Paneer cheese

Living on a buffalo farm, Mitch Humphries milks approximately 150 buffaloes twice a day. Here he shares a recipe using milk from those very buffaloes.

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

"Paneer, crusty bread and a good chutney – that sounds like a very life-affirming sort of dish. It reminds me of sitting in an English pub garden having a ploughman’s (of sorts). Bees are buzzing everywhere, the cricket is on the radio, and the beer isn’t too fizzy. So how about an Australian take on this English ale as a match? This Sleeping Giant IPA gives a nod to the English style whilst also retaining its intense Aussie refreshment factor. It has a nice bit of sweetness and some fruity flavours to match the chutney, whilst also having a nice hoppy character. Happy days!" - Dan Coward

Ingredients

• 3 litres unhomogenised buffalo milk
• 300 ml lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

Makes 600 g

Drink Gage Roads Sleeping Giant IPA (India Pale Ale), WA

Instructions

Place the milk into a heavy-based pan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon juice and stir slowly until the milk curdles and separates the curds and whey.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the curds and whey into the colander. Tie the top of the cheesecloth and weigh down with heavy cans for 30 minutes or until the paneer is firm. (The longer you press it, the firmer it will be.)

Remove the cloth and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use.

Serve with crusty bread and your favourite chutney.

Note

• Organic cow’s milk can be used as an alternative to unhomogenised buffalo milk.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"Paneer, crusty bread and a good chutney – that sounds like a very life-affirming sort of dish. It reminds me of sitting in an English pub garden having a ploughman’s (of sorts). Bees are buzzing everywhere, the cricket is on the radio, and the beer isn’t too fizzy. So how about an Australian take on this English ale as a match? This Sleeping Giant IPA gives a nod to the English style whilst also retaining its intense Aussie refreshment factor. It has a nice bit of sweetness and some fruity flavours to match the chutney, whilst also having a nice hoppy character. Happy days!" - Dan Coward