← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 2 l whole milk
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 120 g Sugar
• 3 tbsp fine semolina (sooji)
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp ghee, plus extra for the tin
• 2 tbsp Cashews, broken
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 2 tbsp milk, if needed

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice a spoonful at a time until it splits into curds and whey. Drain in a muslin-lined sieve, rinse with cold water and hang for 30 min until moist but not dripping.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Grease a 15–18 cm cake tin with ghee and line the base with baking paper (or a banana leaf).
3. Knead the chhena for 2–3 min until smooth, then mix in the sugar, semolina, cardamom, ghee, cashews and raisins. Add a splash of milk if it feels stiff; it should be a thick, soft batter.
4. Spread it in the tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with a little extra sugar for a caramel crust.
5. Bake for 50–60 min, until deep brown on top and at the edges and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before turning out and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Traditionally it’s baked in a sal-leaf-lined pot over dying wood embers, which gives a smoky edge.
• Contains cashews and dairy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen Archana's Kitchen