Homemade Paneer

This recipe will create Paneer. A soft riccotta-like cheese that has many benefits and uses and can keep for almost 2 weeks. Also in the process of creating Paneer you will render Whey, which is neat also due to its cooking usages and health benefits.

Ingredients

 * .5 gallon of Organic Grass Fed Milk
 * Juice of 2 lemons (prepare before hand)

Tools

 * 1 or 2 Towels
 * 1 Cheese Cloth
 * 1 Googleimage:Colander
 * 2 large pots
 * 1 Wooden Board

Directions

 * Put small amount of water to pot and bring to boil.
 * Add milk and slowly bring to a boil.
 * When a full rolling boil occurs slowly add lemon juice and bring back to boil.
 * Milk will curd. You will end up with Curds (like bits of congealed milk) and Whey (the liguid by-product).
 * Cook for a minute or two longer. Remove from heat. Do not stir.
 * Place a Googleimage:colander lined with Cheese Cloth over the 2nd pot (do this in the sink just in case) and pour the contents of the filled pot into the colander.
 * Either hang the Cheese Cloth and its contents to drain over the 2nd pot full of Whey or spread out on a wooden board and line the cheese cloth sandwhiched between the 2 towels.
 * Set a pot filled with water (or any stable heavy object that will render moisture but stil keep the integrity of the paneer intact) on top of the board to press out remaining moisture. The more Whey squeezed out, the drier the Paneer will and it can be cubed and served with vegetables.
 * Refrigerate.

Benefits
This fresh cheese is highly valued for its ability to supply easily assimiliated protein. The paneer promotes the production of tissue lending substance to the body. The Whey by contrast, tends to pull water from the body and has a cleansing action. A cup of Whey every other day keeps the body clean and helps the urinary system function properly. Paneer is so easy to digest becasue the acid, from the lemon juice begins the hydrolysis of the protien in much the same way as hydrochloric acid in the stomach does and both the reactions aid digestion by begginning the breakdown of protien chains.

In many ways Paneer is superior to commercial cottage cheese. Some of the latter are made with rennet, an enzyme taken from the intestines of calves, where it acts to digest it's mother's milk and for this reason may be avoided by strict vegetarians. Other Cheese such as Cheddar, Provolone and Mozzarella are aged and the aging is a result of the growth of certain bacteria in the milk solid.

Paneer is very rich in easily absorbed naturally Chelated materials.

Paneer Recipes

 * Homemade Palak Paneer (per request ;)
 * Paneer Deserts
 * Homemade Paneer Whip
 * Poached fruit with Paneer Whip

Comments
Oh,please finish this one, i love "Homemade Palak Paneer" (Spinach and Paneer Cheese). mutante 19:04, 25 Mar 2005 (CET) mutante no worries..once i fix up this page i have a recipe for Palak that will go up in the next few days + some sweet treats you can make with paneer. Cheers! Kunda 13:30, 28 Mar 2005 (CEST)