Prep time: 5 minutes + 1–2 hours draining. Cook time: 15 minutes.

Pour the milk into your largest saucepan or stockpot – you want a good few inches of pan left above the level of the milk, as the milk loves to try to boil over. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring the bottom of the pan occasionally – this will take 10–15 minutes from cold.

Once the milk has come to the boil, let it bubble up furiously for 15–30 seconds before adding the lemon juice. Let it boil for a further 15 seconds, then turn off the heat and stir. The milk should immediately ‘split’, leaving you with creamy milk solids and the thin, watery whey. Carefully pour the mixture into a sieve lined with a clean muslin or j-cloth, set over the sink, then bring the ends of the j-cloth up to enclose the solids. Twist into a tight ball, secure with string or a rubber band, and hang on a cupboard door set over a bowl for 1–2 hours to let the excess liquid drain away.

After a couple of hours the paneer should be nice and firm. It is now ready to use for kofta or as a stuffing for mini peppers: use immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you want to cut it into cubes to fry or roast, leave it in the fridge to firm up overnight.