The paneer is a light homemade cheese, very easy to make at home, cutting the milk with lemon juice. This curd, once drained, is the base of many vegetarian dishes in India, such as palak paneer with spinach, sautéed with spices, for a healthy dish full of flavors.
The advantage of paneer is that, unlike most cheeses, it holds up very well without melting. It also does not contain animal curd or chemicals. It keeps well two or three days, refrigerated. Although paneer can be bought fresh, it is very easy to make at home.
It is often used as a substitute for meat in many lacto-vegetarian dishes in India. In addition to stews with spices like the one we offer you, it can be grilled, seasoned with spices (paneer tikka) and you can also use it as a filling for traditional breads, such as stuffed naan bread.
Prepare the panner by heating the milk until it boils, put in a saucepan. Lower the heat, add the lemon juice and stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes, to separate the whey and form a grainy curd. It is important to use fresh pasteurized milk, which is usually sold refrigerated in supermarkets.
Remove from heat and strain the curd directly over a large colander covered with a muslin or fine napkin to drain the whey. Fold the napkin over the curd, without taking it out of the strainer. Cover with a plate and place a weight on it (I have used a stone mortar), letting it drain for 20-30 minutes. Once drained, remove the napkin and dice. Reserve cold. It is best to consume it immediately.
Ingredients
250 gram paneer
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
4 green chilis
2 tomatoes
100 ml Soya sauce
2 teaspoons oil
2 cm ginger
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 Onion
2 Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Method
1. Grate garlic and ginger and fry a few seconds in oil, together with the bay leaves.
2. In the meantime, pass the tomatoes through a blender until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Add the tomato sauce and green chilis, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, add half a glass of water.
3. Season with salt, pepper, bell peppers and all the spices.
4. Press and cut the paneer into cubes of about 1 cm and a half.
5. Add the paneer to the sauce and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Pour in the soy sauce and mix well for a couple of minutes more.
7. Serve hot accompanied by vegan naan, roti or jeera rice.
