Curry-Palooza: Muttar Paneer

Muttar Paneer reminds me of one of my closest friends. It used to be her favorite thing to cook. I haven't seen her in a few years so while I was stirring up a pot of it for Curry-Palooza this week, I wondered if she still likes to make it.  

I'm not very fond of peas but my husband and kids are. I had a bit of a disaster with the paneer that I burned over-fried but otherwise this was a fragrant, flavorful curry that my family enjoyed very much. My curry had a thinner consistency than the ones Rocquie & Margie made and I served mine with Pita breads instead of Rice.  I had planned on making my own Paneer but was then short on time so I used a bag of cubed, frozen paneer. For those who don't know - Paneer is simply cottage cheese that has been drained, pressed into a container with something heavy placed over the top for a couple of hours so that it retains a solid shape. I did a post on making homemade cottage cheese early last year & will hopefully get around to making my own Paneer soon!

Please check out Rocquie's blog for the recipe for Muttar Paneer, or the original source at A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit. 

Curry-Palooza is a monthly event & we take turns picking random Indian recipes each month. If you'd like to participate, please email either Rocquie or myself. I hope you will join us!

Oh So Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese

Now why would anyone possibly want to make their own cottage cheese when they can easily buy it from the grocery store? 


Except - I can't. Because it's not locally available where I live and so I had to figure out a way to make it myself a couple of years ago. It is the simplest thing ever & I made it again just last week to use in the Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte I made for the BWD challenge.


All you need is milk & a few tablespoons of vinegar. Really - that's it. 

Homemade Cottage Cheese

1 litre milk (I used low fat)
3-4 tbsp vinegar

Bring the milk to a boil in a large pan over medium heat (it should reach about 120F).
 
Lower the heat and add the vinegar a couple of teaspoons at a time, stirring well after each addition.
The milk will get cloudy and the curds will start floating on top in large and small clumps. 

After you have added all the vinegar, remove the pot from heat and let it cool for around five minutes before straining the curds through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth.


When most of the liquid has drained away, gather up the sides of the cheesecloth and squeeze to get any remaining liquid out. 


Place the cheesecloth & curds back in the strainer and place over a bowl for 1 - 2 hours to let all moisture drain away. 


Use the cheese right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge.