Panir Cheese

Panir Cheese

Taken from the book, The Vegetarian Table INDIA by Yamuna Devi.

Our daughter Barbara shared a book with me which I have found delightful. My husband has an adventurous palate and I am the lucky beneficiary. I love to cook and he enjoys the variety. It is a great combination!

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I recently treated myself to a panini maker and our lunch is often soup and sandwich or salad and sandwich. I am not particularly fond of melted cheese that strings from my mouth to the length of my arms. I am anxious to try this cheese. What interests me is that I can fry this cheese without melting but instead it gets crisp. This cheese can be also added to a salad or vegetable dish

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Ingredients:

1 gallon milk

1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Bring the milk to a boil in a large pan. Reduce the heat to low and while gently stirring, add the lemon juice. When the milk separates into cheese curds and yellowish whey, remove the pan from the heat. Line a strainer with a triple thickness of cheesecloth 33 to 24 inches square. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the large pieces of panir to the strainer, then slowly pour the smaller bits and the whey through it. Gather the corners and tie the cheese into a tight bundle. Rinse the panir curds with a slow stream of water to remove the lemon taste. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the cheese on a slanted surface to drain into the sink. Neatly fold the cheesecloth over the cheese to make a flat square parcel and balance a heavy flat weight on top of it. Drain and press the panir until it is firm and weighs about 1 pound; this will take about 30 minutes and could take up to 2 hours. Use as desired or wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To Fry: Use a small amount of oil in a shallow non-stick frying pan over moderate heat until the cheese is golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and use as desired. May be frozen for up to one month or refrigerated one week.

I plan to make this recipe with one half of the recipe amounts. I will add my results to the blog.