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Title: Matar Paneer (Peas With Cream Cheese)
Categories: Indian
Yield: 1 Batch

6 c Milk
2 Lemons
2 ts Salt
4 oz Ghee or cooking oil
1 lg Onion
2 ts Ground cumin
1 ts Ground coriander
1 ts Ground turmeric
1 ts Chilli powder
1 1/2 ts Black pepper
4 oz Frozen peas

Preparation time: 4 hours Cooking time: 25 minutes

Cheese as it is known in the west is not very common in India,
although it is true to say that a kind of Cheddar cheese is being
produced for Westerners living in India and has been available in the
big cities for twenty years or so.

The only real cheese that can truly call itself Indian is a
particular kind of cream cheese known as panir. This cheese involves
a fairly laborious method of preparation but the result is well worth
the effort. Panir is not only used in savoury dishes but is also the
basis of a number of Indian pudding recipes.

Put the milk in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring
continuously. Once the milk has boiled, remove from the heat and
allow to cool. Squeeze in the juice from the lemons so that the milk
curdles. Allow to stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Take a double thickness
of muslin and strain the curdled milk through the cloth, squeezing
out the whey into a bowl. Put the whey to one side.

You are now left with the curds. Add the salt to this and mix well,
keeping the curds still in a muslin cloth. Squeeze hard again. Cut
open a clear plastic bag and lay it on the draining board of the
kitchen sink. Lift the curds in the muslin out of the bowl and place
on the plastic. Lay another piece of plastic on top and then last of
all a large chopping board. Pile books on top of the board, to about
4.5 kg / 10 lb weight and leave for 2 to 3 hours so that the rest of
the whey runs out and drains away and the panir is formed into a
slab. You now have made Indian cream cheese.

Then heat the ghee or cooking oil in a heavy saucepan. Peel and slice
the onion and fry until soft. Now add the cumin, coriander, turmeric,
chilli powder, and black pepper and stir for a futher 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the frozen peas and stir well to mix in with the spice and onion
mixture. Add 1 cup of the whey and bring to the boil. After 4 to 5
minutes, when the peas are cooked, take the panir and cut it into
small pieces, about 2.5 cm / 1" or so. Fry the panir gently with the
peas, being sure not to break up the cheese. Cook for a further few
minutes or so, and serve.

Recipe by Indian Cooking by Khalid Aziz, 1983

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