Preparing Indian cheese (paneer, panir) by separating the curds from the whey, using a cheesecloth.
Paneer (panir) is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin often referred in the Vedas dating back to 3000 BCE. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called chhena. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids.
Unlike many cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and providing one of the sources of protein for vegetarians in India. It is generally unsalted.
