Читать книгу Indian Cooking For Dummies - Monisha Bharadwaj - Страница 79

Paneer is Indian cottage cheese. Paneer doesn’t melt upon cooking and takes on the flavor of the spices its cooked in, so it’s great in curries or baked as an appetizer. You can choose from plenty of brands, so you may have to try a few to pick a favorite. Here are your options:

 Blocks of paneer: Available in 7-ounce packs (enough to add to a mixed curry for three to four people) or larger packs (for curries where paneer is the star ingredient).

 Cubed paneer: If you want to save even more time, cubed paneer is for you. It can stick together, though, so you’ll need to separate the cubes before adding them to the pan.

 Tofu: If you prefer a vegan alternative, try firm tofu, which has a similar texture to paneer and a neutral taste.

You can make your own paneer at home, if you want. It’s easy and requires very little effort, but it is time-consuming. You need just two ingredients: whole milk and lemon juice. Boil the milk and split it by adding lemon. Strain to remove the whey, and then hang it up for a few hours to make a dense, mild-tasting, cuttable cheese. If you don’t want to wait, head to your local Indian grocery to buy the prepackaged stuff.