When I first started making ricotta, I did a little research. Some recipes add cream; some use lemon juice or buttermilk instead of vinegar. But in all cases the basic technique is the same: heat milk, add an acid, let curdle, and drain. Salt to taste.

Your paneer pics make this a never-fail method. Thanks for clarity!

Is there a way of preserving paneer, either hard or soft, for keeping longer than a day or two? I’m supposing that’s why feta is brined. We don’t go through cheese too fast, esp. when we enjoy a variety of ‘em, and would prefer being able to keep it round a week or so. Thanks!

I drained the mix into a collindar lined with the wife’s kitchen towels, compressed while warm, then mixed it in a bowl with crushed red pepper, salt, and Texas Pete for color. I pressed it a second time, then formed it into a ball. I think a blender would give it a more uniform texture, but this was my pilot run, and will apply what I learned next time.

I tried it before adding the spices, and it kinda reminded me of ricotta or chevarie without the tangy “goat” taste.

I am not a proficient paneeer maker yet – I keep trying and I think it is greatly influenced by the milk used. One day, I will find the right one, and my method will click in – I hope – just like pasta making took me a few tries to get the right consistency dough. Now I can’t imagine how I ever managed to mess it up. Isn’t it strange how that works.