Lately I have added the
paneer to the tomatoes and whey (or water) as this liquid is cooking,
so that the paneer can absorb some moisture.
I guess purists would say that the paneer and the sauce should be
distinct.

I console myself by thinking that perhaps milk from the buffalos might
make it a little softer. I've tried making it with tofu, but it is
not the same to me.
Anyway, try it and see if it makes any change for you.
DeeDee

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Steve Pope) said:

Dee Dee said:

On Apr 29, 5:06 pm, [email hidden] (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Yes, it's very easy. Follow any recipe. You will need some
> cheesecloth, and a little patience (overnight is good) and that's
> about it. It is not a true, fermented cheese, it is a cottage cheese.
When I first started making paneer, I would pour the curds into a very
large colander, using cheesecloth, then I started using a kitchen
towel for straining; now I use nothing at all. This is how I do it.

Quoted message said:

Using a slotted spoon take out curds and put them in a bowl, let sit
for a few minutes, then drain the whey out of these bowls. The smaller
pieces I use for frying fresh with any kind of Indian spices that
suits me at that moment.

Quoted message said:

(Pour out the whey into the largest pyrex bowl to save for Peas Paneer
and making bread.)

Quoted message said:

I cut the largest pieces into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl to
use for my recipe. Usually I have one or two large pieces.

Quoted message said:

Naturally, they are not cut in nice, neat little rectangular pieces;
they look more like a hard cottage cheese; the taste is no different.

Thanks! One thing I've noticed when following the recipes using
cheesecloth is the paneer is sometime too dense and dry. Probably
you avoid this outcome with your method.

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But I don't want to disappoint you, I find that mine is still dense
and dry. Sometimes too much for my liking. Lately I have added the
paneer to the tomatoes and whey (or water) as this liquid is cooking,
so that the paneer can absorb some moisture.
I guess purists would say that the paneer and the sauce should be
distinct.

I console myself by thinking that perhaps milk from the buffalos might
make it a little softer. I've tried making it with tofu, but it is
not the same to me.
Anyway, try it and see if it makes any change for you.
DeeDee

Well thanks both of you. I'll have to try it out later this week, it
doesn't sound like something I could screw up too badly.

Eigenvector said:

Has anyone experience making Paneer cheese? I've recently been introduced
to Indian/Pakastani cooking and have really found it to be wonderful.

While I routinely enjoy alu gobi masala, I've been trying the palak paneer
and really enjoy the taste.

So after reading about how paneer is made, it doesn't seem all that hard to
do at home.

I don't make my own, but I keep several blocks in my freezer. I make
mattar paneer (sometimes spelled matar paneer) quite often. It's best
in the spring when fresh peas are available in our farmer's market, in
which case I lighten up the spices to not drown the taste of fresh
peas, but frozen peas and extra spices are nice, too.

"raymond" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Eigenvector said:

Has anyone experience making Paneer cheese? I've recently been introduced
to Indian/Pakastani cooking and have really found it to be wonderful.

While I routinely enjoy alu gobi masala, I've been trying the palak paneer
and really enjoy the taste.

So after reading about how paneer is made, it doesn't seem all that hard
to
do at home.

I don't make my own, but I keep several blocks in my freezer. I make
mattar paneer (sometimes spelled matar paneer) quite often. It's best
in the spring when fresh peas are available in our farmer's market, in
which case I lighten up the spices to not drown the taste of fresh
peas, but frozen peas and extra spices are nice, too.

How is Indian cuisine generally cooked? Sauteed is how I envision it.

Eigenvector said:

"raymond" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 14:04:41 -0700, "Eigenvector"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Has anyone experience making Paneer cheese? I've recently been introduced
to Indian/Pakastani cooking and have really found it to be wonderful.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

While I routinely enjoy alu gobi masala, I've been trying the palak paneer
and really enjoy the taste.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So after reading about how paneer is made, it doesn't seem all that hard
to
do at home.

Quoted message said:

I don't make my own, but I keep several blocks in my freezer. I make
mattar paneer (sometimes spelled matar paneer) quite often. It's best
in the spring when fresh peas are available in our farmer's market, in
which case I lighten up the spices to not drown the taste of fresh
peas, but frozen peas and extra spices are nice, too.

How is Indian cuisine generally cooked? Sauteed is how I envision it.

Seldomly as far as I have seen. From my own experience the cuisine
tends to use a wide range of spices and ingredients and all kinds of
cooking techniques. Try googling 'Tandoori oven" .

A simple example of relatively simple snack made with mashed
potatoes, lots of spices particularly tumeric, then dipped in a
chickpea (?) batter and deep fried. This, I believe, is a Bombay area
recipe.

Also it is a very broad question since India is a huge country with
many distinct cultures, ethic groups , language and cuisines. It is a
bit like asking what European cuisine is like. The difference between
German pickled herring and Spanish tapas is noticeable.

In article <[email hidden]>, m44
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

How is Indian cuisine generally cooked? Sauteed is how I envision it.

It's impossible to generalize. Some is sauteed, some is stewed, some is
fried, some is baked, and so on.

--
Peter Aitken