Ricotta is an unsalted, soft, dry or moist Italian cheese made from whey obtained by production of other cheeses. It can also be made from whole milk or a combination of whole milk and whey. In this recipe, I have used cow milk to make ricotta. You can go ahead and add in a cup of cream to make the cheese creamier. It can be used in putting up varieties of sweet and savoury dishes, Italian pastas such as ravioli or gnocchi, ricotta pancakes, ricotta donuts or cheesecakes. It can also be used as a spread on a slice of bread for evening or late night munchies.
Ricotta cheese is similar to what we call "chenna" in India, used to make Rasgullas which are dumplings made of chenna or ricotta cooked in flavoured sugar syrup till spongy and soft. I am sure most of you must have seen or heard someone make chenna or paneer (cottage cheese) before, hence, do not get intimidated by the idea of making cheese at home. This recipe for homemade ricotta cheese is very simple and uses only two ingredients.
Ingredients:
Whole or Full Cream Milk - 1 ltr.
Lemon juice/ White Vinegar - 3-4 tbsp
Method:
1. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan. Do not boil the milk, we just have to bring it to 80 degrees C or till the milk is steaming and you see small bubble formation on the sides.
2. Add the lemon juice or vinegar to help milk curds separate from whey. It might take a few minutes for the whey to separate. Do not hesitate to add a few more tablespoons of lemon juice in case the milk is taking more time to curdle.
3. Line a strainer with lightly wet cheese cloth or muslin cloth folded at least twice to obtain the milk curds. Let it sit for a few more minutes to strain further. In case you want to make cheesecake, let it sit for 20-25 minutes, if using for spreads, strain it for 5-10 minutes and use immediately.
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