How to Make Cheese
A few weeks ago we were singing the praises of the great North Indian cheese panir and suggested that it was one to try making at home. Now we’re going to tell you how – so next time you have 15 minutes to spare – why don’t you give it a try? All you need is the following:
- 1 litre of full fat milk
- Half a teaspoon of lemon juice (about half a lemon’s worth)
- Half a cup of warm water (use a normal tea cup)
- A muslin cloth (or cheese cloth)
You’ve got all of those? Are you ready to feel like one of millions of home makers and chefs all across the Indian continent? There are only a few steps – so here you go:
- Mix the lemon juice with the water
- Put the milk on to boil
- As the milk comes to boil add the water / lemon to it and turn down the heat
- Stir the pan continuously until all of the milk is lovely and curdled. As soon as the curds have separated from the yellow whey (curds are the white lumps, the yellow liquid is whey)
- Tip the whole lot into the muslin cloth and run it under the cold tap for a minute
- Squeeze out any moisture that you can and then hang it for 20 minutes until all the yellow whey is gone.
- Finally – place it under something heavy and leave to form into a block of lovely home made cheese
There you have it – cheese perfect for any Indian meal.