Monday, October 28, 2013

Chenna for making Indian sweets.

Chenna is a kind of cheese and is the base for a variety of Indian sweets. It can be used in making sweets like sandesh, rasgulla, rasmalai etc.

Chenna is created in the same process as paneer, but unlike paneer, it is not pressed for long. It is best, when used immediately after being made, rather than freezing it.







You'll need:
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1/2 Gallon full fat milk.
3-4 Tbsp of lime juice.

Muslin or cheese cloth to strain the milk.

Steps:
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1. Bring the milk to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Make sure by stirring occasionally the milk doesn't burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. To avoid that keep stirring the milk occasionally.



2.  Add lime juice to the milk and stir gently. You'll see the milk starts to curdle and separate from the whey. The whey needs to turn clear light green. If you think it is still milky add a few more drops of lime juice. When the cheese has separated completely, turn the gas off and leave it for a few minutes.





2. Put the muslin cloth on top of a sieve or any big vessel and pour the curdled milk on to the cloth. Bring the ends of the cloth together and squeeze to remove the whey.



3. Tie the ends of the cloth together and hang it somewhere to let the whey drip off. I tied it to the tap over the sink so that it drips in the sink and left it for atleast half hour.



4. Transfer the chenna to a bowl or plate and knead it till you get a smooth consistency. Chenna is now ready to be used.



Recipes to follow as to how the Chenna can be used.

Check out recipes for rasgulla and sandesh.


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