Homemade chenna / paneer

I have come across recipes, some calling for chenna and others for paneer. I always thought that both are same but a slight doubt still lingered in my mind and hence I turned to google for more light on this. Wikipedia says that the slight difference lies in the fact that  chenna  is softer because unlike paneer, it is not pressed ( or, in some cases, pressed for a shorter period than paneer ). Nevertheless, most people use these names interchangeably.

Well, whats in a name ? Both paneer and chenna are my favorite ingredients to work with. The freshness of homemade paneer / chenna is truly something to talk about. So here I am , sharing this wonderful recipe for you to raise that wow factor of your paneer dishes a few notches higher :)

Ingredients : 

Full fat milk - 1 litre ( gave me 164 gms paneer )
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp ( or more if required )
You can use vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Method :
1. Line a strainer/ colander with a muslin cloth and place the strainer over a vessel to collect the whey.
2.  Heat milk in a pan and bring it to a boil.
3. Remove from flame and wait for about a minute.
4. Add the lemon juice slowly, stirring all the while till the milk curdles ( you will see the milk solids separate from the greenish whey ). Don’t add any more lemon.
5.  Quickly strain this curdled milk through the strainer / colander. The cheese will get collected in the cloth and the whey will drain out into the vessel underneath. You can use this whey in dals, soups or for making chapati dough.
6.  Run cold water through the cheese. This is to make it soft and also to remove the lemon flavor.
7.  Bring the edges of the cloth together and tie into a knot.  Squeeze out all water by pressing over the cheese.
8.  Tie this cloth with the cheese above your kitchen sink and keep hanging for about 2 - 3 hrs. This will drain out all the water.
9.  After draining the water by hanging, remove the cheese on a clean  towel / napkin and place some heavy weight on the cheese so that any moisture , if still present is removed. The pressing time will be half and hour for chenna and about 2 hours for paneer.
10.  Then gently press the chenna with your palm back and forth to remove lumps and knead into a smooth dough. If you want neatly cut squares of paneer, shape the dough into a rectangular slab ( see picture above ) and refrigerate for a while till it becomes a little harder , just enough to cut into sqares with neat edges.

How to make Khoya / Mawa

Mawa / khoya is a key ingredient in most Indian sweets and some savories and curries as well. It lends a wonderful rich taste which is hard to find in its substitutes. I live outside of India where mawa is impossible to find but that didn’t deter me…remember “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. So when the urge to make some gulab jamuns with khoya got the better of me, I sent an “emergency” message to my friend Shireen who said it could be made at home but is a bit time consuming. 

The procedure might sound daunting what with the amount of time taken ( It took me about 1.5 hrs ) but for some like me who loves to make things from scratch, the task is quite therapeutic and satisfying.  Sweets with fresh homemade mawa will taste far better than the store bought ones. Also, when compliments flow in , you know you deserve it totally :) Because, you did it from scratch  !!!

Go ahead…make some today !!

Recipe idea : Shireen 

Ingredients :
Full fat milk - 1 litre

Gave me 170 gms mawa

Method :
Boil milk in a heavy bottom wide pan. Once it starts boiling, lower the flame and let simmer on low flame. The milk will start reducing. Keep stirring with a spatula every 1- 2 minutes. The milk solids might get stuck to the sides and the bottom of the pan. For this, keep scraping the sides and the bottom with the spatula. Once the milk gets significantly reduced ( about 1/4th of original volume ), keep scraping and stirring continuously till you get a yellowish mass of solid ( might take about 1 - 1.5 hrs ) which is the mawa/ khoya. Remove from flame wherein it will further solidify. Use immediately or refrigerate for future use.


Points to remember :
 Do use a heavy bottom pan and remember to keep scraping the sides and the bottom of the pan every 1- 2  minutes at first and continuously towards the end when the milk is turning into solids. This is to prevent milk from scorching.

Homemade curd ( dahi / yoghurt )

During my growing up years, my meals would never be complete without a glass of buttermilk and a small bowl of curd ( yes, both together ). I could finish off the whole family' share when it comes to curd. Naturally so, curd setting was a ritual mummy would follow religiously . Nothing can beat a perfectly set homemade curd.

There have been many interesting tips related to curd making floating around in the family and among friends . My father in law ( yes, he is an amazing cook and his Indo- Chinese dishes are to die for ) insists on mixing the starter curd with the milk and them pouring it into another bowl from a height and then back. Repeat this twice / thrice and this ensures that the starter curd is well incorporated into the milk and the bacteria is activated due to the warmth generated by the beating of the milk. He also advises on boiling the milk for a long time to get really thick curd ( which can be cut into pieces ) .During one visit to a friend of my husband's, I asked the wife , how she makes such perfect thick curd. She said the key lies in stirring the milk with a spoon 31 times ( or any odd number ) after adding the starter dahi. She said that it was suggested by her friend. The logic amused me then but the story stuck in my head and I found myself stirring the milk 31 times for quite sometime thereafter :) 

Well, it IS important to stir well ( not necessarily 31 times :) ) to incorporate the starter dahi with the rest of the milk. The started dahi provides the bacteria which then act to ferment the milk. The temperature and the setting time is equally important. Temperature isn't a deterrent in curd making here since Singapore is fairly warm and humid all throughout the year. But in regions where its not so warm, you can use the oven light technique to set the curd ( Just switch on the oven light and place the bowl to set in the oven. The oven light will provide the necessary warmth ). 

I am temporarily stay put in Norway and as you all know, the winters are harsh and chilling here. I usually switch on the radiator ( room heator ) and keep the curd to set near it. 

Also, the milk should be slightly warm, ( not hot, just warm enough to comfortably insert your finger in it ) before adding in the starter curd ( just to be doubly careful, ensure that the starter curd is at room temperature so as not to bring the temperature of the milk down ).

Without further ado, here's the recipe for this creamy white deliciousness, homemade dahi :)

HOMEMADE CURD

Ingredients :

Full fat milk - 500 ml

Starter curd (dahi ) - 2 tsp

Method :

Boil milk. Cool till it is only slightly warm ( you must be able to comfortably insert your finger in it and stay like that for a few seconds ). DO NOT USE HOT MILK. Transfer the milk into the bowl in which you want to set the curd in and add the starter curd. Stir well. Close with a tight fitting lid and keep to set in a warm place for about 6 hrs or overnight. If the dahi is still stringy or runny, keep for some more time until it is perfectly set .  Use this as the starter yoghurt for the next batch.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Have it on its own or use it in a plethora of dishes . Enjoy !!!

NOTE :
1.   Take care not to move / disturb the bowl of curd during the setting period.
2.   All the factors viz., milk brand and type , temperature of the room and the milk, the amount of starter curd and setting time affect the process of curd making. So, when you fail to get that perfect bowl of curd, don't let that discourage you. Change in any one or more of the above factors might do the trick and you will be rewarded :)