Easy Homemade Instant Pot Paneer

5 from 5 votes

Easy Homemade Instant Pot Paneer

With two ingredients make your own homemade paneer in an Instant pot easily! This versatile ingredient can be used in so many popular Indian dishes.

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: easy homemade paneer, instant pot paneer, paneer made in instant pot

Servings: people

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Shilpa Joshi

Equipment

1 Instant Pot
1 cheesecloth
1 heavy weight
1 fine mesh colander

Ingredients

4 cups half and half or whole milk or heavy cream
1 tbsp white vinegar

Instructions

Add the half and half (or whole milk or heavy cream) to the inner pot. Add vinegar and mix. Close the Instant Pot lid and secure the lid in its sealing position.
Press high pressure cook and cook for two minutes. Once done, hit cancel and do Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes. Then do Manual Pressure Release (Quick Release) to let any remaining pressure out by pressing down on the pressure valve.
Note: Leaving the paneer in for too long may result in a little sticking to the bottom of the pot, so keep a timer handy.
When you open the Instant Pot, you will see the dairy has separated from the whey. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out or pour into a colander with a cheese cloth to strain.
Give a quick rinse with water. Then, make a ball by folding up the cheesecloth around the milk solids. Give 1 or 2 squeezes to help some of the excess water come out. (Don’t squeeze too much)
Place the paneer into a colander and put a weight on it.
In about 4-5 hours (can leave it overnight in cool temperatures) the paneer block will be ready. You can cut it into paneer cubes. It is easiest to cut it at room temperature.

Notes

Tips

Tips:If you do not use a heavy enough weight, the paneer will be crumbly.

Tip: Don’t squeeze too hard else the paneer will become dry and crumbly. It needs some of the moisture to help it form into a block.

Tip: I like to use an extra cheese cloth to cover the area where pressure is released when I do manual pressure release. This prevents any milk/water from spraying about the kitchen.

Tips on whole milk: Do not use skim or fat-free milk. Try to use a good, clean brand of milk that does not have added ingredients such as carrageenan. I only used organic brands.

Tip: You can add a pinch of salt or other spices to the paneer before setting a weight on it.

Storing Paneer Cubes

Paneer is best used within two to three days of being made.

You can also freeze it once cut into cubes in an airtight container. My suggestion is to use it within 3-4 months.

Nutrition