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Kishmish panir
کشمش پنیر (kishmish panir): Kabul's spring snack of fresh white cheese with red raisins (plus 1¾ hours setting and draining)
Spring in Kabul is announced by sellers who appear on street corners with trays of soft white panir laid on leaves and a heap of dark red raisins beside it, and kishmish panir becomes the snack of the season. The cheese is unripened and barely salted, milky and springy like a just-set curd, and the chewy, sweet-tart raisins are eaten alongside it in alternate mouthfuls, usually with a piece of naan and a glass of green tea. Afghan panir is set with rennet, traditionally animal rennet, so use a vegetarian (microbial) rennet to keep it vegetarian, and always start with pasteurised milk. The batch that refuses to set has nearly always been made with UHT or ultra-filtered milk, which will not curdle with rennet. Chef's tip: soak the raisins in cold water for half an hour first; they plump up and stop tasting dusty.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the panir
- 8 ¼ cups whole pasteurised milk (not UHT)
- 1 /4 tsp vegetarian liquid rennetor the amount the label gives for 2 l
- 3 tbsp cool boiled water
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 5 ½ oz red raisins (kishmish surkh)or dark raisins
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Warm 8 ¼ cups whole pasteurised milk (not UHT) in a large pan over a low heat, stirring, until it reaches 35–99°F, just warm to a clean finger; take it off the heat.
8 minStep 2: Stir 1 /4 tsp vegetarian liquid rennet into 3 tbsp cool boiled water, pour it into the milk and stir slowly up and down for 30 seconds, then stop the milk moving with the back of the spoon.
Step 3: Cover and leave undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the curd has set to a soft jelly that splits cleanly when you push a knife in and lift it.
45 minStep 4: Cut the curd into 2 cm cubes with a long knife, then leave for 5 minutes until clear yellowish whey gathers around the pieces.
5 minStep 5: Ladle the curds into a colander lined with a clean, damp muslin cloth set over a bowl; keep the whey for bread dough if you like.
Step 6: Leave to drain for 1 hour, then fold the cloth over the top and press gently with a plate for a few minutes, until the cheese holds together as a soft cake.
60 minStep 7: Meanwhile cover 5 ½ oz red raisins (kishmish surkh) with cold water and soak for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
30 minStep 8: Unwrap the panir, sprinkle it all over with 1 tsp salt, slice it into thick pieces and serve on a plate beside the raisins, with naan if you like (naan is not gluten free). Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kishmish panir take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole pasteurised milk (not uht)?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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