I received a tome of 660 curry recipes from Sophia for my Birthday, a welcome gift indeed. It has many useful little bits of information in it, such as a multitude of techniques for paneer synthesis. Accordingly I made some paneer last week.
Making paneer is alarmingly easy: 4 litres of milk, bring to boil in a pan, add 1/4 cup white vinegar, curds and whey separate in about 40 seconds, remove whey by straining through a tea-towel (or two layers of cheese cloth) in a sieve. Allow to rest until not burning hot to the touch, fold tea towel over onto the curds and then place a heavy weight (pan full of water) on top. 5 hours later, a little more whey has been removed and the curds have been pressed into a tiny 0.5 kg round moon. A 'block' of paneer.
The paneer on its own was unassuming. A vague creamy flavour, with a slightly chalky finish. A bit weird, this chalkiness can supposedly be banished by beginning with half and half instead of full cream milk. In any case the product as it was worked well in a gobi paneer. Will repeat, but note that firm tofu is a textural approximation that can be substituted in a pinch.
