Paneer/ cottage cheese is used in a variety of sweet and savoury dishes. Though it is easily available at sweet shops and the supermarket, I like to make mine at home. For Indian desserts like rasgullas, rasmalai and gulab jamuns, fresh home made paneer is a sure- shot way to get excellent results.
Here is a stepwise illustration on how to make paneer/cottage cheese/chhena at home.
You need
Milk- 1 litre
Lemon Juice/Vinegar- 1-2 Tbsp diluted with 1/2 a Tbsp of water
Some ice cubes (optional)
- Bring to boil a litre of milk (though any variety may be used, I prefer fresh cow milk)
- Gradually add lemon juice/vineager stirring the milk till the time the milk mass separates from the greenish whey/liquid
- Turn off the heat
- Add 10-12 ice cubes
- Strain and wash thoroughly with cool drinking water to get rid of the sour lemony smell
- Transfer to a muslin cloth,tie the cloth holding the corners and hang for 10-15 minutes to drain the excess whey.
Your fresh homemade paneer is ready to use.
It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours but is best used fresh.
CafeGarima 
A very good tutorial G! Excellent.
Thanks a lot Sonal 🙂
I am still to make paneer..Will bookmark this recipe for later! Great!
Happy to help D ❤ thanks a lot 🙂
Is it important to use lemon juice? can I use lime juice instead?
Hi Neera
Either is fine. Just add slowly and don’t add too much else the paneer will get stretchy.
🙂
Thanks so much for the prompt reply. I boiled the milk yesterday and it’s sitting in the fridge. Gonna go home n make. Wish me luck!!!! 🙂
All the good luck dear..If making rasgullas, make them right after you finish making the paneer. That way they come out softest 🙂
❤
Ya Garima. Am waiting to go back home post work and shall make it right away. Thanks once again ❤
All the rasgulla best ❤
Hey garimaji while making panner it didn’t dried up n I m unable to make balls pls help
Hi Najz
You need to make sure that the paneer and whey separate well and then the paneer is well drained. Please take a look here
https://cafegarima.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/making-paneercottage-cheese-at-home/
Xcellent & Amazing recipe love them all has to try more sweety 🙂
❤ ❤
where do we add the ice cubes into ?
The boiled split milk to facilitate separation of the paneer and the whey 🙂
Hi garima
I don’t hv access to cow milk. Should I take whole milk or 2% or 1% milk for making paneer.
Thank u
Mamta
Hi Mamta
2 % has worked well for friends living abroad.
All the best 🙂