Paneer cheese can be difficult to find where I live, so I occasionally make it myself. It’s surprisingly easy to make. The hardest part about this is having some way to drain and weigh down the cheese. I have a tofu press that is the perfect size for the paneer, but you don’t really need any specialized equipment for it. You can weigh down the cheese by wringing the cloth around it do it form a rounded disc shape, placing it in a sieve with a plate on top of it, and then weighing down the plate with rice packages or flour. You should have around 1-2 kg of weight on the cheese as it sets.

When you make cheese you’ll be left with a bunch of whey left over. You can use the whey in bread doughs to give the bread an additional savory note. The cheese will be pretty firm and it can handle cooking without the melting. If it’s drained and weighed down properly it will be a solid block, that you can cut into block for your recipes.

• 3l Whole milk
• 4-5 tbsp. vinegar

1. Bring the milk to a boil stirring it occasionally.
2. Once the milk starts to boil take it off the heat and mix in the vinegar. The milk should start to curdle in about 10 seconds. If it does not curdle properly, add another tablespoon of vinegar.
3. Pour the curdled milk through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth.
4. Rinse the curdles under cold water, and wring the cloth firmly to remove excess fluids and to form a solid block.
5. Weigh the wrung cloth down and leave to drain for 30-60 minutes.