Beans Beans Beans

Easy Bean Recipes

How to Make Paneer Out of One Gallon of Milk

This easy paneer recipe makes approximately 13 oz. of paneer out of one gallon of milk.

Homemade Paneer

1 gallon (3.78L) of whole milk
6 tablespoons of white vinegar
cheesecloth
string or shoelace
stopwatch

1. Empty the entire gallon of milk into a large pot. Slowly bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally. While the milk is heating up, measure out the six tablespoons of vinegar into a separate bowl. Line a colander with the cheesecloth. If you intend the keep the whey, then place the colander in an empty pot to reserve the whey.

2. When the milk comes to a boil, turn off heat. Add the vinegar to the pot of milk. Stir constantly for two minutes (tip: use a stopwatch to keep track of the time). At the end of two minutes, the milk will have separated into solid white curds and a liquid whey that is green or yellow in color.

3. Gently pour the contents of the pot into the colander lined with cheesecloth. If you are keeping the whey, then make sure the colander is placed inside an empty pot to catch the whey. Move the pot of whey elsewhere to cool down (store the whey in the refrigerator after it has cooled down). Place the colander with the cheesecloth and solid curds under a sink faucet. Rinse with cold, running water until the curds are cool.

4. Gather and wring the cheesecloth with curds to form a round shape. Squeeze the excess whey out (this will take a lot of squeezing). You should have a round ball of curds wrapped in a cheesecloth at this point. Hang the cheesecloth ball either from the sink faucet or somewhere above the sink for 30 minutes to drain further. Tip: An easy way to hang the paneer is to tightly tie a string or clean shoelace around the top of the cheesecloth ball, then tie the other end of the string or shoelace to wherever you’re hanging it from.

5. Place the cheesecloth ball on a flat surface. Cover with a heavy object for 3-4 hours. Tip: Sandwiching the paneer between two cutting boards with a heavy weight or cast iron pot on top works well.

6. The paneer is done at this point. If you don’t intend to use it soon, then carefully remove the cheesecloth, place the flattened paneer is a storage container, and store in the refrigerator. Tip: You can wash and reuse the cheesecloth for future use.

Yield: Approximately 13 oz. of paneer. The amount will vary somewhat depending on the quality of the milk and how many curds are lost in the straining process.

Find more recipes here: The Complete List of Bean Recipes by BeansBeansBeans

Cuban Black Bean Soup

This Cuban Black Bean Soup is both extremely fragrant and flavorful. Garnish with chopped onions and cilantro for further flavor. My favorite way to eat this is to serve black beans over a bowl of rice. Use a slotted spoon to strain the liquid when serving over rice. It tastes best when the beans have cooled a bit rather than steaming hot.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

1 lb. dried black beans
10 cups water
½ cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
3 tsp sugar
4 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cumin

  1. Soak the black beans overnight. Place the beans and 10 cups of fresh water in a large soup pot. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook the beans slowly for 50 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
  2. After the black beans have cooked for 50 minutes, start sautéing the vegetables. In a separate pot, add the olive oil, onions, pepper, and garlic. Sauté lightly for 3-5 minutes stirring frequently. When the vegetables are soft, pour the contents of the pot—all of vegetables, olive oil, and garlic—into the pot of beans.
  3. Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin to the pot of black beans. Mix well. Cover the pot and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. The black beans should be fully cooked by this point. If not, continue simmering until the black beans are done. If you are serving this meal with rice, then start cooking the rice after adding all of the spices and vinegar. The rice should be done by the time the black beans are done.
  4. Turn off the heat and let the black bean soup stand for 10 minutes. Serve lukewarm.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Find more bean recipes here: The Complete List of Bean Recipes by BeansBeansBeans

Coffee Chili

It may sound strange to combine coffee and chili, but it adds a strong, robust flavor that complements the chili seasonings quite well. Try adding sour cream as a garnish to your coffee chili.

Coffee Chili

1 cup strong-brewed black coffee
3 cups cooked or canned dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
one 12 oz package frozen vegetarian burger crumbles
1 medium-size onion, chopped
one 4 oz can diced mild green chili peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until soft, about 7 minutes.
  2. Add the coffee, water, chili powder, and cumin, and bring to a boil. Add the red kidney beans, chili peppers, and vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
  3. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper, and simmer 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Yield:  Serves 4

Find more bean recipes here: The Complete List of Bean Recipes by BeansBeansBeans