Hello everyone!
Happy June! In this week’s edition we feature cheese.
Cheese makes everything lekker! It’s one of those ingredients that is so versatile it can be used in starters, mains, sauces, salads and even desserts!
During a recent visit abroad, it surprised me that we only ever saw white cheese and never yellow cheese.
The cheese had a milky, creamy texture, and it was almost always presented and served in the shape of balls.
It had a soft, almost grainy texture that was a mix between feta and mozzarella, but as we travelled, the taste and flavour changed.
This really intrigued me and when doing some research, I found out that due to the different regions and geography of each country, the cheese is made with whatever livestock milk there is available.
Some countries have an abundance of either cow, sheep or goat and that is why the taste differs and that is the cheese you will find in the particular region.
The reason I loved these types of white, stringy, crumbly cheese so much, was because it had a strong sense of familiarity.
The texture reminded me of my homemade paneer. Paneer is used in many Indian dishes.
I love making it from scratch, then tossing it in spices before adding it to a thick creamy curry.
This past Sunday, we celebrated National Cheese Day and to mark the occasion, I am sharing my paneer
recipe and some delicious cheesy recipes from the chefs at Capsicum Culinary Studio for you to enjoy.
For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Instagram or Facebook @sprinklesandspicect or Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.
Happy cooking!
Love, your Cooksister!
Farzana’s Homemade Paneer
Ingredients
2 litres fresh full cream milk
6 tbsp white vinegar
12 ice blocks (1 tray)
1 litre cold fridge water
A muslin cloth or fine net cloth
Method
In a heavy-based pot on a medium to low heat, bring your milk to boil, stirring continuously.
Once your milk boils and starts to bubble up (double volume), turn off the heat, add your vinegar and give it a quick stir.
Allow the milk mixture to settle and the curd and whey to split.
Once it splits or curdles, remove the pot from the heat and add the ice blocks.
This stops the cooking process.
Allow to cool for five minutes.
After five minutes, strain in muslin cloth.
Rinse with a litre cold water, to rinse off any extra vinegar.
Squeeze out all the water, holding the Paneer in the cloth and twist it into a ball.
Flatten the curd (still in the cloth) gently with your hand.
Transfer to a tray lined with roller towel to absorb any extra liquid that seeps out.
Cover with another piece of roller towel and add a heavy based pot on top.
This process squashes the cheese to firm and set it.
If your pot wobbles or it is not heavy enough, add in tin goods or a sugar or rice container to give it weight.
Allow to set for two hours before slicing and adding it in your dishes.
Cheese Straws
Ingredients
180g cups plain sifted flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
125g butter, chilled, chopped
250g aged cheddar, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line three baking trays with baking paper.
Combine flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a bowl.
Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add cheese, egg and lemon juice, mixing with your hands to form a dough.
Place half the dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out to form a 3mm-thick, 20cm x 40cm rectangle.
Trim edges to make straight.
Cut crossways into 5mm strips. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place strips on prepared trays.
Bake one tray at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until ends start to turn golden.
Cheese muffins
Ingredients
50g butter, melted.
200g grated cheddar cheese
300g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
1 large egg, whisked
1 cup milk
60g sour cream or plain yoghurt
85 ml vegetable oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush a 12-hole standard muffin tin with butter.
Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper and salt into a large bowl and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix the butter, egg, milk, sour cream/yoghurt and oil.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and mix well.
Incorporate the grated cheese, making sure you don’t overmix.
Using a tablespoon or ice cream scooper, divide the mixture between the 12 muffin holes.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are golden.
Remove and cool slightly before cutting them in half and slathering them with butter.
Air fryer halloumi with black sesame seeds
Ingredients
225g halloumi, cut into thick slices
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp black sesame seeds
Pinch chilli flakes
Finely grated zest ½ lemon
Method
Pat the halloumi dry, then coat with the oil.
Heat the air fryer to 180°C then place halloumi in the tray and cook for eight minutes, turning over halfway.
Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients and when the halloumi is cooked, drizzle half the dressing over the pieces and return to the air fryer for a minute, then serve drizzled with the remaining dressing.