Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk
4-6 lemons, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
Optional:
ghee (clarified butter)
Directions:
- Place a strainer in a large bowl and line with cheesecloth so that the cheesecloth hangs over the sides.
- Heat the milk in a large pot just until it begins to boil then turn off the heat.
- Pour in some of the strained lemon juice and stir gently till the milk starts to show signs of curdling. If it doesn’t after 5 minutes, add a little more lemon juice.
- The milk curds will look crumbly and the liquid will be a cloudy yellow color but no longer milky. Add the salt.
- Carefully pour the contents through the cheesecloth. Take care that the cloth stays together to catch all the cheese curds.
- Gather the sides of the cheesecloth together and gently squeeze to release the liquid. This will take some time.
- More liquid will continue to be released. You can place a heavy pot or cutting board on top of the cheese to help push out the liquid.
- When all the liquid is removed, refrigerate for 1/2 hour before cutting into cubes.
- When cutting it’s best to just press straight down with a chef’s knife and not cut with a serrated knife because the cheese may be very crumbly.
- Fry lightly in a little ghee or melted butter before adding to your palak, if desired. This gives it a little crispy edge. It is also delicious eaten just as it is!
Adapted from Spicy and Delicious by Priya Wickramashinghe