Subcontinental satellite synthesis

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.

Comments

[AnxietyCentral]

You got a 'tomb' for your birthday?!

[Balwinder Kaur]

so cool to know that you're experimenting with north indian cuisine. paneer is my favourite dish to cook...try it with green peas if you like it, we call it mattar paneer...true north indians go nuts about it :-p

[phdstudent]

Yes indeed, Mattar Paneer is one of my favourites already! Sometimes I sub tofu for paneer, lazy but it approximates things.

Also, tombs have been converted into tomes. Running out of real estate?