Helen RandellPanir
November 25th 2009 23:42
Panir, the Indian cheese prized for its place among spinach and tomato dishes, is remarkably easy to make, and will keep for ages either in the fridge or freezer, so the trick really is to make a lot at once and then divide it for later use.
This recipe will make enough for two decent sized curries which will serve 4-6 people each.
4 litres fresh milk - non-homogenised if possible
3-4 cups natural yoghurt
Pour the milk into a heavy based pan that allows plenty of room. Set it over high heat and bring the milk to a full foaming boil, stirring often to prevent to scorching and sticking. Reduce the heat to low, and before the foam subsides, gently spoon in the yoghurt.
After 10-15 seconds, remove the pan from the heat and continue to genlty agitate until large lumps of soft curd form. As the curd forms, you will see the milk protein coagulate and leave a pale yellow/green whey.
As soon as the cheese has formed, remove the pan from the heat, cover it and set aside for 10 minutes.
Line a colander with 2 or 3 thickenesses of cheesecloth. Drape the corners and edges of the cloth over the sides of the colander. If you want to collect the whey, set the colander over another pan, otherwise place it in a sink.
Remove the large lumps of cheese with a slotted spoon and place them in the colander. Gently pour the smaller pieces and remaning whey into the colander.
Gather up the corners of the cloth and twist around. Hold the bag of cheese under a gentle stream of cold running water for 5-10 seconds. Gently twist the cloth to squeeze out the excdess whey.
Place the bag od cheese under a weight for at least 30 minutes until firm.
Unwrap the cheese and use as directed of wrap in a paper-towel lined zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for several months.
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