I’m not going to lie, I struggled with this recipe for many months before I was able to produce an outcome that I found satisfactory. It’s not that this recipe is complex—there are only two required ingredients, after all—but it does require good ingredients, patience, and an understanding of technique.
Paneer is a simple Indian cottage cheese that is not fermented and can be made in under an hour. It’s also a great source of protein for vegetarians and one of the recommended foods for Vata/Pitta constitutions as it has a sweet taste.
You will need a heavy bottomed cooking pan to ensure the milk does not burn while you are getting it to its boiling point, and you will need a piece of cheesecloth to strain the curds. I use the same cheesecloth every time, but I’m sure to give it a good washing with a little detergent and lots of hot water in between uses. Hang it up on a line to dry in the sun if possible. You want to make sure there are no curds left stuck to the fabric.
Although there are few ingredients, it’s very important that you use the best quality. The milk in India is different from what we have in the United States, and you will find that double pasteurized milk will not work well. Also, use the full-fat option or your paneer will not be creamy; I have found the organic milk with the cream on the top is best, and I also use raw milk when I can find it.
I also recommend pesticide-free lemons and natural sea salt.
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon milk (NOT double pasteurized)
Juice of two 2 lemons
Pinch of salt (optional)
Directions:
Pour milk into your heavy-bottomed pan. I recommend a sauce pan with high sides rather than a skillet. You don’t want the milk sloshing out of the pan while you stir.
Slowly bring the milk up to a low boil, stirring occasionally as you cook. If you notice that the milk is forming a skin as it comes up to a boil, you may want to reduce the heat and increase the stirring. This skin is aesthetically undesirable in the cheese but, in my experience, doesn’t ruin the flavor.
Once the milk has reached a boil, remove it from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. If the milk does not immediately begin to curdle, add a tablespoon or more of lemon juice until you see the curds begin to form. The whey is the clear, grayish part of the milk, and the curds are the white lumps. You should see the milk separate into these two parts in approximately a 50/50 ratio.
Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to cool and ensure it’s fully curdled. Strain though a cheesecloth. I usually line a metal colander with the cloth and strain though that. The cheese will be hot, but try to wring out the whey by twisting the ends of the cloth. You will make a nice, tight bundle of the curd, which you can then hang to let the rest of the whey drip out. Leave hanging for 30 minutes.
After the whey has drained, find a clean flat surface to drop the cheese ball onto. You can leave it in the cheese cloth 
or take it out. You will want to press the cheese between two flat surfaces to fully express the whey, and you can accomplish this using two cookie sheets or a just a pot on top of a plate the cheese rests on. Weigh down the top cookie sheet or pot with a container of canned goods or something else compactly heavy so that it will press the cheese. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Once the cheese is cooled, you can put it on a plate until ready for serving. Cut into cubes before frying or adding to sauces. Enjoy!
