TOPLI NA PANEER
Topli na Paneer are small soft cheeses which are made in baskets(topli is
gujarati word for basket, hence the name).
These paneers are kept in earthenware pots in their whey. In Surat which is reputed to have the finest topli na paneer, it is sold in pots door-to-door.
These are made from "Rennet" which is a package powder and found in Supermarkets.
It is said, the whey, used as a rinse after shampooing the hair, gives it a high luster.
Below are three paneer recipes for paneer made with lemon juice, or salt or rennet..
You can purchase rennet from amazon.com(see above) or at: Malaka Liquid Vegetable Base Rennet 0.5 Oz by Yogourmet
Recipe #1 (without rennet or lemon)
Related recipe: Paneer Akuri
Ordinary
Paneer or Cottage Cheese or Mattho
Makes
1 large paneer
1 lb 12 ozs approx
INGREDIENTS
2 L milk
1/2 kg curd
2 dsp salt
METHOD
Add the salt to the curd and mix it. Bring the milk
to a boil and add the above mixture and stir.
Keep it on the fire till the curd separates. Let it
cool for a little while.
Put a thin muslin cloth in the special Paneer utensil and pour the mixture into it. Cover it very lightly and let all the water drain out. Cool and then
serve. Paneer dish can be substituted with a fine sieve.
Recipe #2 (with lemon)
Topli Paneer (Parsi style fresh cheese)Yield: 2 cups
INGREDIENTS:
Whole Milk 1 quart
Lemon juice 1
METHOD:
Basic Steps:
Curdle → Strain → Press & Form
1. Bring milk just to boil, then remove from heat.
2. Stir in lemon juice and let set 10 minutes.
This separates the curds and whey.
3. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer
and squeeze out the excess whey.
4. Flatten into a square shape about 1/2″ thick in the cheesecloth.
5. Place between 2 plates, and weigh the top plate down
with something heavy like canned goods.
6. Chill for 1 up to 8 hours to allow excess whey to be squeezed out.
7. Remove from cheesecloth and cut into squares to use in recipes.
Recipe #3 (with rennet)
Topli na Paneer (Cottage Cheese in Baskets)
Makes 4 - 5
Ingredients
1 kg milk
2 tsp salt
3 tsp
essense of rennet or 1 Hansen's junket tablet
Method:
1. Warm the milk
slightly, it should not be hot. (Hint put your finger in the warm milk it should
be warm )
2. Put in the essence of rennet.
3. Wash and dry small paneer baskets.
4. At the bottom of each basket, sprinkle 1/2 tsp of salt, then pour curd mixture over, fill to the top of the basket.
5. Place the basket over a glass so that the water drains into it. Leave to form overnight or for 8 hours.
6. When cheese is firm and water is drained off, overturn the cheese out carefully.
7. Collect drained water from each glass add this whey into a large bowl.
8. Insert the cheese into it to store. Chill and serve.
Health Tip: This topli nu paneer is very good for
digestion and is the most effective taken first thing in the morning as
breakfast.
