Cooking Class: How to Make and Use Paneer

Please welcome guest author Angie Lancaster to CT. Angie graciously did a write-up of a recent UAEC class she attended that focused on the Indian cheese called paneer (we were going to go together, but I was still too sick with flu to make it to class). Many thanks, Angie! ~Lisa

It had been a few years since I’d taken a cooking class through Urbana Adult Education, and I figured I was past due. So I signed up for a couple, including a class focusing on paneer, a soft cheese used in many Indian dishes. The instructor, born and raised in India, was very warm and friendly and, more importantly, knowledgeable about Indian food and how to prepare it. She started out by showing us how to make the paneer, which consists of nothing more than milk and vinegar.

One gallon of whole milk is boiled over medium heat until many tiny bubbles appear at the surface. If you’re watching your fat intake, you could use 2% milk, but it won’t turn out quite as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the milk at this stage, but it looked as if it had a pretty good head of froth on it. The key to success is boiling the milk long enough that it reaches this stage without scalding it.Next, three-quarters of a cup of white vinegar is added, and the mixture continues to boil for four more minutes. The mixture is then drained into cheesecloth or a large, thin, cotton towel placed over a strainer.

Finally, the cloth is gathered and knotted, forming the mixture into a ball. There is a bit of a trick to this, but it was one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it things, and apparently I blinked. Suffice it to say that the mixture should be tightly wrapped and the knot secure.The ball is set aside for a couple hours to allow any excess liquid to drain, then refrigerated overnight before being cut into cubes and devoured. Sounds easy enough, huh?

Since this was just a two-hour class, we weren’t able to see the process all the way through. But the instructor had made a couple batches of paneer ahead of time to use in the two primary dishes she demonstrated: paneer makhani and chili paneer. To round out our meal, she also had prepared vegetable rice, yogurt with onions and cucumbers, and a dessert made with vermicelli, milk, sugar, cardamom, cashews, pistachios, and raisins. All the dishes were amazingly good, and everyone ate until they couldn’t consume another morsel. My favorite was the paneer makhani with its flavorful sauce, hunks of soft cheese, and perfectly cooked green pepper.The deep-fried cheese in the chili paneer was a close second.

This was not a hands-on cooking class, but I was okay with that. The instructor allowed us to get up from our seats and get a closer look whenever we needed to, and she patiently answered our numerous questions.

One of the best things about a class like this—aside from the obvious benefit of eating delicious food—is meeting other people who enjoy food and cooking as much as I do. What better way to spend a frigid February evening than gathered around the stove with fellow foodies, eating, drinking, and laughing? As an added bonus, I got to learn a little bit about another culture. Anthony Bourdain would have approved.

Paneer Makhani
Recipe from Malika Kancherla

3 medium onions, diced
2-1/2 inches fresh ginger, finely diced and crushed (she used a rolling pin for this)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of dry fenugreek
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or to taste)
8-oz. can tomato paste
1 pint cream or whole milk
Paneer, cut into large cubes (amount was not specified, but I would guess one batch as described above)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

Sauté the onions, ginger, and turmeric in a small amount of oil until very soft, then grind into a paste.

Heat vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet and add onion paste and fenugreek. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and garam masala and sauté for a couple more minutes. Add salt and cayenne pepper and sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking for 7 minutes until all the ingredients are properly blended.

Add cream, stirring constantly to get a smooth consistency. Once the gravy is orange and feels creamy, leave it on the stove for 7 minutes, until it’s properly cooked, then add the paneer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add green bell pepper, cover, and cook over low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the peppers are soft.

If you don’t want to use paneer, you can add more vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. You could also substitute chicken for the paneer.
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Special tip for readers in the C-U area: You may already know about Annapoorna, the Indian grocery store in Royal Plaza, but did you know that the best day to shop there is Friday? That’s when they receive their weekly shipment of fresh Indian vegetables. Note from Lisa: See the link to Annapoorna store in my right-hand sidebar under Local Groceries. Also available on Fridays are fresh sweets and snacks (mirchi pakora, samosa, and kachori).