How to make paneer at home with step by step pictures and instructions for easy understanding and reference. Making paneer at home is easy and had been making it for years now.
Though we always use homemade paneer, I didnt give much thoughts of posting it here. Last week, when my best friend asked having quite a handful of paneer recipes in the site why havent you posted the homemade paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese) recipe….I had no answer. But should admit for ignoring her request for a long time…and yes it striked me hard and 2 days later I made the paneer finally to post it here. Sowmya, this is for you – Hope this is enough for now atleast to put a smile on your face.
About the recipe, you can either use lemon juice / vinegar or curd to curdle milk but this is how amma makes and it comes out perfect everytime. Do give a try and am sure you will not go in for store bought ones after trying the homemade paneer.
If you have any more questions about this how to make paneer do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
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How to make paneer
Ingredients
- 1 litre milk
- 1/2 cup curd or 3 tbsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp vinegar
Instructions
- Boil milk for 5mins(Simmer it). Let it for a gentle boil then first add 1/4 cup of curd, keep stirring and then add the next 1/4 cup. Continue heating till it starts curdling, keep stirring until the whey completely seperates.At this stage, switch it off. If you are adding lemon, add it 1 tbsp by 1 tbsp.
- Place a cheesecloth(make sure it is long enough to get tied up) over a container and strain the paneer. If you use lemon juice to curdle just wash it twice atleast, in cold water to get rid of the lemon flavour.Bring the edges of the cloth to the center, tie and hang it to a handle or sink tap. Allow the water to drip by itself, do not disturb the setup for an hour till all the whey completely drips.
- Flatten it and place it on a dosa tawa. Then keep the chapathi maker over it and any other heavy weight over the chapathi maker(I kept my hand mortar and pestle). Allow it to get set for atleast 2 to 3 hours. It will look cruumbled at this stage but dont worry it will get set well. Then carefully remove the cloth from the paneer and place it in the fridge for 1 hour atleast(this step is optional but helps in getting clean neat pieces while cutting). I let it sit in the fridge overnight as anyways I cannot night shoot it...yes I made it it the previous night making the paneer ready for next days clicks :)Then, remove it from the fridge , and cut into desired cubes.
- Do not freeze it. Just refrigeration is enough.Cut into cubes of your preferred size and store in a airtight container / a ziplock cover.
Notes
- I prefer to cut them a bit small so that while added to gravies, it absorbs well.Soaking the paneer 10mins before adding it to gravies also makes it to absorb the gravy well. You can store in fridge for upto 3 to 4 days....After that it starts to harden.
- Use the leftover whey for making rotis or rasgullas or save it for making paneer next time.
- Setting time is very important in getting the perfect paneer cubes.Also keeping in fridge before cutting into cubes gives neat pieces.
- You can even use 1/4 cup curd to curdle but I used 1/2 cup to curdle quickly and to get little more volume of paneer.
- I used cows milk so had to simmer for a while before I added curd as cows milk is little watery. People here in India can use aavin full cream milk.
- Use a cheese cloth which drains the water well. I used 'dhoti cloth(veshti thuni) for draining.
- Take care to wrap it to form a circle / square so that while cutting into pieces it is easy to form squares.
- Also allow the paneer to come to room temperature before cutting it to avoid paneer from crumbling.
Method:
- Boil milk for 5mins(Simmer it). Let it for a gentle boil then first add 1/4 cup of curd, keep stirring and then add the next 1/4 cup. Continue heating till it starts curdling, keep stirring until the whey completely seperates.At this stage, switch it off. If you are adding lemon, add it 1 tbsp by 1 tbsp.
- Place a cheesecloth(make sure it is long enough to get tied up) over a container and strain the paneer. If you use lemon juice to curdle just wash it twice atleast, in cold water to get rid of the lemon flavour.Bring the edges of the cloth to the center, tie and hang it to a handle or sink tap. Allow the water to drip by itself, do not disturb the setup for an hour till all the whey completely drips.
- Flatten it and place it on a dosa tawa. Then keep the chapathi maker over it and any other heavy weight over the chapathi maker(I kept my hand mortar and pestle). Allow it to get set for atleast 2 to 3 hours. It will look cruumbled at this stage but dont worry it will get set well. Then carefully remove the cloth from the paneer and place it in the fridge for 1 hour atleast(this step is optional but helps in getting clean neat pieces while cutting). I let it sit in the fridge overnight as anyways I cannot night shoot it…yes I made it it the previous night making the paneer ready for next days clicks :)Then, remove it from the fridge , and cut into desired cubes.
- Do not freeze it. Just refrigeration is enough.Cut into cubes of your preferred size and store in a airtight container / a ziplock cover.
I prefer to cut them a bit small so that while added to gravies, it absorbs well.Soaking the paneer 10mins before adding it to gravies also makes it to absorb the gravy well. You can store in fridge for upto 3 to 4 days….After that it starts to harden.
My Notes:
- Use the leftover whey for making rotis or rasgullas or save it for making paneer next time.
- Setting time is very important in getting the perfect paneer cubes.Also keeping in fridge before cutting into cubes gives neat pieces.
- You can even use 1/4 cup curd to curdle but I used 1/2 cup to curdle quickly and to get little more volume of paneer.
- I used cows milk so had to simmer for a while before I added curd as cows milk is little watery. People here in India can use aavin full cream milk.
- Use a cheese cloth which drains the water well. I used ‘dhoti cloth(veshti thuni) for draining.
- Take care to wrap it to form a circle / square so that while cutting into pieces it is easy to form squares.
- Also allow the paneer to come to room temperature before cutting it to avoid paneer from crumbling.
Divi
i follow the same process using lemon juice, it works the same way …..i never knew curd can be used instead…..thanks for the share…
Coral Crue
I've never tried it with curd, must do, love home made paneer 🙂
Vimitha Anand
omemade is always d best… nicely done
Veena Theagarajan
lovely paneer! looks very soft!
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
jayasri ramani
Hi sharmi , i never tried using curd for preparing paneer. thanks for ur tips.
wil try soon. thanks
Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj
Hi sharmi, I too made paneer using vinegar, it comes out well but i made very fewer quantity because of first time…
urs looks so fabulous…
VIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA
Aarthi
i love homemade paneer , because they taste so fresh
Vaishnavi
Looks awesome! Good clicks
Divya Kudua
I make paneer only when milk curdles:)Love the milky mist brand paneer which turns out very soft and creamy when mixed in gravies.I am posting a paneer dish tomorrow too:)
Uma Ramanujam
Hey sharmi…same pinch. I clicked same kind of pictures today morning for making paneer today morning. But I used less fat milk. Looks superb. It came out well for you.
Vardhini
Looks yummy Sharmi. I make it similarly and use vinegar for the most part.
Poornima Nair
I too make it with curd nowadays, the paneer has turned out perfect!
Turmeric n Spice
Nice one !! Love the perfect cubes
Amina Khaleel
your paneer cubes look excellent… we always use vinegar and the paneer comes out really well… will try adding curd next time we make paneer…
Shweta in the Kitchen
Well explained & your paneer has come out perfect.
Blog – http://shwetainthekitchen.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/ShwetaintheKitchen
Sangeetha Nambi
Never tried using curd.. Thanks…
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
Amarendra
Very informative post. We use to make paneer by using lemon juice, but never knew that it can be made with curd also.
Nupur
I have tried making once with Curd, didnt turn out that well. I always use Citric Acid to make Paneer now, its easy and quick. And always gives the perfect results
Off course trying Curd is a better and healthier thing to do . Will give a try this week using your method and get back to you if it turns out well.. 🙂
Nivedhanams Sowmya
well explained and nicely done!!!
Sowmya
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Sasmita
my paneer is made soft. but doesn't bind this way n breaks in curry. yours look good, like the readymade stuff. good job.
jeyashrisuresh
Though i make rasgullas at home never attempted to make paneer out of that. Super tempting clicks and great effort.
Happy birthday once again!!
Chitra
Home made is the best !! Looks nice 🙂
Madhu Pravin
Long awaited recipe from ur end 🙂 Thanks a lot for posting it. Love the clicks! It's preferrable to use curd for curdling than using lemon. It has to be rinsed several number of times to get rid of the lemon flavour. Will definitely try it n try ur Paneer Butter Masala 🙂
Sreevalli E
Very informative post…
Premalatha Aravindhan
wow lovely post and nice tips…
Sangeetha
Adding curd is new, I always use lemon juice or vinegar…will try with curd next time…well explained post! Paneer cubes looks perfect n loved all your pics 🙂
Shanky Jindal
Heaven in a few simple bites
Gujaratonnet.com
An Open Book
that has come out really well…i must try this once again
runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com
I love home made paneer, and make it often .. love you explaination and presentation
dishesfrommykitchen
Love always home made paneer.. Yah I too use whatever is in hand curd or lemon. Both works great…but adding curd is my first option.
RAKS KITCHEN
Paneer looks perfectly done and shows the experience how long its being made 🙂 Love the pictures too
Vani
Looks great, S! ANd love that bowl 🙂
Suchi
Thanks for this recipe sharmilee..I tried it out and it was perfect..my little kiddo enjoyed it to the core..thanks once again..
Sucharitha
RENU
hi sharmilee
i made this…it came out well thanks a lot for the recipe.it s so soft….never expected this way.
Ann
Its very nice , i made it . thank u.
Bhushavali - Indian Fashion n Travel Blogger!
Sharmilee!!! Thank you so much sweety!!! 🙂
Here's the paneer I made after following your recipe!!! Thank you so much!!! 🙂
Little Mermaid
This recipe sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
How much paneer will you get from the above given measures?
Is it possible also to make the double amount in one go?
Thanks in advance.
SHARMILEE J
Havent measured in in gms…but when chopped comes to 1 cup apprx. Yes you can double the quantity too…
Little Mermaid
Thank you 🙂
Will give it a try today.
Have you tried it with Skimmed milk too? Some websites say it doesn't work, others say it does.
I would be happy if it does as it is quite fatty with the 3.5 % 🙁
Anusha Madhavan
Hi Sharmi,
Made Panneer using this recipe and it turned out well.
Also, tried your Panneer Kheer and Rasmalai recipes. They turned out super delicious and cant thank you enough for posting this panneer recipe USING CURD.
I tried the recipes along with my mother and it is a very special memory for us. THANK YOU and appreciate your hard work and intent to share !!!
KEEP COOKING 🙂
Naela Umer
Dear Sister,
Can you tell me how to make fresh cream at home for cakes, I saw your receipe but you have mentioned not to use for cakes, I want a recipe for the cake .
thanks.
SHARMILEE J
I havent tried making fresh cream for making cakes…may be when I try and succeed in it will post it here 🙂
Uma Ramesh
hi sharmi,
what's the shelf life of panner.can't we keep more than a week.becoz we cannot use all the panner within 4 days.Thanks.
SHARMILEE J
You can refrigerate it for 2-3 days after that I am not sure it may turn hard….Try freezing it
Joyshree Deb
Hi Sharmilee,
Thanks for this homemade paneer recipe. Earlier I tried with lemon but never had the idea of keeping it under a heavy weight and then refrigerate it. So, never got perfect paneer and always preferred buying. I am surely trying this tomorrow. Also, can I use a large sieve instead of a "cheesecloth"?
Thanks 🙂
SHARMILEE J
Large sieve in the sense the holes should small only for the whey to drip…take care of that alone…
Joyshree Deb
Just to tell you that I have made paneer 4 times after I last posted a query. Every time it came out perfect. I used "cheesecloth" (a piece of dhoti).
suzanne31381
Please tell me what exactly the curd is, and if I cannot get that, how much lemon juice should I use? Obviously, I am new to Indian cooking, so thanks for being patient with this obvious question.
SHARMILEE J
Curd is yogurt…..If you are using lemon juice then use 3-4 tbsp (I've mentioned it in the ingredients list)
Nirupama
When the milk spoils by itself, can we still make paneer out of it? Have this doubt for a long time, thanks in advance. 🙂
SHARMILEE J
Aww…I am really not sure that sounds confusing :O
Ruth Nassa
Hello. I love the sound of all your dishes and would love to make paneer myself. However I am English and VERY inexperienced at Indian cookery. I do not have a roti maker or pestle & mortar. Is it possible to use a couple of heavy chopping boards to press the paneer between, then I can add more weights on top?
Very sorry for my inexperienced question
SHARMILEE J
Np at all Ruth Nassa….Yes you can use anything heavy to place on it….Its just for pressing sake…So you can use any heavy objects preferable should be flat so that it makes the paneer flat…Hope this helps!
Hema
Hi Sharmi, ur recipes are too good and a lovely picture of your recipes. I got a good home made paneer following your instructions. But when I prepared kadai paneer, my paneer was so soft and got scrambled and it was more like burji. What should I do? I did not soak in hot water, as it was already soft..
SHARMILEE J
If its not set properly then it will crumble…..so set it properly for the mentioned amount of time then proceed with cubing them….Hope this helps!!
Anil Tehalani
Good evening maam
I have 1 doubt i have read in some articles that after making paneer it should be kept in cold water for 2 .3 hours what should I do please tell me
SHARMILEE J
I am not sure of it….I just cool down an store it
laila baloch
please any body help me? I do the same as mention above but while stirring there is no water separation as at last it is bit like khoya even i added curd as well so what to do now??? Help!
SHARMILEE J
Try with lemon juice and see…What milk did you use?
sowmiya sabarinath
shall i use aavin blue
SHARMILEE J
I suggest to use fullfat milk…aavin red / orange will be perfect
Shweta
Hi
How to store whey water? How long does it keep good until next use? Pl reply
SHARMILEE J
You can refrigerate and use it for 2-3 weeks
Unknown
Thanks for this post.. I tried this yesterday and came out perfectly. So happy 😀
Mortal Showers Bring Eternal Flowers
Will you help me understand what curd is? I have made paneer with citric acid and lemon juice. I want to try it with curd. But I don't know how to buy or make curd. Is curd old milk? Or buttermilk? Is it what is left over from making paneer last time?
I am an Amarican mom, I love your website. We started eating vegetarian after my son was diagnosed with bone cancer. We LOVE Indian food. Thank you for teaching me such wonderful healthy recipes and techniques.
Thanks
Stephanie
MortalShowersBringEternalFlowers.com
SHARMILEE J
Curd is yogurt.Than you so much for loving Sharmis Passions!
Lenka B
I have tried to make this twice already, but it always turns out into crumbles.. Can you help me understand what Im doing wrong? I just can't get it into substance that could be cut, as it it just a bowl of crumbles that I can sprinkle on top of a curry or something.. I love paneer and really want to learn how to make it, this time I even got a non-pasteurized milk from a near by farm, but that didn't help either.. Thanks for your answer in advance!
SHARMILEE J
Oh not really sure why that happens…if the milk is fully curdled then there shouldnt be a problem….I have tried both with cows milk and aavin milk and it works fine…Do you wait till the whey completely separates?
Unknown
I dint had lemon at home and used curd for the first time. It came out very well. Thank you!
Bhavna
Can we add yogurt and lemon juice togther or should we use either one.I did make paneer with the vinegar before.It came out okay.Never tried with curd.If I use only curd do you thing the milk will curdle nicely.Waiting to hear back from you soon.
Sharmilee J
No not together any 1
Sreelakshmi Karthikeyan
Hi Sharmi,
U have mentioned to soak paneee for a few minutes. Is it in warm water or room temperature water.
Sharmilee J
warm water will be good
VARSHINI SATHYAMURTHY
HI Sharmi…
You have mentioned that whey water can be stored for next use…does it helps to curdle thr milk?
Sharmilee J
yesyes it does the same work as lemon/curd gives even better results