How to make your own Paneer

Start by heating the milk in a pan at least 2 inches higher than the liquid. This is important as when the milk boils it does so very fast and can easily spill over.

Stir the milk every 30 seconds to stop it sticking to the pan.

As the milk gets hotter stir more often.

Keep an eye on the milk. Directly it starts to boil it will froth so you will need to instantly turn off the heat.

Stir the milk gently and add the whole of the lemon juice OR vinegar (not both).

Continue to stir gently and you will notice the milk quickly starts to separate into clumps, the gentler you stir the bigger the pieces will remain.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then strain through a sieve to remove most of the water.

If you have cheese cloth simply tip your strained paneer onto it then pull the edges up and tighten to remove more moisture. You could at this stage simply cover with a plate then apply something heavy on top to push out the moisture. If you don’t have cheesecloth a clean tea towel will do just as well.

Press into the shape you want your paneer to end up then place on a plate with another on top in the fridge for 60 minutes. This will remove slightly more liquid and form the paneer block.

To store, place it in enough water to cover the cubes in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 7 days