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1
Whisk the yoghurt until smooth.
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2
Fully line a sieve or colander with a cloth with the corners hanging out. The cloth should be big enough to serve as a bag to hold all the yoghurt.
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3
Scald the cloth by pouring boiling water through the sieve. Wait for a minute or till the cloth has drained a bit, then pour the whisked yoghurt into sieve.
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4
Bring the corners of the cloth together over the yoghurt to form a bag and tightly secure with a rubber band. Suspend the bag from a hook or a knob, placing a bowl underneath to catch the whey that will drip. Leave for 2-4 hours until most of the water has drained. You can open the bag carefully and check if it has attained the texture of cream cheese.
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5
Alternatively you can fold the corners of the cloth over the cheese and place a weight on top. It will drain more quickly and might convenient if you have no place to hang it.
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6
With paneer (Indian cottage cheese), placing a weight or squeezing is said to impair the flavour of the product. I have not had this problem with this cheese but if you are worried you could also leave it in the sieve without a weight, though it will take much longer to drain but you could leave it overnight.
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7
When the cheese has fully drained, transfer it to another container and refrigerate. Add salt to taste, if desired. You can also flavour it with herbs and spice or anything you wish.
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8
There is no need to discard the whey - you can use it as a light buttermilk-like liquid in cakes and breads, and many other recipes.
