PANEER - EASY TO MAKE RECIPE

Paneer is an ingredient that is being used in so many recipes and in India, most homes make it regularly.  Paneer is a by-product of milk and is surprisingly easy to make if you follow these simple steps. Fresh Paneer can be added to a variety of vegetables to make a curry.  It can also be added to samosas, porathas and even pizzas!

Ingredients:

1.5  litre whole (full cream milk). (I used organic milk)
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1.   Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling, lower the heat completely.

2.      Add 2 tablespoons of  lemon juice and  stir the milk.  Watch the milk curdling and small yogurt like pieces will form.  Switch off the heat and add the third teaspoon if you will it's necessary.  I needed the third tablespoon.

3.   Take a muslin cloth and lay it over a colander.   If you wish to use the whey for any recipes, then put the colander on top of a saucepan to collect it.   Drain the milk on muslin cloth and allow it to drain for about 5 minutes.  At this stage, you can add spices such as cumin or fresh grated ginger to spice up your paneer.  I left mine plain.

4.   Your paneer is now ready.   If you want solid paneer, put some weight on the drained paneer and leave it on for an hour.  Cut it into cubes and use it when required.   You can also freeze the paneer cubes.

Tip: You can also use vinegar or citric acid crystals instead of lemon juice.
Makes: About 190 gms of paneer.

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Home made plain yoghurt

 

Housewives in India and Africa make homemade yoghurt all the time.  They do it as a routine and without a yoghurt maker or a thermometer.  Homemade yoghurt  is a healthy source of protein, calcium, magnesium, and other essential vitamins, whose active bacterial cultures aid in digestion. You can make yoghurt in your own home for a fraction of the cost of the typical store-bought type and it requires no special equipment 

Like most things homemade, yoghurt you make yourself is just better.  It tastes better and has no artificial preservatives.

For making yoghurt, you need a starter yoghurt. Starter yoghurt is yoghurt that has been made with active live cultures; this is the friendly bacteria that will turn your milk into yoghurt. You can buy a small container of  plain yoghurt at the grocery to use for this purpose. Make sure that the container says  Made with live cultures or something of this nature.

Ingredients:

Milk:  1 pint milk (you can use semi skimmed or full fat milk)
Small pot of live yoghurt to use as the starter culture.

Method:

1.   Boil the pint of milk.

2.   Allow the milk to cool down.

3.   Lots of recipes will give a temperature of 45 degrees which is right for making yoghurt.   I just dip my finger in the milk and make sure the milk is warm to touch.

4 .  Add 2 tablespoons of live yoghurt to the milk and stir. You may find that you need to add an extra spoonful of the culture during the winter months. 

 

5.   Cover the container and keep in an airtight and warm cupboard. In the winter, I tend to keep my container in the microwave. I also add a boiled kettle next to my container to give the microwave some warmth . Sounds crazy but it works!! I know of friends who keep a hot water bottle next to their container. In hot countries, it is a lot easier to make yoghurt. My suggestion would be make the yoghurt overnight.

 

6.  This is what my homemade yoghurt looked like:

 

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SPINACH PANEER - Paneer with Spinach

This is another easy to cook and healthy receipe:

Ingredients:


1 block of ready packed paneer
1 bunch or bag of fresh spinach. (small leaves taste better)
1 small onion chopped finely (OPTIONAL)
4 tablespoons yogurt
4 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp dhania (coriander)powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 cinammon stick
1-2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cashewnuts, powdered
2 tomatoes, pureed
1-2 tablespoon cream
2 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tablespoon sunflower oil or similar
Salt to taste



Procedure:

1. Cut the paneer into cubes and marinade them with 4 tablespoons of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the ginger garlic paste. allow to soak as long as you can. Then add one tablespoon oil to the mixture cook the mixture in an oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Centigrade.

2. Whilst the paneer is in the oven, heat the remaining oil and add the mustrad seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to the oil. Allow the cloves and mustard seeds to pop.

3. Add the onions (optional) and ginger/garlic paste.

4. Fry for about a minute.

5. Add the tomato puree and salt to taste.

6. Fry on medium heat till the mixture thickens.

7. Now add the spinach and enough water and bring to a boil.

8. Add the cooked paneer cubes to the spinach.

9. Add the cream and mix well.

10. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves.

11. Allow to simmer on a medium to low heat for 20 minutes.


This dish is best served hot with paratha or naan.

Mutter Paneer - Paneer with green peas

This dish is extremely expensive when served in Indian restaurants. Often you  get lots of sauce and hardly any paneer pieces. Yet, it is an easy to make dish:

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 block of paneer (for homemade paneer check out: http://www.givemesomespice.com/2010/09/paneer-easy-to-make-recipe.html)
I cup green peas (fresh or frozen
1 small onion chopped finely (OPTIONAL)
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
half teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons a mixture of coriander and cumin powder often called chana jeeru.
1 smallcinammon stick
1-2 cloves
1 cardammom
1 tablespoon cashewnuts, powdered
2 fresh tomatoes, pureed or half a can of tinned tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon whipped cream or malai
2 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon sunflower oil or similar
Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Cut the paneer into cubes, prick them with a sharp knife and deep fry them. Put them to soak in hot water.(pricking them stops the paneer from spluttering).

2. Heat the oil and add the cinammon, cardamom and cloves.

3. After 10-20 secs, add the onions (optonal) and ginger/garlic paste.

4. When the onions turn light brown, add all the powdered spices and cashewnut powder.

5. Fry for about 1/2 a minute.

6. Add the tomato puree and salt to taste.

7. Fry on high heat till the mixture thickens.

8. Now add the peas and one cup of water and bring to a boil.

9. Strain the paneer cubes and add them to the mixture.

10. Add the malai and mix well.

11. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves.

12. Allow to simmer on a medium to low heat for 20 minutes.

This curry can be served hot with paratha or naan.

Home made Paneer

Paneer is a by-product of milk and is surprisingly easy to make if you follow these simple steps. Fresh Paneer can be added to a variety of vegetables to make a curry.

PANEER

Ingredients:

1.5  litre full cream milk (I used organic milk)
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1.   Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling, lower the heat completely.

2.      Add 2 tablespoons of  lemon juice and watch the milk curdling.  Switch off the heat and add the third teaspoon if you will it's necessary.  I needed the third tablespoon.

3.   Take a muslin cloth and lay it over a colander.   If you wish to use the whey for any recipes, then put the colander on top of a saucepan to collect it.   Drain the milk on muslin cloth and run this under the tap so that no traces of lemon remain in the paneer. Allow it to drain for about 5 minutes.

Tip: At this stage, you can add herbs like grated  ginger  to the mixture to add flavour to your paneer.

4.   Your paneer is now ready.   If you want solid paneer, put some weight on the drained paneer and leave it on for an hour.  Cut it into cubes and use it when required.   You can also freeze the paneer cubes.

5.   Cut it into cubes and use it when required.   You can also freeze the paneer cubes.

Tip: You can also use vinegar or citric acid crystals instead of lemon juice.
Makes: About 190 gms of paneer.
Preparation time: 45 minutes