I love cheesecakes. I love the tartness, the creaminess, the softness of those yum cheesecakes. Until very recently I would visit various cafes for my cheesecake cravings.
Why?? Because I couldn't make it at home as cream cheese is not easily available in India. Then I stumbled upon a home-made cream cheese recipe. It was basically just making paneer or cottage cheese at home, which is a process common in every Indian household, and then running it in a food processor so that it became really smooth. But the cheesecake made with that cream cheese did not have the tartness that I love in cheesecakes.
So, that's when hung curd came in. It gives the perfect flavour to the cakes. If you like it more tart then add some more hung curd in your paneer.
There is so much that can be done and made with cream cheese like cakes, frostings and dips but first you must have the basic ingredient....THE CREAM CHEESE!!!
So here's how I make mine...
Ingredients:
Full Cream Milk - 2 litres
Curds - 2 cups
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Method:
1. Line a medium sized sieve with a muslin cloth. Put all of the curds in it. Tie the ends of the cloth and hang it so that all the water in the curd drips out. Let it be like that for at least 30-40 mins. This will give you thick curd which is also called Hung Curd.
2. In a sauce pan add milk. When the milk is hot enough add lemon juice. This will curdle the milk. Add some more lemon juice if needed. Take it off the heat.
3. Line a sieve with muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk in it so as to drain off the whey. Now wash the cheese left in the muslin cloth so that the sourness of the lemon, if any, is washed away.
4. Tie the ends of the cloth and hang it to drain off the remaining whey water. Keep it like so for 30-40 mins. What you get after draining the whey is Cottage Cheese.
5. Put the cottage cheese in a mixer jar and churn it till no granules of cottage cheese are there and it is smooth.
6. Add the hung curd and run the mixer again till both are mixed well.
7. The cream cheese is ready. If you feel that there is still some water in the cheese that can be drained off then you can again pour it in a muslin cloth and hang it for some more time. But while hanging it must be kept in the refrigerator or it can get sour.
8. Remember to always store the cream cheese in the fridge.
Ingredients:
Full Cream Milk - 2 litres
Curds - 2 cups
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Method:
1. Line a medium sized sieve with a muslin cloth. Put all of the curds in it. Tie the ends of the cloth and hang it so that all the water in the curd drips out. Let it be like that for at least 30-40 mins. This will give you thick curd which is also called Hung Curd.
2. In a sauce pan add milk. When the milk is hot enough add lemon juice. This will curdle the milk. Add some more lemon juice if needed. Take it off the heat.
3. Line a sieve with muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk in it so as to drain off the whey. Now wash the cheese left in the muslin cloth so that the sourness of the lemon, if any, is washed away.
4. Tie the ends of the cloth and hang it to drain off the remaining whey water. Keep it like so for 30-40 mins. What you get after draining the whey is Cottage Cheese.
5. Put the cottage cheese in a mixer jar and churn it till no granules of cottage cheese are there and it is smooth.
6. Add the hung curd and run the mixer again till both are mixed well.
7. The cream cheese is ready. If you feel that there is still some water in the cheese that can be drained off then you can again pour it in a muslin cloth and hang it for some more time. But while hanging it must be kept in the refrigerator or it can get sour.
8. Remember to always store the cream cheese in the fridge.
Interesting..will definitely try..
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