In Ancient Rome, olive growers would bring their olives for pressing into oil and sample its quality by dipping a slice of bread in it. Then, of course, over the centuries the Italians took it up several notches and presented the world with a casual-looking but refined marriage of tastes and textures. Rubbing toasted bread with garlic and adding an array of toppings including cured meats, tomatoes, and cheese is what we crave when we think of Italian bruschetta. I decided to try it with freshly made paneer to get a crumbly soft texture and added small tomatoes for tartness and crunch.

All the three girls in our family love paneer and we often put together a vegetarian version of whatever type of chicken the others are eating; for example, paneer tikka masala, paneer masala, paneer kebab, etc. I usually buy a large block of paneer from the Indian grocery store, chop it into small cubes and store it in the freezer. It is so easy to use and you only need to slide it into hot, bubbly and spicy sauces.

I was explaining to my younger daughter how easy it is to make paneer from scratch and right there and then we came up with this recipe. Homemade fresh paneer is unparalleled because it is so soft, crumbly and chewy at the same time.

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Step by Step

1. Bring 4 cups of whole milk to a slow boil.
2. Squeeze juice of a lemon or more till the milk is fully curdled.
3. Cover the pan and let stand for 30 mins.
4. Strain the paneer on a cheesecloth and place a bowl underneath to catch the drip.
5. Take a bowl and add the following:
   • Small tomatoes, sliced in half
   • 1 deseeded and finely chopped 1 fresh green or jalapeno chili
   • Handful each of fresh spinach, mint, basil or cilantro-finely chopped-any combination of greens will work based on what you have in the fridge
   • Salt, pepper, Italian herbs
   • 1 freshly crushed clove of garlic
   • 1 tsp lemon juice
6. Gently mix, cover and let stand for 10 mins in the fridge.
7. In another bowl, crumble the fresh paneer and lightly add salt, pepper and chili powder.
8. Take any thick bread (I used a baguette but a sourdough or ciabatta loaf would have been better).
9. Toast on a pan or oven after brushing both sides with olive oil and flipping when edges become golden and crusty.
10. Compose the melody by layering the tomato mixture on top of the paneer mixture.
11. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar if desired.

Some Tips

1. I always use whole or full fat milk to make paneer because it yields more paneer. Of course, you can use low fat milk too but then increase the amount of milk you use.
2. Do not throw away the water that is remaining after the paneer is drained as it is a perfect addition to soups or curries.
3. You can also use vinegar to curdle the milk, I prefer the texture and size of the curd when lemon juice is used, there is no difference in taste at all.
4. You can mix the crumbled paneer and the fresh chopped salad if you wish instead of keeping them separate.

Serve al fresco with a glass of red or white wine.