Making Paneer [Cottage Cheese]

Hi ,
The reason why I thought of sharing this simple way of making paneer is because many of us find it easier to pick it off the shelf. I did too... But now 8 out of 10 times I use home made paneer  primarily because its healthier, more hygienic. And we eat quite a bit of paneer in our meals so thats important for me. Also it is a great source of protein [for the health conscious]. Believe me , its really ez and once you've tried it a couple of times its a breeze!
One thing you need is a small muslin bag so that the process becomes really ez and non-messy. If you dont then a muslin/ thin cotton cloth will suffice.
Here goes...

•  2 1/2 litres of milk
• 1 tsp of citric acid or juice of two lemons

Bring the milk to a boil. Turn the burner knob to sim. Stir in either the powdered citric acid or the lemon juice. As soon as the milk curdles, turn off the gas. Transfer this into the bag and pour some cold[room temprature] water on it. Tighten the bag and keep it on a flat surface. Now place a weighty object for eg. your tava[griddle] or chakla on it for about 1 hr to press out the remaining water and get a neat slab of paneer.

Adding a Cocktail twist- To the curdled milk add some chopped onion, chopped tomato. red chilli or black pepper powder.  Then follow the same procedure. Once the paneer is set, cut it into cubes. You can dot each peice with coriander/mint chutney/ketchup and serve it for breakfast or with the evening drinks. Enjoy it.