1. Slowly bring the milk to a boil at medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, ensuring that it doesn't burn. To stay safe, you can do this in a double boiler.
2. Once the milk has come to a boil, turn heat down to low and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, stirring constantly. Milk will curdle and separate into curds and whey. The whey should gradually become less milky and more clear and the curds will become larger cottage cheese size. If this doesn't occur, add one more tablespoon of lemon juice. This process should take about 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few more minutes. Pour into a double-layered cheesecloth-lined colander and let it sit for half an hour.
4. Gather up the corners of the cloth so that you have a cheese sack.
Twist and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can. Set the whey
aside for other recipes.
5. Wrap up the
cheese in the cheesecloth into a neat little packet and set it on a
towel on a cutting board tilted at a slight angle. Place a heavy pot on
top to weight it down and press out even more moisture. Allow to sit for a couple of hours until it gets to the level of firmness you desire.
6. Unwrap the cheese and place in a tightly closed container in the fridge overnight. Cut into cubes to be used for any paneer recipe. Can be frozen for 30 days.
