If you enjoy Indian food, then you must have tasted Paneer in some form of curry, like matar paneer or paneer butter masala or palak panner. It’s one of the most common vegetarian ingredient used on a daily basis. Bengalies on the other hand enjoy chena a lot, and it is pronounced as chana in Bengali, not to be confused with chana like chickpeas. In Bengali cuisine, Chena/Chana is used in various form of savory dishes like Chena Kaju Palak or sweets like Chanar Payesh, the famous bengali sweet Rosogolla. Fresh chena also makes delicious stuffed paratha called paneer paratha. While Paneer can be easily found in Indian stores, frozen aisle, finding fresh Chena is almost impossible. Making it at home is very easy, but it can a little tricky. So follow the steps I mentioned here, and you will make soft chena or paneer every time.
Ingredient Notes:
Making Homemade Paneer is very easy. All you need is whole full fat milk and something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar to curdle the milk.
Here are the quick steps :
- Once boiled, add the lemon juice and let it curdle.
- Strain the curdled milk using a clean muslin cloth and squeeze all the whey out. Tie the edges and place it on a colander. Place something heavy on top, like your cast iron skillet or motor pestle.
- Leave it in the fridge for overnight or least 4 to 5 hours.
- The curdled milk should set, and you will be able to slice into bite size pieces.
A very important note to keep in mind when you are making homemade paneer is to use FULL FAT MILK. If you use low fat milk, the paneer will not set enough for you to slice. It will crumble.
And if you manage to slice into bite size, it might crumble and break apart when you cook with it.
Save or Discard the Whey
The whey you get from straining the curdled milk is high in protein. You can use it in several ways, e.g.: smoothie, soup, stew, dips, bread. You can choose to save or discard.
HERE IS A VIDEO OF HOW TO MAKE CHENA
The milk didn’t curdle after adding the acid
You have to bring the milk to full boil before you add the acid. PRO-TIP: Add few ice cubes as soon as the milk comes to boil and then pour the acid. Adding ice cubes will bring down the temperature of the milk instantly, and this results in a soft texture of the paneer.
Homemade Paneer not setting or broke apart in curry
If you prepare paneer using low fat milk, it will not set properly. Or it will break apart when added in curries.
How to Store Homemade Paneer ?
You can store the entire block of paneer wrapped in clear film or vacuum seal or airtight container, kept in the refrigerator. The sliced paneer cubes can be store the same way. It will stay fresh for a week in the refrigerator. If you want to keep longer, store in the freezer.
SOME KEY TIPS:
Use only Full Fat Whole MilkMake sure to stir the milk constantly as it comes to boilDo not add the acid before the mil comes to full boilDrop ice cubes to bring down the temperature of the milk once it’s come to full boil. This helps to create a soft texture.Mix the acid (lemon juice or vinegar) with equal part water before adding to the boiled milk. This will separate the milk slowly creating a soft texture of the homemade paneer.Wash the strained curdle milk to remove any excess sour taste from the vinegar or lemon juice.
I don’t always depend on homemade paneer, since Paneer gets cooked at least once a week. So yes, I do depend on good quality store bought paneer. But occasionally I like to find some time and make the paneer at home because truly it makes the dish extra special.
