I have many friends from India, and I adore them and enjoy them but... I think many are becoming suspicious of my true friendship-motives because: 1) I insist that our get-togethers be potluck...even when we are dining out... 2) constantly insist on the American tradition of trading lunches as I swap my vending machine sandwich for their piping hot curry... 3) stop by for a friendly, casual visit...and immediately sit with fork in hand at their dining table... and 4) have their respective family dinnertimes scheduled on my Blackberry (with a Zagat-like rating), with "ChowBell" ringtone reminders.   

OK.  So who could blame them for questioning my motives?  The truth is I am an Indian food fanatic.  Being a foodie and being a vegetarian often do not go hand in hand.  This distresses me because the culinary arts are amazing to me.  I love to cook; I dream of doing it professionally.  When my Epicurious path led me to Indian cuisine, I realize I had found the best of all (edible) worlds!  And how convenient for me that I had so many friends and colleagues from the region.

After much begging and pleading I have been able to get the recipe for Paneer.  It is a simple cow's milk cheese used in many Indian dishes.  I made it recently and plan to incorporate it in as many recipes as I can.  Unlike many cheese that use animal-based rennet, Paneer relies on simple acids as a curdling agent.  This makes it truly vegetarian.  Please Google rennet if you are unsure of about this component of many cheeses.

Here's the basic recipe from Harraht Gupta, a very good friend of over 14 years:   

 

Ingredients and tools (very, very simple):

 

½ Gallon Whole Milk

2 limes or lemons, juiced to yield about 4-5 Tablespoons (tip: have more on hand!)

Muslin cloth or cheesecloth

Large, thick-bottomed pot (I used copper-bottoms over Calphalon for this)

Large colander or strainer

 

How to:

 

First, double line a large strainer/colander with dry muslin.  There should be ample cloth hanging over the sides, necessary for wrapping the cheese.  Place the colander in the sink. 

In a heavy-bottomed pot, boil the milk over medium heat.  Because milk can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, it is important to stir often.  Once the milk begins to boil, reduce the heat to low.  Add the citrus juice, continuing to stir.

After 5 minutes the milk will begin to form thin, white cloudy curds.  The curds will become bigger and denser after another 5 minutes.  If not, add 2- 3 more tablespoons of citrus.  The milk will separate into solid white curds and a translucent pale yellow liquid (whey.)   When you first notice the whey becoming less milky, turn off the heat.  Once the whey is a pale yellow, pour the curds and whey slowly into the cheese cloth.  

The whey is to be discarded while the curds are collected the cloth forming a loose ball.  As the liquid begins to drain, gather the corners of the cloth and tie the ends together loosely, forming a hanging nest.  Hang the curds over the sink, letting the whey drip for half and hour.  Untie the corners of the cloth and begin to twist the entire length of the cloth, down to the ball of curds.  Keep twisting, forcing any remaining whey from the curds.  Make a knot in the cloth just above the ball of Paneer.  Allow it to hang in the sink for another half hour.  Once the Paneer is a semi-firm ball, place in the fridge either uncovered or loosely in fresh muslin.  Chilling the Paneer will result in a more solid cheese that can be easily cut for recipes.

Tips from my experience:  (1) It is important to use whole milk.  Skim and low-fat milk have fewer milk solids and do not form firm, solid cheeses in this process.  I’ve not tried using cream…could be interesting. (2) Draining the whey as much as possible from the curds is essential.  The center of the Paneer holds much liquid that can be trapped when the cheese is twisted…let it drain for as long as necessary before the final twist.  Excess water makes a less firm cheese.    (3) Too much citrus can flavor the Paneer.  Fine for some uses, but it can affect the flavor of the entire dish adversely.  Also, vinegar can be used in lieu of citrus.  Infused vinegars can add interesting layers of flavor to the cheese.  I added fresh cumin to my Paneer to reflect the spices in the curry sauces.

Many cheeses use animal-based rennet as a curdling agent and therefore are not considered truly vegetarian.  Rennet-less cheese and cheese made from enzyme-based rennet are both available, too.