Indian Paneer Cheese

This is a wonderfully simple homemade cheese made from just 2 ingredients: milk and fresh lemon juice. It pairs beautifully with palak paneer, and it is just as good added to salads, eaten with crackers or sprinkled over vegetables. Once you see how easy it is to make your own, it is hard to go back to the shop-bought version.

Ingredients

• 850 ml organic unhomogenised milk
• 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)

Method

1. Slowly heat the milk in a saucepan until it comes to the boil, stirring gently so it does not stick to the sides of the pan.
2. Add the lemon juice and stir very gently for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat.
3. Put a lid on the pan and leave covered for 15 minutes while the milk separates into curds and whey.
4. Strain through a damp muslin cloth or cotton tea towel until all the liquid has run through.
5. Gently squeeze the cloth to wring out any more whey, then keep the cheese wrapped up in the cloth and refrigerate until needed.
6. If you would like paneer in cubes, press the wrapped cheese under something heavy to form a block, then cut it up after about 2 hours.

A handy tip: keep the leftover whey (the lemony milk) to cook your rice in. It is wonderfully nourishing and full of protein. Serve the finished paneer alongside a spiced curry or fold it through fresh greens.