How To Make Paneer?

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 8, 2023

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we went to an all-you-can-eat Indian restaurant, one of those fancy kinds with cloth napkins and unlimited mimosas. I was surprised actually; it was a kind wholly new to me. I’m so used to grungy hole-in-the-walls, where you grab a stack of napkins and silverware from a nearby dolly and a carafe of water from the fridge, and juggle everything back to your seat.

The last time I ate Indian food was more than a year ago in Cusco, Peru. Random? It certainly had been to me. The restaurant had been largely empty, although a steady stream of South Asian-looking patrons suggested that it was one of the better spots in town to procure Indian food maybe? I don’t know. It hadn’t been very good. And they hadn’t served naan, which is a dealbreaker.

So subpar experiences aside, I hadn’t eaten Indian food since I moved out of San Francisco. Which is a pity really. I’d forgotten how much I love the cuisine.

This buffet had all the goodies—namely chicken tikka masala (who doesn’t want to lick their plate after eating it?) as well as my other favorite, chana aloo, chickpea and potato curry. And there was naan! Lovely pieces of naan. And mango lassi. And chai. Check, check, check, all my favorite things were represented. What really stood out to me, however, was the palak paneer, spinach curry with cheese. The rediscovery of this humble little dish has stuck with me, demanding to be made.

So I thought I’d begin my forays into Indian cooking on this blog with paneer, Indian cheese. I guess paneer is essentially compacted cottage cheese, similar to queso fresco, but it’s so distinctly Indian to me. It’s great as a vegetarian base for lots of curry dishes, like palak paneer, but I’ve seen it in salads, in soups. It would taste great grilled, or in a wrap.

It’s also incredibly easy to make, requiring nothing more than whole milk and some kind of acid—in my case, lemon juice—to separate the curds from the whey. And that’s it! I love how you can get such great results from making it at home. It definitely convinces me to make it once a week just so I can have it on hand.

HOW TO MAKE PANEER?

From Aarti Sequeira for the Food Network
Makes about 12 oz.

Ingredients:

1 cheesecloth
8 cups whole milk (a half gallon)
about 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn the heat to low. Stir gently for about 30 seconds. The curds (white milk solids) and whey (greenish liquid) should start to separate immediately. If not, add a little more lemon juice

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a roundish block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side. Set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with something heavy, like a can of beans. Move to the refrigerator and let sit for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

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Spiked Lemon Oreo Truffles

Recipes

Christiana George

Updated Date:
December 19, 2022

Sometimes adults have to have their own special treats. Sorry kids. These Spiked Lemon Oreo Truffles are to die for. They have a nice crunchy vanilla outer shell and a soft gooey lemony center, with a little help from some Bacardi Limon Rum. If you love lemon desserts, you are going to want to make these. I think my husband ate about half of them. The other half, I was kind enough to share with my neighbors. I am going to have to make another batch for the 4th of July neighborhood party.

The Bacardi Limon Rum really kicks up the lemon flavor of the Oreos. I can’t say that there is much of an alcohol taste. They just taste really good.

The initial prep for the Spike Lemon Oreo Truffles is fairly easy. Chop up the Oreos in a food processor till you get a fine consistency, then combine it with the cream cheese and rum. After that melt you white chocolate and add it into the mix.

The dough was too soft to roll it into balls. I didn’t want to add any more white chocolate because I didn’t want to mess with the luscious lemon flavor. So I just used a cookie scoop with a little bit of flour coating and made mounds instead. After I froze them, they were easy enough to dip in candy coating and decorate. I usually use Wilton’s candy melt for the coating, but recently I have been using Candiquik and I find that it melts better and stays smoother. And the taste it better also.

Look at that gooey center. Yep, so glad I didn’t add more chocolate. They are perfect. I did keep these refrigerated after I made them because of the cream cheese. I don’t like to leave dairy unrefrigerated for long periods of time. But hey, that’s just me.

Hope you all enjoy the 4th of July holiday weekend. I will be hanging out with our neighbors and relaxing, eating all sorts of good food and yummy treats.

Spiked Lemon Oreo Truffles

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 1.5 hrs (including freezer tim

Keywords: no bake dessert snack Lemon Oreos cream cheese

Ingredients (27 truffles)

For the truffles

1 package (15.25 oz.) Lemon Creme Oreos
1 container (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 tablespoon Bacardi Limon Rum
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the coating

1 package (16 oz.) Candiquik candy coating (vanilla/white)

Optional toppings

1/2 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles
1/4 cup white pearl sprinkles

Instructions

For the truffles

Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor until they are a dirt like consistency.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix the rum and the cream cheese until softened.

Then add the crushed Oreos a little at a time until well incorporated.

Melt the white chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl over a pot of slightly boiling water, until completely melted and smooth. Stir often.

Add the melted chocolate to the Oreo mixture and mix until it becomes a dough like consistency.

With a cookie scoop, measure out 27 mounds and place them on a wax paper lined air-tight container. ( I sprinkled a little flour on the scoop to keep the dough from sticking.)

Place the container in the freezer for at least 1 hour to set.

For the coating

After the balls are set, melt candy coating in the microwave as per directions on package.

Remove Oreo balls from the freezer. (Do a small batch at a time so they don’t fall apart. If you need to, just place them back in the freezer for a few minutes.)

Dip the Oreo balls into candy coating mixture until all covered. (I use a fork.) Once covered, remove and softly tap until excess candy melt falls off. Then place the balls on wax paper until the candy melt hardens.

For the toppings

Carefully add the sprinkles to the top of the balls before the candy melt hardens.

Notes

These truffles can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 3-4 days.