My recipe uses ground black pepper, ginger, chilli flakes and fresh coriander leaves. However, you can customise your block of Homemade Masala Paneer to your taste by using your favourite herbs and spices. My recipe has been perfected over the years to produce a soft and squidgy cheese. Indeed, it cubes and slices beautifully for curries and crumbles like a dream for paratha, kulcha, samosa and bhurji.
How to use Homemade Masala Paneer
You can of course, use it fresh, just as it is for a melt-in-the-mouth texture, or pan-fry it to create a crispy, golden crust. It’s also a delicious addition to Indo-Chinese favourites like Chilli Paneer and Paneer Manchurian.
More dishes to try with Masala Paneer
Paneer Tikka Masala Paneer Masala Dosa Chilli Paneer Matar Paneer Palak Paneer Paneer Kulcha
Homemade Masala Paneer
How to curdle milk for Homemade Masala Paneer
My preference is to use lemon juice to curdle the milk. This can be either fresh or bottled lemon juice. You can also use vinegar, citric acid, yoghurt or even leftover whey from a previous batch of paneer to curdle the milk. For 2.5L milk you’ll need the following quantities of each:
2 tbsp white vinegar mixed with 250ml water 1 tsp citric acid mixed with 250ml water 100g sour natural yoghurt whisked with 2 tbsp water 250ml sour whey
What other herbs and spices can I add to Masala Paneer?
This recipe is highly customisable and can be transformed with just a few changes to the herbs and spices used. Here are some of my favourite Paneer flavour infusions:
My original Masala Paneer: Ground black pepper, ginger paste, chilli flakes, fresh coriander. Indo-Chinese Masala Paneer: Chinese 5-spice, ginger paste, green chillies, chopped spring onion. Mediterranean Masala Paneer: Sliced olives, chopped sundried tomatoes, garlic paste, dried oregano, fresh basil. Jamaican Jerk Masala Paneer: Ground allspice, dried thyme, dried garlic powder, chopped scotch bonnet chilli. Tex-Mex: Smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried onion powder, chopped coriander.
How to make soft paneer
This is a super common question and one I’m asked often. The answer is simple: Use milk with ample fat content and curdle the milk slowly you don’t shock the curds into separating quickly. Dilute the acid with water to encourage a slow separation. The last thing to remember is to ensure you don’t press it too hard. A small amount of moisture in the cheese will keep it squidgy. Ultimately, try to introduce temperature changes gradually.
Simple changes you can make for softer paneer:
Dilute the acid when using lemon, vinegar or citric acid to facilitate a gentle separation of curds and whey. Use high-fat milk (this will also improve yield) Rinse the cheese in warm water instead of cold
Paneer for sweet and savoury dishes
Follow my recipe to make perfect paneer, whatever your intended use for it may be. Whether you want to make cubes for Chilli Paneer and Paneer Tikka, crumble it for Paneer Kulcha or use the drained and kneaded chhena for making Rasmalai.
The Best Homemade Masala Paneer: Troubleshooting
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My preference is to use lemon juice to curdle the milk. This can be either fresh or bottled lemon juice.You can also use vinegar, citric acid, yoghurt or even leftover whey from a previous batch of paneer to curdle the milk. For 2.5L milk you’ll need the following quantities of each: