Hello, food lovers greetings. Today i present my participation in @qurator's hive top chef theme Milk. When the main ingredient is milk mostly the idea that comes to mind is a dessert or ice cream, or different kinds of puddings or custard.
But here I am making a savory dinner starter paneer tikka homemade cottage cheese. all content including photos is my original work. here in Norway, the gray and dark days with little natural light make it difficult to photograph the process of making food.
The main ingredient is milk with some lemon juice
3/4 litter milk (minimum 4% fat milk but better with more)
juice of 1/2 medium size lemon diluted with
2 Tbsp water.
Making Paneer
Pour the milk into a thick bottom saucepan.
Boil it on high heat stirring continuously.
When it comes to a boiling point
I added the lemon juice diluted with water And removed the pan from the heat but kept stirring
While stirring it separated into curds and whey.
Using the Strainer and cheesecloth I strained the milk.
When it was hot I poured ice-cold water into it. It takes away the lemon taste and keeps the cheese soft.
I tied the curd in cheesecloth into a pouch and squeezed out more whey.
Now to make the cheese in block form, I put some weight on the curd pouch I used a stone mortar The weight should be equal to the weight of the milk we started with. I Had 3/4 liter milk so I put 3/4 kilo weight on the curd for about 15 minutes
the result is this block of paneer about 200g which i am using right away to make paneer tikka
Ingredients:
200 grams paneer cut into cubes
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
1/4 turmeric powder
2 tbsp turkish yogurt
1/2 red paprika in small-size cubes
1/2 onion in small-size cubes.
1 pinch of beetroot powder to make a nice red color
Mixed all the spices in the yogurt and stirred it well.
Added a pinch of beetroot powder and
Stirred in the paprika and onion cubes.
In a frying pan melt the butter and fry the paneer cubes.
when the panneer cubes start to become brown I gathered them to one side and put the marinated paprika and onion cubes/bits on the other side, leaving the yogurt marinade on the plate.
then i removed the paneer cubes from the pan and carefully mixed them in the yogurt marinade left on the plate.
Returned them back to the frying pan and fried on both sides until they are slightly crunchy outside.
after finishing frying they are ready to be served.
Here is the paneer tikka with optional cocktail pins for serving.