Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 10 min
Serves: 150gm

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 ltr milk
2. 1/4 cup curd (sour curd preferred)
3. 2 - 4 tsp lemon juice or Vinegar (if the curd is not sour)
4. 1/2 cup ice cubes or ice water

Instructions for making soft paneer:

1. Keep the milk for boiling in a big container.
2. When it starts boiling add in curd. Adding curd gives us the soft paneer. But curd should be little sour and it should be at room temperature. So after adding curd wait for 10 - 20 seconds. If the milk is not curdling then add a tsp of lemon juice. Still the milk is not curdling add in remaining lemon juice also.
3. When all the milk curdles, immediately switch off the stove. If you continue the boiling then the paneer will become hard.
4. After switching off the stove add in ice cubes or ice water. Adding ice cubes or ice water reduces the temperature and arrests further cooking. So this way it helps in making soft paneer. You can also add large amount of water of normal temperature.
5. Now strain the curdled milk using a white kitchen cloth or cheese cloth. You can pour some fresh drinking water as well while straining.
6. After straining hang it somewhere in the kitchen for about 10 minutes. So that it will get strained well.
7. Now keep strained paneer along with the cloth on a flat surface and keep some heavy object on it. Leave it for 30 to 40 minutes. I kept my heavy cast Iron pan. Please note this step is optional. Do this if you need paneer pieces. Or else just crumble it and use it in sweets, parathas or sandwitches.
8. Now remove the object, open the cloth and your home made soft paneer is ready. Cut into pieces, use in the curries or store it in the refrigerator.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.