Fresh Ricotta/Paneer Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes

Yield: 4 cups of cheese

♦ 1 gallon whole milk

♦ 4 or 5 lemons, juiced

Set a large fine meshed strainer over a large bowl and place a cheese cloth over the strainer.  Pour the milk into a heavy stock pot and heat over medium high heat.  Bring the milk to a low boil; you want to scrape the bottom of the pot with a flexible spatula every few minutes so that the milk does not scorch.  Do not walk away from the kitchen at this point – the milk can boil over very easily and make a mess!  Once the milk reaches a low boil, turn off the heat and start adding the lemon juice, stirring constantly until you see it curdle.  The liquid that is separated from the curds should be a pale-yellow color and not milky. 

Using a slotted spoon, begin scooping the curds into the cheesecloth lined strainer.  You can empty the liquid out of the bowl if it becomes too full.  Finish straining the curds out by pouring the rest of the liquid through the strainer.  To finish ricotta: you can empty the curds into a bowl and season with salt.  Stir in some milk or cream until the curds are a consistent size.  You can also add sugar and lemon zest if you want a sweeter ricotta.  To finish paneer: let the curds in the cheesecloth cool until you can handle them (but they should still be hot enough to mold) and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Place the mixture into a square container and top with some paper towel, then weigh the top down.  Let it set in the refrigerator overnight and then you will be able to cut it into squares.

Use the ricotta in ravioli or lasagna, or use the paneer in your favorite Indian dishes!