Vegetarian rice pan with homemade Indian cream cheese – Paneer

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 liter whole milk
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 500 g rice
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 250 g mushrooms
• 2 large carrots
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 1 can tomatoes, chopped, approx. 400 g
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• e.g. salt and pepper
• e.g. Tabasco or hot chili sauce

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 1 hour 5 minutes

Prepare the paneer the day before. Boil the whole milk and add the vinegar. The milk will immediately start to curdle. Strain everything through a cheesecloth (fleece or tea towel) and press it dry. Wring the cloth really vigorously. I tie a wooden spoon to the cloth and press until it almost breaks, so that as much of the whey as possible escapes. The cheese is ready. Let the paneer mature in the cloth in the refrigerator overnight. It’s a good idea to weigh it down so that even the last traces of whey are pressed out. The next morning, the cheese is ready to slice. This amount is more for 2 servings than 4. Cook the rice as usual. Meanwhile, chop the carrots into small pieces, along with the paneer, spring onions, and mushrooms. Fry the carrots in a roasting pan or saucepan. After about 5 minutes, when the carrots should have softened a bit, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize. Add the curry paste, paneer, and tomato paste. Sauté everything thoroughly. Then add the spring onions, mushrooms, and ginger paste and sizzle for about 4-5 minutes. Deglaze everything with the stock and sizzle for another 2-4 minutes. The mushrooms and vegetables should remain crisp, so it’s better to stir in the water before cooking. Now add the can of tomatoes, bring to a boil briefly, and season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the rice. If desired, add chili sauce or Tabasco to taste.