Garlic-Mint Paneer Cubes with Cucumber Salad

Steps

1. Prepare first: mince the garlic, chop the mint, dice the cucumber and red onion, and measure the lemon juice into a 70 g portion for curdling and a 10 g portion for the salad.
2. Wash a large pot, colander, cheesecloth, spoon and thermometer well. Line the colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl.
3. Pour the whole milk into the pot and heat over medium, stirring often so it doesn't scorch, until steaming at about 190°F (88°C).
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the 70 g portion of lemon juice a little at a time. Within a minute, soft white curds separate from the milk and the whey turns clear and yellow-green; if it still looks milky, stir in the rest of that 70 g portion.
5. Let the curds rest 5 minutes, then ladle them into the cheesecloth and let the whey drain for 2 minutes.
6. Rinse the curds briefly with cool water to soften the lemon flavor, then toss them with half the garlic, half the mint and the 2 g portion of salt.
7. Gather the cloth, twist out the whey, shape the curds into a flat square about 1 inch thick, and set a heavy pot of water on top. Press in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below for 1½ to 2 hours until firm.
8. Unwrap and cut into cubes; you'll have about 280 g of paneer, roughly 70 g per serving.
9. Wipe the pot dry, heat the canola oil over medium-high, add the cumin and the remaining half of the garlic for 20 seconds, then add the paneer cubes and sear 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until golden on several sides.
10. In a bowl, toss the cucumber and red onion with the 10 g portion of lemon juice, the remaining half of the mint, the 1 g portion of salt and the black pepper.
11. Serve the warm paneer cubes over the cucumber salad. Refrigerate any leftover paneer promptly and use within 3 days; do not age it.