Paneer, perfect for frying, is ideal as your first home-made cheese

Berlin (dpa) – Paneer is the perfect cheese for frying as it does not melt when heated, but retains its shape. With its delicate flavour, it is ideal for refining with spices and herbs. In a recipe from their guidebook to making cheese, Sibylle Roth-Marwedel and Anja Schnellbeck combine yoghurt and lemon juice to acidify the milk. It is quick and easy to make. "You make it today and it's ready to fry tomorrow," says Roth-Marwedel. It will keep in the fridge for four days. Even though paneer tastes best when fresh, you can freeze it too, preferably in slices. Ingredients for 350 to 400 g of cheese: 3 litres of cow's milk (raw or pasteurised, or UHT milk also work) Juice of 2 large or 3 small lemons 500 g yoghurt 10 g salt (adjust according to taste) Spices and herbs as you like Equipment: Measuring jug Lemon squeezer Whisk 2 pots Skimmer Fine sieve Colander Cotton cloth Spoon Small plate 1-litre container (or stone) Storage container with lid Preparation Have the yoghurt, lemon juice, colander and cloth ready. Soak the cloth in cold water. Heat the milk in the pot until it is just about to boil. Then turn off the heat. Stir the yoghurt in the cup until smooth and whisk it into the milk with the lemon juice. Stir only briefly to avoid breaking up the flakes that quickly form. Leave uncovered for 10 minutes. The white cheese flakes will separate from the yellowish-green, clear whey. Line a colander with a damp cloth and place it in a second pot that is large enough to hold the whey. Carefully scoop up the cheese flakes with a slotted spoon and place them in the cloth. Stir as little as possible. Then pour the remaining whey from the first pot through a fine sieve and add the collected flakes to the cloth. Sprinkle the salt over the cheese. Stir in with a spoon, kneading the cheese mixture a little. Add spices or herbs if desired. Twist the cloth and press the cheese in the cloth by hand. Cover the cloth with a small, upside-down plate and place a container with approx. 1 litre of water on top as a press weight. Press for 1-3 hours – the longer you press, the firmer the cheese will be. After pressing, cook the cheese in a pan with fresh seasoning. It will keep for four days in the fridge in a sealed box with the cloth. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn bac xxde arw

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