Paneer

1 gallon milk
1 quart buttermilk

Rinse a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin with cold water and then fold it so it is 6 or more layers.  Arrange it in a sieve or colander placed in the sink.

Pour the milk and buttermilk into a large nonreactive saucepan.  Place over medium heat and heat, stirring the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the entire bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.  Once the mixture is warm, stir only occasionally, gently scraping the bottom of the pan.

When the curds and whey have separated, remove the pan from the heat.  Ladle the whey and curds into the prepared sieve.  Allow the liquid to drain. 

To make solid paneer, gather up the sides of the cloth over the remaining curds.  Place something heavy and flat on top of the cloth and curds, and leave to press and drain for 2 to 3 hours.


From Casual Cooking by Michael Chiarello, originally a ricotta recipe with changes