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Ricotta, pressed
If you've made ricotta from milk, paneer is the next step. It's made in a very similar way (heat milk, add something acidic, drain), but the curds are pressed. Paneer is a fresh, acid-set cheese native to the Indian subcontinent. It's made by curdling milk with something acidic, usually lemon juice or vinegar, then draining and pressing the curds. It's a little like pressed cottage cheese. Because it's pressed, it's firm and holds its shape when cooked, which is why you can cube it and fry it or simmer it in a curry like saag paneer.
What you need
- 6 cups whole milk
- 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Cheesecloth, and a colander
Other recipes use distilled white vinegar instead of lemon juice, or different milks. The full recipe, with every step, is in the paneer post.
Pressing it
Pressing is what makes paneer firm. I use a tofu press for mine.
Paneer or ricotta?
They're different cheeses, though both are fresh and mild. Paneer is made from milk curds and is firm. Traditional ricotta is made from whey and is soft; the ricotta in the last chapter is made straight from milk, so it's closer to paneer, just drained instead of pressed.
