How to make paneer at home – an easy step by step recipe to make paneer at home. Making paneer at home is very easy and there is no rocket science involved to get perfect soft paneer each time you make. Most store bought Indian cottage cheese or paneer contains additives so I make my own paneer at home.
Homemade paneer is much superior in taste, freshness and flavor than the store bought ones. You also have the chance to choose the milk you desire. If you are new to Indian Cuisine, then these FAQ may help you.
What is paneer?
Paneer is a kind of fresh cheese made by curdling milk using an acidic food ingredient like lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk, yogurt (curd) or citric acid.
Paneer is a soft yet firm, non melting cheese that is made without using any kind of rennet. It is also not fermented or aged like other kinds of cheese.
To make paneer or chenna, milk is boiled and then curdled with a acidic ingredient. The curdled milk solids are then drained to a muslin or cheese cloth. Later it is pressed with a heavy object to set and then it is cubed to pieces.
These cubes are used to make various Paneer recipes like
Paneer butter masala
Matar paneer
Paneer tikka masala
You can also use paneer without setting in recipes like
Malai kofta
Paneer bhurji
Paneer sandwich
Acids used to make paneer
Commercially sold paneer is made using citric acid. For homemade paneer – yogurt, lemon juice, or vinegar are the choices to curdle the milk. The taste, flavor & texture of the Indian cottage cheese depends on the kind of acidic ingredient used.
1. Yogurt yields very soft yet firm paneer. You can skip rinsing the chenna but it has to be very well drained by squeezing the excess whey. Then it has to set. Using too much curd to curdle will impart a mild yogurt flavor to the cheese.
2. Lemon juice imparts a lemony flavor to the curdled solids (chenna) so it has to rinsed well. Too much lemon juice will make the cheese grainy.
3. Vinegar is the most preferred acid by home cooks as it curdles the milk faster then yogurt or lemon juice. Too much vinegar alters the flavor of paneer.
Using yogurt for curdling milk yields the best soft paneer. But lemon juice or vinegar can also be used.
How much lemon juice to use?
Many readers write to me asking if there is any standard amount of lemon juice or vinegar to use per liter of milk to make paneer.
No! there is no standard amount of acidic ingredient to add per liter of milk as it entirely depends on the kind of milk. Commercial milks are much processed to increase the shelf life. So no 2 packs of milk may be the same even if they are from the same brand.
In my many years of experience I have seen farm fresh raw unpasteurized milk curdles just with few drops of lemon juice. While the commercial milk needs different amounts of vinegar or lemon juice each time.
So how much acidic ingredient to use is purely judgmental and just go ahead adding the minimum. The measures given below in the recipe card are approximations of what works well for me.
How to make paneer at home
1. Pour 6 cups milk to a heavy bottom pot and bring it to a gentle boil on a medium flame.
2. Keep your acidic ingredient ready such as – yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar. Please use only one. When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the stove. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or ¼ cup of yogurt. Give a good stir for 1 minute.
3. Milk begins to curdle immediately and solids separate from the whey. If it doesn’t, then turn ON the stove and continue to boil till you see the solids separate completely. If needed you may add another teaspoon of vinegar.
Note that non-homogenized milk curdles faster. Homogenized milk takes longer to curdle as it is processed for a good shelf life.
4. Turn off the stove as soon as you see the milk has curdled completely. When the paneer is done correctly you will see the whey being clear and not milky. The color of the whey will be yellowish or green but not milky white.(check video). It is important you turn off when it is done. If you continue to cook longer, it becomes hard and grainy.
Draining
5. Place a colander over a large bowl (to collect the strained whey). Layer it with a clean cheese cloth (or muslin cloth). A thin new handkerchief works well too. Transfer all of the curdled milk to the colander.
6. Immediately pour cold water to get rid of the vinegar smell. Later rinse the paneer well a few times under running water until it is clear of the vinegar.
7. Squeeze off the excess water. Make a knot and hang this for 30 mins. This helps to drain the excess whey. Paneer should still be moist after draining.
8. Keep the entire pack on a flat colander or a plate or wooden board. Form a nice round shape by wringing the cloth. (check video)
9. Place a heavy object weighing at least 2.5 to 3 kgs. I fill my pot with uncooked rice and place over it. Any heavy object will just work well to set paneer. Allow it to set for about 3 to 4 hours.
10. Remove the cloth and you will find a round block of paneer. You will also notice a dent on the block. It is just normal.
11. Slice the paneer. Use or Refrigerate for further use. I usually put the entire block in a steel box and refrigerate. I cut only when needed. You can also cut them and freeze.
How to choose milk for paneer
- Use full fat fresh milk. Do not use stale or milk that has gone beyond the expiry date as it is unhealthy & does not yield good results.
- Cow’s milk, buffalo milk or goat milk can be used to make paneer. The key to make good paneer is the amount of fats. If using buffalo milk then keep stirring to prevent the milk getting scorched at the bottom. The fats in the buffalo milk get stuck to the bottom quickly.
- Best homemade paneer can be made from non-homogenized & raw milk. However if non homogenized milk or raw milk is not available you can also make homogenized & pasteurized milk just like the way I did.
- Avoid using skimmed milk as it yields lesser paneer. Also avoid using low fat milk to make paneer as it may not set well.
Tips to make soft paneer
The following tips will help you to make soft and well set paneer.
- Always add the acidic ingredient like lemon juice, vinegar or curd only after the milk comes to a boil.
- Once the acid ingredient is added to the milk, stir and check if the milk has curdled completely. If not add as much needed and turn off the stove in time.
- Do not continue to boil after the milk has curdled completely. This makes the paneer very hard & grainy.
- Use just the right amount of acids to curdle the milk. Using too much of acidic ingredient makes the chenna or paneer grainy and rubbery. So add the lemon juice in batches only as needed.
- I always prefer to pour some cold water or ice cubes immediately to the pot to stop it from cooking further. You can also skip this step and transfer the paneer quickly to a colander that is lined with muslin cloth. Immediately rinse it under running water.
- Always drain and squeeze the chenna or milk solids well.
- Ensure there is no excess whey in the milk solids before you keep it for setting. To ensure this I always hang the paneer for 30 min to drain it completely otherwise the paneer will not set well.
Why do paneer cubes break in the gravy
Low amount of fats or excess whey in the chenna won’t set the paneer well. The cubes may break as soon as it is added to the gravy. So I always ensure to squeeze off the excess whey before keeping the chenna for setting.
Add the cubes to the gravy only after it has thickened. Cover the pan after adding the cubes. Turn off the stove. The heat in the pan is enough to cook it.
Related Recipes
How to make paneer
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 1 ½ liters full fat milk (6 cups)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar (substitute with lemon juice or ¼ cup yogurt)
Equpiment needed
- 1 colander (strainer)
- 1 cheese cloth (muslin cloth or fresh handkerchief)
- 1 large bowl (to collect whey)
- 1 to 2 heavy objects
Instructions
Preparation
- Pour milk to a heavy bottom pot & bring it to a gentle boil on a medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally to ensure the milk doesn't get scorched at the bottom.
- Meanwhile place a colander over a large bowl to collect the whey. Spread a cheese cloth over the colander.
How to make paneer
- When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the stove and pour 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
- Stir it well for 1 to 2 mins until the entire milk curdles completely. (milk solids begin to separate from the whey). When done correctly whey will be not be milky any more but will be clear.
- Troubleshooting: If you see the milk doesn't curdle fully, then turn ON the stove & boil the milk on a medium heat until the whole pot of milk curdles. Turn off as soon as you see it curdles. If you continue to cook at this stage, paneer can become hard.
- Gently pour the entire paneer along with whey to the colander. Pour some cold water to stop the paneer from cooking further.
- Rinse it under running water to remove the smell & taste of the vinegar.
How to set paneer
- Wring the cheese cloth making a round shape of the paneer. Squeeze any excess whey or water. Make a knot and hang the paneer for 30 mins so the excess whey drains.
- Remove the knot and twist the edges of the cloth. Place the cheese cloth along with the paneer on a flat colander or a wooden board. Press down the cloth & place a heavy object on it for the paneer to set. (check the video below)
- I usually put a pot or cast iron pan over the paneer and then place a 2 to 3 kg rice pack.
- After 3 to 4 hours, remove the cloth and cut the paneer to cubes.
- Refrigerate the homemade paneer and use up with 2 to 3 weeks. Or freeze up to 3 months.
- Avoid overcooking the paneer after adding it to the curry. It does not need much cooking. I generally add it to the gravy and turn off the stove. Keep the pan covered so the paneer absorbs the flavors.
Notes
- Please use only full fat fresh milk or whole milk as high fats in the milk will yield more paneer & will set well.
- Non-homogenized milk curdles faster while homogenized milk takes longer to curdle. So you will need to boil a little longer until it curdles fully.
- Do not use milk that has not gone beyond the expiry date. This may affect the flavor.
- Adding sufficient amount of acidic ingredient like lemon juice, vinegar or curd (yogurt) is very essential otherwise the milk will not curdle. So you may need to add more than what is mentioned in the recipe card.
- Similarly adding too much of lemon juice or vinegar will make the paneer harder & grainier. So begin by adding only a little and add more as needed until it curdles.
- Once the milk curdles completely, turn off the stove and avoid cooking further to prevent the paneer from turning hard.
- It is also good to pour some cold water to stop the paneer from cooking immediately especially if using unprocessed milk.
- Ensure excess whey is drained from the paneer before you keep it for setting. Any excess whey will prevent it from setting well. Or even the paneer cubes may break in the gravy.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
How to prevent paneer cubes from breaking in gravy?
I suggest using cornflour only if your homemade paneer cubes ever broke in the gravy. Do not use more than suggested as it may turn the cubes hard after cooking.
Knead the chenna well. There should be no water left it must be only moist. Add 1.5 tsps corn flour, knead it again thoroughly. Make a nice moist rectangle in a plate. If needed can wet your palm to make a moist rectangle. (Not soggy)
Cover the plate with a moist cloth. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut to cubes after it is set.
Julie says
Hi! Can I use Greek Yogurt as Curd? Thanks.
swasthi says
Yes you can use
Julie says
My Paneer turned out so well! Thanks so much! 🤦🏻♀️
swasthi says
Glad to know Julie
apri says
I made this during lockdown here in US, and your recipe worked like a charm! Thank you for this and many other amazing recipes. Keep up the good work!!
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know!
Thanks for the comment.
Sabreen says
Hi Swasthi! Thank you for sharing this process 🙂 I made paneer today using your step by step guide. I used fresh cow milk and curd to curdle the milk, the paneer turned out firm yet super soft! Can’t believe this was my first attempt!
Thank you for bringing back simple yet delicious recipes into our lives.
swasthi says
Hi Sabreen,
You are welcome. So glad to know the recipe worked out. Thank you so much!
Sumathi Shanmugam says
Super ! came out very well
i have decided not to buy paneer from store now here after👍😊
swasthi says
Thanks Sumathi
Glad to know
Rupe says
Hi Swasthi,
Just one question… You mentioned about seasoning the paneer prior to or rather before finishing with weights etc…
My question is would it still work for example if I added garlic powder to the milk whilst it was cooking or some dried herbs (added before cooking the milk) would it still work???
TIA…. 👍
Rupe
swasthi says
Hello Rupe
If you add them while boiling the milk, the flavor would be lost. So it is good to add later
Shilpa says
Hi swasthi, sorry for the earlier question
It’s not about this cake, as I don’t have condensed milk
I meant to ask out of the two eggless cakes which is better , the one made with yogurt topped with chocolate sauce or the one made with milk in cooker(cooker cake)
swasthi says
Hello Shilpa,
The cake with yogurt is a sponge cake. But the cooker cake is a regular soft cake. Both are good. It is hard to say which is better
Joe stephen says
Although I have tried two of your receipts and enjoyed .thanks .I am a beginner and for I prefer a receipe that is clear and straight forward not giving options and variations
swasthi says
Hi Joe Stephen
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed the recipes. Yes now I understand more options and variations confuse a few. Going forward I will put them in the recipe notes and not in instructions.Thank you.
David Meiri says
Thank you for posting this detailed description with photos and tips. However, when I followed all the steps, the milk didn’t curdle even with 3 tablespoons of lemon. The moment I added vinegar it curdled immediately. I added cold water and ice, strained it, and got about a cup of smelly curds. After 4 hours under a heavy weight they remained crumbled and dry – definitely not like paneer from the shop. All in all, a disappointing experience. I used fresh whole milk, muslin cloth, everything according to the instructions. Seems I’m in the minority with the rave reviews from everyone else…
(BTW, to the author – wouldn’t hurt to proof the text again – you have quite a few typos).
swasthi says
Hi David Meiri,
You are welcome! Thanks for the mention on the typos. I will go through. You haven’t followed the recipe correctly. After adding the lemon juice, my instructions say to wait until the milk curdles or boil it further until it curdles. I have never instructed to add vinegar after adding lemon juice. If it did not work with 3 tbsps, you can add a bit more of lemon juice. I mentioned that in the notes. My tips for soft paneer says too much of acidic ingredient can make your paneer hard and grainy meaning crumbly. If the paneer turns too grainy, there is no fix to it and it will not set well like a store bought smooth paneer. You can see the pictures shared by a few readers who followed this recipe – here is the link Pinterest.
Arpita Bajaj says
Hi ,
Love your website… thank you for teaching us amazing stuff. Quick question can we freeze it ?
swasthi says
Hi Arpita,
Thank you so much! Yes you can freeze it.
Jackie says
Hi. My first attempt at making paneer.
I added about 4 T lemon juice, maybe a bit more to 1 gallon of milk (3.78 liters). I have my cheese hanging for about 30 min and there’s not much liquid coming out when I squeeze the cloth.
My leftover whey in the bowl is not clear. It is still a milky color. Did I stop curdling too soon? Can I re-boil the liquid and try to curdle again?
My cheese seems like a small amount from an entire gallon of milk. The weight of the cheese including the cheese cloth is 700g.
Thank you for the advise!
Jackie
swasthi says
Hi Jackie,
Yes you can reboil the liquid. If the milk is curdled well then, the whey is in yellowish/greenish colot and not milky. Yes I guess you stopped curdling a bit early. Usually processed milk takes longer to curdle. Next time try with a small batch to know the difference. Regarding the quantity, unprocessed/raw milk (not homogenised) gives the best amount of paneer. Hope this helps.
bruce ambrose says
Hi Swasthi,
I am South African. We lived in Richards Bay – where there is a large Indian community.
Over the years we got to love Indian cuisine.
My paneer was always tasty, but sometimes grainy. Your excellent idea about the ice to cool it down works perfectly.. Thanks.
I use yoghurt – much creamier and tasty.
Thanks for a great blog – and, as you see, always good feedback from people using your great recipes.
swasthi says
Hello Bruce,
Glad to know you! You are welcome! Glad your paneer turned out good! Yes yogurt does a great job here. Thank you so much for the comment!
Ayesha Ali says
Hey Swasthi,
Thanks for another wonderful recipe again as always you are a life saver 😄.
I tried making paneer with your recipe a week back and somehow My milk did not curdle well at all i goofed up added around 3 tbsp of vinegar it didn’t curdle then later i added 2 tbsp of lemon juice then it started curdling but that too not as you show in the pictures ,it turned out extremely soft which was not good paneer to put in a gravy or any other recipe, it was bitter in taste and not the paneer i usually eat. I used a tetra pack full fat milk maybe that was the issue?
So i am thinking to try again with fresh dairy milk although one question! Can I use the milk which has already been boiled once?
As soon as i get a go ahead from you im gonna try making it again 😅
swasthi says
Hi Ayesha,
You are welcome! I guess you did not read my notes on the kind of milk – “Use only fresh milk”. Milk in tetra packs are processed for shelf life. They are processed to prevent curdling. Trying to curdle this is not right.That’s the reason you had to add a lot of vinegar. The results are not good.
Secondly the bitter taste may have come from vinegar – Please use apple cider vinegar or natural vinegar. Not artificial one. There is some amount of aluminium that leaches to the milk from tetra packs(though under safe limits). So this also may have caused the bitter taste.
You can use preboiled milk no problem. Hope these help.
Mudita says
Hi there! I used unhomogenized milk for this recipe, and it made such a small amount of paneer, and the color of the milk, even after adding lemon, was still quite white…so I wasn’t sure if I did it right. I used two liters of whole, unhomegenized (but not raw) milk. I followed your instructions; brought it to a boil, then let it cool for 5 minutes. I added lemon, stirred slowly, and there was definitely some curdling but not as much as in your photo above. I added more lemon, but finally decided to drain it…and it made maybe a half cup’s worth of paneer. That doesn’t seem right for all of that milk. Please advise.
swasthi says
Hi Mudita,
Yes looks like the milk did not curdle fully. Processed milk usually does not curdle faster like raw milk as it is treated for better shelf life. In most countries, non-homogenized milk is usually unprocessed and is raw. I understand the milk you used though it is nonhomogenised, it isn’t raw & may have gone through some processing. Try this again with just 1 cup of milk as you are new to this process.
1. Bring the milk to a boil and add lemon juice. Stir until you see the clear whey separates. When you see the entire milk curdles then turn off the stove. Do not turn off the stove before you see the entire milk curdles.
2. If the above tip doesn’t work out then use vinegar instead of lemon. You can use apple cider too.
When you understand how it works you can make it with more milk. I have also updated the recipe instructions with more details. Hope this helps.
Rebekah says
I’ve used this recipe several times and its by far my only to to recipe for fresh pander! Its been a huge hit with my family and I get asked on a daily basis for the recipe <3 My only problem is that every time a prepare it the finished product always turns out very crumbly I have followed the recipe to a t each time but the problem seems only to get worse! How can into a this? Is there a way to reassemble and save crumble pander to make it stay together?
swasthi says
Hi Rebekah,
Thanks for trying. Glad your family likes paneer. Here are the reasons for crumbly paneer
1.Adding too much acid to the milk while curdling making the paneer very grainy. This can make the paneer crumble while slicing. Try to use lesser vinegar and you can also dilute it with water and use. Good paneer should have smooth cuts when sliced as you can see in the pictures.
2.improperly set paneer can also crumble. Sometimes paneer takes as long as 3 to 4 hours to set well. It depends on the milk.
3. The object being placed over the paneer is not heavy enough.
Hope these help.
DeusExMachina says
There is no evidence at all that citric acid is bad for health, regardless of source.
And not only is using milk that has just started to separate on its own (because it is starting to turn) not unhealthy, it makes perfectly fine paneer, often better and more readily than fresh.
Maya says
🌈awesome home made paneer
swasthi says
Thank you Maya
Madhura C says
Hello Swasthi,
Madhura here ! I cook for my family everyday and am trying to take up cooking as another way of profession.
A couple of days back, I saw some recipes in your channel and subscribed the same.
I tried your recipes at home also which were good.
Please give me some ideas on cake baking.
swasthi says
Hi Madhura,
Thank You! You can check cake recipes here
Siddhant Ganguly says
what would the yield WEIGHT of the paneer be on average from 1.5 ltrs of full fat milk?
I’d really appreciate a weight because my mother has a small business and buying paneer tends to really dig into the profits, so im planning on making our own.
swasthi says
Hi Siddhant,
1.5 liters cow milk will yield about 300 grams of paneer. But buffalo milk yields much more than this. I am not sure if it works out cheaper in India but most other countries it is much cheaper when made at home as paneer is sightly expensive.Hope this helps.
Belinda says
Hi!
I am halfway making the paneer. The milk did not curdle with lemon I had to add in vinegar. I am waiting for it to drain. How do I season the paneer with salt and pepper? Thank you
swasthi says
Hi Belinda,
Sorry I am late in replying. We usually do not add salt or any seasoning to the paneer as we add do it fresh while using it in a recipe. However if you wish you can add it once your are done draining the whey. Gently stir it with a fork and then proceed.
Hope this helps.
Christina says
Turned out lovely and delicious thank you very much! Everything is explained so well and now I can enjoy these wonderful dishes at home!
swasthi says
Thank You Christina! Glad your paneer turned out good. Yes do try the other dishes.
🙂
Pat says
Made your paneer and it was soft and creamy. I had trouble knowing when it was boiling because it seemed to get frothy and not actually boil. I may have cooked it too long. But it seems very nice! I was wondering if next time I could add salt or would that keep it from Kurdish. When can I add salt if I can?
Thank you so much!!
swasthi says
Hi Pat
You are welcome. When you see the milk has a layer of cream on top it is an indication the milk has finished boiling. You can add salt after draining it to the cloth & just give a stir with a fork. But usually for paneer we do not add.Hope this helps. Thanks for trying.