CHILI CILANTRO HOME MADE COTTAGE CHEESE (MASALA PANEER)

 

It is rare that I make cottage cheese at home. Not that it is difficult or cumbersome to make but cottage cheese, also popularly known as paneer, is so easily available in India that one seldom needs to make it at home. The easy availability ensures that one just needs to go and grab it from the local dairy. It’s moist and soft texture makes it a versatile ingredient for adding it to curries, vegetables or making it into tikka or kofta. I often buy it from the local dairy for the paneer dishes that I make at home. But, how much as I may like paneer in a dish (read curry), I simply can’t eat it on its own. As a matter of fact, I started eating paneer much later in my life and despite relishing it in curry and as tikka, I still haven’t developed a taste for eating it in raw form. I guess my palate misses the punch of flavours that it has got accustomed to in curries or the spicy tikka avatar.

 
That is when I decided to make cottage cheese at home and add that spicy twist so that I could enjoy it as finger food. It turned out just as the dairy made one – soft, creamy and moist but loaded with flavour from the addition of spices and cilantro.
 
You will need the following:
 
1.6 L full-fat milk (for softer cheese, full fat milk – 6% – is recommended)
¾ tsp-1 tsp citric acid OR 2-3 tbsp lemon juice (dissolve them in water and use only as much is required to curdle the milk)
Muslin or Cheese cloth
A heavy bottomed pot
 
2tsp red chilli flakes
½ tsp dry roasted and crushed cumin
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (hara dhaniya)
Salt to taste
 
Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pot. As it comes to a boil, switch off the heat. Let it cool for 2 – 3 minutes
Add which ever curdling agent you are using. Start by adding a little. Stir the milk and only if more is required to curdle the milk, add more of the curdling agent. (You need to keep stirring the milk while you add the curdling agent. This will ensure even mixing of the lemon juice or citric acid besides ensuring you use just the right amount of it to curdle)
The milk will curdle leaving whey (water). Add red chilli flakes, crushed cumin and cilantro.
Carefully pour the contents onto a sieve lined with muslin cloth or cheese cloth and placed over a pot to catch the whey.
Wash the curds by running water through it. (You may keep the whey & use it to cook dal or knead dough for chapattis or discard it)
Add salt and stir the cheese with spoon to mix it well.
Hang the cloth to drain the excess water and once done, tie the muslin cloth around the cheese in a knot to prevent the curds from spilling out.
Put some heavy weight over it. Keep it for 10-15 minutes (depending on the amount of weight you have used).
Remove the paneer from the muslin cloth and serve.
 
Snack on it or serve it as finger food.
Cut a thick slice of paneer and enjoy it with a buttered slice of toasted bread. Yumm… J

 
 

Yield: 300 grams approx.

 
Suggestion: Try this cottage cheese with cracked black pepper or jalapeno. Basil and sun dried tomatoes make for an interesting flavour too. Let your creativity guide you on this one. Note: Keeping the weight for too long may release too much moisture and leave the paneer dry.
Note: If you do not have lemon juice or citric acid you can instead use plain unflavored yogurt as the curdling agent.  Note: For using it in curry or for tikka, do not add the condiments or herbs.  Thanks for visiting…see you soon again!

26 thoughts on “CHILI CILANTRO HOME MADE COTTAGE CHEESE (MASALA PANEER)

  1. I’m in love with this idea of adding flavors to the cottage cheese and those dark, moody clicks! Welcome back, Taruna. 🙂 You were greatly missed dear!

  2. What a great homemade cheese. We have a similar one in Mexico that I make often, and adding chili gives it a fantastic taste. Thanks for sharing, I’m going to give it a try soon.

  3. Masala paneer is great fun and is very popular nowadays! Definitely need to try this, sounds like a delicious recipe and it looks gorgeous!!

  4. Almost forgot about flavored paneer. I used to do it with cilantro crushed pepper and salt. Thanx for reminding and for this interesting recipe. Chillie flakes n sun dried tomato is interesting.

  5. This is a wonderful idea. Never occurred to me that we could add flavorings to home made paneer.

  6. This looks smashing not to mention delicious. You are inspiring me to make my own flavored cottage cheese. I used to experiment from time to time with soft cheese making when the boys were young but haven’t done so in ages. Thank you for bringing it back on my radar. Love the combination of ingredients/spices you chosen here. Really delightful.

  7. Hi it’s very catchy… I used make panner often but I am not getting the right shape . What type of mold you are using ??

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