I LOVE Indian CHEESE

So when we were in India like... A million years ago, Danielle, dad and I tended to order the same things every time we went out to dinner. That is until Boomer joined us and started ordering all of our food for us. But until then we ordered 3 main things: Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, and Paneer Makhani. Oh my gosh. Everytime we got one of those dishes we were happy. So I found these recipes because I was really wanting some yummy Indian cheese.... Mmmnmm... Let's just say this recipe turned out so good I was moaning with every bite. Holy Cow. Hah. That's an ironic comment because many people in India worship cows. Hah. I'm funny. ANYWAY. You should seriously make this dish. It takes a bit of time so be prepared to be busy, and we had to make a million substitutions but I'm pretty sure this was one of the best things I've eaten in a really long time. Oh. Man.
Paneer Makhani (Paneer Butter Masala)

source: Chef in You

Ingredients

• ½ tsp oil
• 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
• 2-3 green chillies, as per taste
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 T butter
• ¼ c cashew paste or soak cashews in hot water then blend into a paste once softened
• ½ – ¾ c tomato puree
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp Tandoori masala
• ½ tsp cardamom powder*
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ - ½ c heavy cream
• salt to taste
• 2 generous cups Paneer cubes (recipe below)
• cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1. In a skillet in oil, add the onion, chillies, garlic and ginger with a little salt. Saute until soft.
2. Use an immersion blender to cream these ingredients into a paste or transfer this mixture to the blender.
3. In the same skillet, add 3 tbsp of butter to the onion paste. Cook until butter/oil separates. Add cashew paste at this point as well.
4. Add the tomato puree and all the spices. Stir well and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the raw smell of the puree disappears. Add sugar and cook for another 5 minutes. You can at this point taste and see if you require additional salt. If yes, add more.
5. Drop in the paneer gently and give it a toss. Cook for another 2-3 minutes for the paneer to absorb the flavors.
6. Lower the heat to a simmer. Then add the heavy cream. Mix well.
7. You can garnish it with cilantro if desired.

*Cardamom substitute: cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice and ginger with a dash of curry

**Tandoori Masala:

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Ginger Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder
• 2 tsp Salt

Directions

1. On Medium heat, dry roast Coriander Seeds, Cumin seeds, Fenugreek Seeds and the Peppercorns. Stir constantly for even roasting.
2. Once the seeds turn brown and you can get the aroma of the spices, take it off the flame. Let the seeds cool down and grind to a powder.
3. Put in all the rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
4. You can store this Masala in an air-tight container for about 2 months.

***Fenugreek substitute options:

• Maple Syrup
• mustard: honey-dijon mustard, mustard greens
• Fennel seed, anise seed, caraway seed
• Celery Leaf

 

Paneer

source: food network

Ingredients

• Cheesecloth
• 8 c whole milk
• 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

Directions

1. Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
2. In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
3. Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
4. *Cook's Note: If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.
5. 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. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
6. 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.
7. Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit at least 20 minutes.
8. Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese!