On prime of those minor hassles, Pandya was conscious that diners wouldn’t be eager to pay a lot for paneer, which lacks the built-in luxurious standing of European cheeses served in eating places. ‘‘You’re prepared to pay $16 for burrata with out blinking a watch,’’ says his enterprise companion, Roni Mazumdar, ‘‘however will you pay that for paneer?’’ I’d, if I may solely get to the restaurant. As a substitute, I used a flashlight, on my arms and knees, to rummage beneath the counter for my paneer press — a straight-sided, aluminum sieve that appears precisely like a small, perforated cake tin. I used to be each irritated that I needed to look so exhausting for it and thrilled to have such a very good excuse to make use of it.
I washed the press, lined it with a clear dishcloth and introduced a gallon of complete milk as much as a boil to begin the method. After including the vinegar and turning off the warmth, I stirred gently, nearly stroking the milk with a wood spoon, letting it sink down into the pot like a paddle. The curds began to tug other than the whey, and the liquid turned a pale, cloudy, yellowish inexperienced shade in seconds. The curds had been massive and mushy, floating dreamily by means of the pot. As I poured the pot by means of a colander, they wobbled collectively because the whey drained and the steam rushed up. After a couple of minutes, they appeared positively cheeselike — a mushy, milky-scented ball however nonetheless not fairly agency sufficient to slice and prepare dinner. I put a can of tomatoes on prime of the press, only for a couple of minutes, to assist in giving the paneer a form, then unwrapped it whereas it was nonetheless mushy and fragile.
Paneer this recent, and nonetheless heat, I may eat with a spoon. However I wished to make the tikka I’d been listening to about, or not less than a model of it. In a small meals processor, I blended a thick, yogurty marinade seasoned with garlic, ginger and chiles, a lot of carom seeds and a few garam masala, and slathered the paneer with it, laying the items on slices of purple onion. Roasted, then broiled for only a few minutes, the paneer began to char on the perimeters, and the onions curled and browned. On the desk, I dusted it with unripe mango powder and chile, squeezed lime juice on prime and tucked the items into buttered buns. It wasn’t precisely Pandya’s paneer, but it surely was tender, creamy, scorching and tangy — an excellent cause to maneuver the paneer press to a extra prime place in my kitchen, to remind me to make use of it extra usually.
Recipe: Paneer Ajwaini Tikka (Marinated Roasted Paneer)