Panir - good cheese for first timer.
Here’s what you need
One gallon of whole milk- 8 teaspoons of lemon juice OR 2 teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 2/3 cup water
- good thermometer
- large heavy bottomed pan
- Butter muslin (cheese cloth)
Here’s what you do
- Pour milk into the pan and turn heat on to medium high. In order to prevent the milk from scorching, stir frequently. The heavy bottom pan will also help prevent scorching.
Continue heating the milk until it boils gently; it should look just foamy.
Pour in the lemon juice or dissolved citric acid and stir gently. The curd should begin to separate from the whey. Stir for another couple of minutes then remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Moisten the butter muslin and drape over a colander. Carefully pour the curds and whey into the colander to drain the whey.
Tie the four ends of the butter muslin into two knots and hang the curds over the sink or a bowl to drain for about 2 hours.
Remove the cheese from the butter muslin. You can use it in recipes right away or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. I like to freeze any panir that is not used immediately.
This is a great first cheese to make. Panir does not melt, so you can use it like tofu, or as a meat extender. It absorbs the flavor of the foods that it is cooked with.
