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How to Make Your Own Halloumi, with Step by Step Photos!

Homemade Halloumi - Arwen's Thermo Pics
Guest blog by Arwen’s Thermo Pics
 
I’m super duper excited to share this blog post with you! Last year I met a gorgeous lady in Hobart while down there for some Quirky Cooking seminars. We share a love for good food, the Thermomix, and food photography. Oh, and halloumi cheese. Yep, halloumi is high on our list of favourite things.
 
So when Arwen recently decided to take her passion for cooking and photography a step further, I had the brilliant idea of getting her to do a guest post on my blog to show us how to make halloumi! My kids are eating me out of house and halloumi – they’d go through a packet a day if I let them. I think it’s about time we started making our own. 
 
So without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Arwen Genge, of Arwen’s Thermo Pics, who has put together this photo blog for you! Thank you, Arwen, I can’t wait to make some halloumi!!
 
PS For those of you without a Thermomix, this can also be made on the stovetop – just search for halloumi recipes online for the method!
Arwen's Thermo Pics - Arwen Genge
(Photo: Making dry ice sorbet from In the Mix!)
 
Hi! I’m Arwen, a foodie Thermomix consultant based in Hobart, Tasmania. I love inspiring people to try new recipes, plus I’m obsessed with food styling, photography and Instagram 🙂
 
Have you ever tried making your own halloumi cheese? I am passionate about making things from scratch and have had this on my to do list for about 4 years!! Every time I thought about it I wouldn’t have all the ingredients, but thank goodness all the stars aligned this time and I made this recipe twice in one week. It will definitely be a regular recipe in our house from now on!

I just love grilled halloumi. Its’ salty, squeaky fresh texture just makes me smile and my taste buds dance.

Halloumi with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach and chorizo - Arwen's Thermo Pics
Halloumi with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach and chorizo
 
A friend, Suzanne, who used to be a Thermomix consultant, posted this recipe about 4 years ago and I always meant to give it a try. It has been recommended by my customers too. Here is the link to Suzanne’s halloumi recipe on the Thermomix recipe community, and below you can see how to make it, step by step.
 
Making Halloumi - Arwen's Thermo Pic's

You need to start with 2 litres of milk (preferably non-homogenised), some rennet or a junket tablet (1ml of liquid rennet to 2L of milk), and salt (No less than 20g as it needs to be quite salty to act as a preserving agent!). You will also need something to strain it with – either a nut milk bag, some cheese cloth, a clean tea-towel or calico. [Note: you can get rennet from Cheeselinks or junket tablets from grocery stores, you can also find fine sea salt for this recipe on Jo’s online store here!]

Arwen's Thermo Pics - Making Halloumi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First heat the milk for 10 mins/37 degrees/speed 1
 
Mix the rennet with 1 Tbsp of water (filtered or unchlorinated is better),
or 1 crumbled junket tablet and add to milk.
Stir for 1 min/speed 1.
Arwen's Thermo Pic's - Making Halloumi







Pour milk into ThermoServer and let it sit for 1 hour.

Arwen's Thermo Pics - Making Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the curds into 2 cm strips both ways and at a 45 degree angle. 

Let the curds sit for another 10 minutes.

Arwen's Thermo Pics - Making Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transfer the curds and whey from the ThermoServer back into the TM bowl.

Reheat for 30 mins/37 degrees/soft speed

Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Line the rice basket with the cheesecloth.
Pour the curds and whey into the rice basket over a ThermoServer.

You will need to keep the whey for later.

Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

Cover the curds with cheesecloth and place a heavy weight on top.

You will need to sit the rice basket somewhere while the whey is
being pressed out so the whey can drain away.
Leave for 30 minutes, then turn out of the rice basket.
Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the curds into pieces.

Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pour the whey back into the TM and heat for 5 mins/90 degrees/speed 1.
Put the rice basket in the TM bowl and put the pieces of halloumi back into the rice basket. 
Cook for 30 mins/90 degrees/soft speed.  The halloumi will rise to the top when it is done.
Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brine
Pour off all but 250g of the whey.
Add 250g of boiling water and 50g salt and cook for 5 minutes/100 degrees/speed 1.
 
The brine is quite salty, as it’s a preserving agent.
If you prefer, you can cut back on the amount of salt – I wouldn’t go lower than about 20g, however.
Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it cool, then put cooked halloumi into a container and cover with brine.


Keeps for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator

 *     *     *    *     *     *     *     *

Thanks so much to Suzanne for letting us share her amazing recipe!

Now what is your favourite way to serve grilled halloumi? With some fresh chilli and drizzled with olive oil for an afternoon snack? Or Sunday brunch with Thermomix steamed homegrown silverbeet, poached eggs and grilled chorizo? In a salad with smoked salmon avocado and fresh homegrown tomatoes?

The list is endless, it doesn’t matter how you like to eat your halloumi, I hope you are inspired to try making your own in your Thermomix – it is so much fun and so delicious too!

Arwens Thermo Pic’s - Making Halloumi

Happy Thermomixing

xx Arwen

67 thoughts on “How to Make Your Own Halloumi, with Step by Step Photos!

    • QuirkyJo says:

      It’s just a usual sized block, it will fit in the bottom of the steamer basket on the Thermomix. 🙂

  1. Suzanne says:

    Love it, what a great idea! Just wondering where is a common place to buy rennant? I’m not too familiar with it. Thanks 🙂

    • QuirkyJo says:

      You can get junket tablets from the supermarket instead of rennet, other wise rennet is usually available at cheese making stores. 🙂

  2. Katie SMITH says:

    HI Guys
    I made this the other night, I am not sure if it is so cold here or what, but I think the cooking needs to be longer in the fist step before the junket goes in, or maybe for a couple of min after the junket goes it so it is dissolved correctly. as mine didn’t separate, so cooked it again and then left in the thermiserver again and then worked a lot better, but was still some curds in the whey.

    Also in the last step – assuming that you leave the cheese out when cooking the brine?

    thanks

      • Quirky Cooking Team says:

        Hi. Unfortunately we have never tried it with dairy free milk so we are not sure whether this recipe would work with a non dairy milk substitute. We will keep that in mind for the future recipe developing ideas:-).

  3. Liza says:

    I made Halloumi today it was real good made some alternatives I added 30gr salt, I cut into four pieces, when cooked flattened each piece and put dried mint and folded this is the Cypriot way adding mint. Thank you

  4. Riki says:

    Hi
    Just wondering if the thermoserver has the lid on for the 1hr wait? Put mine on but no curds have formed after the hour

  5. Kylie says:

    Mine has sat in the thermo serve for an hour and has not turned…do I wait longer or go on with the next step? Thanks

  6. deborah Keyatta says:

    arghhhh I followed all the steps and then poured into the thermoserver and waited for an hour and still no curd though it is slowly getting thicker, should I heat it up again and let it sit for another hour or wait a bit longer??

  7. Luisa Caporale says:

    Thank-you both for this recipe..my family loves Halloumi so this will be great! Is this really only possible with dairy milk? I try to avoid dairy so was wondering if it may work with goat/ or any plant milks?

  8. Michelle says:

    Recipe was great!! The halloumi turned out awesome….super pleased, I used liquid vegetarian rennet and it worked well. So exciting!!!

  9. Emma says:

    Lasts for 1-2 weeks?! Really?! Are you sure?! I don’t think I’ve ever had any last more that 24hrs… 48 at the outside! It’s awesome and far to delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

    • QuirkyJo says:

      Yes just mix it with the 1 Tbspn water 🙂 Hope it goes well! (Some say it takes longer to set, btw, so be patient with it – it will set!)

  10. Michelle says:

    I’m trying to make this with raw unpasteurised milk. it’s taking a long time to set. I’m wondering if I should have pasteurised it first, like I do with yoghurt. Anyone know?

  11. Cheryl says:

    Hubby bought $2 milk for the cheese I have made it before with another brand of milk it worked well but doesn’t with $2 milk very disappointed after such a waste of my time & it doesn’t pay to cut corners ????

  12. Wai says:

    Amazing. I have to give this a try. It is very difficult to find good Halloumi in China. I miss the Halloumi that we had on holiday in Australia, it was delicious!

  13. Meg says:

    Is it best to use full cream milk? I accidentally bought “mid-milk” which I presume is like light milk and the yield is alot less than in your pictures. Alternatively, the curds were not firm enough before I cut them…

  14. Elaine says:

    Hi, I have made halloumi many times but sometimes it doesn’t sink when I put it in to poach and just sits on top of the brine. What am I doing wrong?

  15. Kat says:

    Hello, Great recipe! I’m excited to try it! However I have liquid rennet, so just wondering how much I would need to use instead of tablets? Thank you!

  16. Caroline says:

    I made this with raw milk I got direct from a farm and it worked out great. I don’t have a thermoserve so I just put the milk into a bowl at that step and it was fine. Really thrilled that I found this recipe.

  17. Miriam says:

    I love this recipe! I wasn’t sure if it had set properly or not as it was still very wobbly. But, I persisted and followed it exactly and everything has worked beautifully. I used one junket tablet crushed and dropped straight into the milk. Making the second lot now! Wondering what to do with all the left over liquid ????

    • Quirky Cooking Team says:

      hi Sarah, You can use whey as fermenting agent hence you could use it to ferment your grains such oats or fruit to help with digestion! Good luck:-).

  18. Grace says:

    Mine didn’t set after an hour so I added another rennet tablet and the rest of the recipe turned out perfect.

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